23.10.2007

Seminars On Freedom Of Religion Conducted By Members

Islamisation Forum : The Catholic Response

In line with the recent call by the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia to the Catholic community on the ramifications of the process of Islamisation that is being systematically introduced in our country, the Catholic Lawyers’ Society has deemed fit to respond by embarking on a series of seminar talks and forums at the level of various Catholic parishes in the Klang Valley and around Peninsular Malaysia. The Catholic Lawyers’ Society hopes to concientise the Catholic community at large on the dangerous consequences that affect our non-muslim community particularly in respect of the conversion to Islam that is increasingly rampant among our Catholic youth.

Towards this end the said series of seminar talks organized by the Catholic Lawyers’ Society highlight the salient features of the processes of Islamisation that are taking place, in particular real life situations whereby family life amongst the Catholic community in particular and the non-muslim society at large have been disrupted by virtue of conversion processes which bring into direct conflict the civil law jurisdiction of the courts and the Islamic syariah courts system. Actual case laws involving this conflict of court jurisdictions are highlighted to enable the Catholic community to better understand this dual dichotomy that is prevalent as both the civil courts and the syariah courts comprise mainly of muslim judges who themselves are consciously aware of their muslim status and arbitrating between muslim and non-muslim parties, which invariably favours the muslim party citing the syariah court amendment to the Federal Constitution.

In so far as the Federal Constitution is concerned, the Catholic community must be made aware of the systematic amendments that have taken place to the Constitution to introduce Islamic elements to our judicial system and also to various other laws that give prominence to this process of Islamisation. In highlighting these amendments, it is hoped to further concientise the community that these Islamic amendments to the Federal Constitution have been made possible by virtue of the majority held by the government in Parliament.

The Catholic Lawyers’ Society in giving prominence to the abovementioned features of actual case laws and the systematic indiscriminate amendments to the Federal Constitution.

The Catholic community hopefully by these series of seminar talks will be made conscious of what kind of response they need to make so as to counter this onslaught of Islamisation pressures that feature in our Federal Constitution, not only for our sakes but also for the sake of our children.

Some of our members (of the Catholic Lawyers’ Society) have held seminars/forums at various parishes, such as in Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre conducted by Mr Joy Appukuttan, Mr David Charles, Mr Annou Xavier and Ms Maureen. Our former President Mr Francis Pereira held similar seminar and talks at Church of the Risen Christ in Jalan Ipoh, KL and even as far north in St. Mark’s Church in Butterworth. The current President, Ms Chrishanthini also held talks on ‘Freedom of Religion’ in the Church of the Holy Family in Kajang, Selangor whilst another member, Ms Florencia conducted a similar forum in REACH Group at the Marist Brother's Bungalow in Petaling Jaya.