Thankfully, they gave me an hour. I hope that Muslims who are struggling with their own faith would be encouraged to consider the Christian faith rather than fall into the trappings of nominalism and irreligion. In fact, says Chin, "many people are inclined to convert to Islam" because of social pressure that is brought to bear on non-Muslims, who are considered inferior. On one side they have more children, one the other many members the Kazadan ethnic group, who have been Catholic since the arrival of missionaries in the 19th century, converted for political reasons”. We’re glad to have you. Take a second to support us on Patreon. My reception into the Catholic Church was not the result of one great “aha” moment, as it was with Saint Paul, but the result of many moments that called for my reflection, and over the course of … Conversion of religion can be a difficult process but love will make you do difficult things! Leonard Chin, faithful of the parish, told AsiaNews that "the Catholic population is growing steadily, albeit slowly. Document issued by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia. The vast majority of those living on the island of Borneo where the State of Sabah is located. Most of us have the general idea that it’s pretty hard to convert out of Islam in Malaysia, but when the Kuching High Court made its decision in March this year, it ruled that Roneey had the right to leave Islam and become a Christian! Mixed couples have three choices: convert, leave the country or live together outside marriage. Converting to Islam from Catholicism is a relatively simple procedure when compared to converting to Catholicism or Judaism. Zubair, welcome Home, brother! Kota Kinabalu (AsiaNews) - Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah, is growing where the faithful are now more than 180 thousand, nearly 10% of the population. Under Syariah enactments of most of the 13 States of Malaysia: Conversion back to your former religion is either (a) not allowed under the law, or (b) a criminal offence which means you may be fined, whipped, detained or imprisoned under most State Islamic laws. EWTN News, Inc. is the world’s largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in … It was around this time that I began to ask myself fundamental questions. Muslim citizens cannot convert to other faiths without consent of a Shariah court, Malaysia’s top court ruled on Feb. 27. The following is an incomplete list of notable people who converted to Islam from a different religion or no religion.This article addresses only past professions of faith by the individuals listed, and is not intended to address ethnic, cultural, or other considerations. KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — The Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (Maik) has an ambitious plan to convert all the Orang Asli within its state borders to Islam by 2049, Utusan Malaysia reported. A Muslim man has legally been allowed to convert to Christianity by the civil courts. I’ve recently had the privilege of sharing the story of my conversion on EWTN’s The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi (although JonMarc Grodi was the one who interviewed me in this episode). In the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Catholics are nearly 10% of the population. by Aghdas Maria. Before You Convert . - Our Lady of the Roses August 21, 1974. All journeys have a beginning. I don’t mind answering this question at all. Il vissuto di 50 anni di sacerdozio”, Angelo Ramazzotti. The Arabic word ‘Islam’ means ‘submission’, and isderived from a word meaning ‘peace’. The biggest Malaysian Priest Catholic convert to Islam . The Malaysian federal court has rejected professed Catholic Lina Joy’s appeal to change her stated religion from ‘Muslim’ to ‘Christian’ on her identity card. The Lina Joy case sparkled a debate about apostasy in Malaysia, and her failed legal attempt to not have her religion assigned as "Islam" on her identity card is considered a landmark case in Malaysia. Sabah is one of 13 states of Malaysia and is situated in the northern part of Borneo. My Journey From Muslim to Catholic, Guilt, Shame, and Healing from Pornography, Get Thee Wedded: Shakespeare’s Advice on Finding a Wife, Conversation, Conversion, and the Eternal Truth, “How did you go from Islam to Catholicism?”. In fact, says Chin, "many people are inclined to convert to Islam" because of social pressure that is brought to bear on non-Muslims, who are considered inferior. Many churches increase the number of Masses to cope with the influx of the faithful. My Journey into the Light of God’s Love: The Catholic faith through the eyes of a young Muslim. Before embracing Islam, be sure to spend time studying the faith, reading books, and learning from other Muslims. Crown Prince of Malaysia Converts to Catholicism, Shocks Muslim World... "The battle, My child, will accelerate very shortly for there will not only be a great war of weapons of mankind, but it will be known soon throughout the world as a religious war." Muslims cannot convert to other religions and anyone who marries a Muslim must embrace Islam. That is what I hope, but how I am to be used is at the Spirit’s discretion. Your decision to convert/revert to Islam should be based on knowledge, certainty, acceptance, submission, truthfulness, and sincerity. THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONVERSION TO ISLAM. I just want to ask about my situation regarding registration of nikah overseas here in Malaysia. The church of Stella Maris, for example, decided to celebrate on Sunday a third function in Bahasa Melayu, the local language, along with two others in English. If she still persist to change her religion, she will need to apply for apostasy with the Syariah court, which the Syariah law forbids. I am a convert and my husband is a Malaysian Muslim. Moscow and Constantinople closer, Bishop Yaldo: Pope Francis’s visit to Iraq in March will bring 'immense joy' to Christians and Muslims, Rumours swirl about the potential resignation of Supreme Leader Khamenei, Pope: Implore Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, The China-Vatican agreement after two years, Pope Francis in Japan (November 23-26, 2019), Pope Francis in Thailand (November 20-23, 2019), "Il mistero nuziale e le sfide del gender", “Gli altri visti da vicino. We have built new churches and at Easter 80 people were baptized in a parish that has 5 thousand faithful”. The story of my conversion, from Islam to Christianity, from Evangelical to Catholic, is a rather long one. Attualità del fondatore del Pime, Giovani e martiri in Asia: la missione di papa Francesco in Corea, Al-Ghazâlî - Pensatore e maestro spirituale. • Jean Mohamed Ben Abdeljlil – Moroccan Roman Catholic priest and a Catholic convert from Islam. A Malaysian court’s ruling against a Muslim convert to Christianity highlights the difficulties of blending sharia law with modern legal frameworks. World News Daily Report reported on July 24, 2014: The only son and heir of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Tengku Amir … Malaysian Chinese Accepted Islam - Daniel . Yep, you read that right. According to David Garrison, in A Wind in the House of Islam, something similar is now happening in nine geo-political clusters of the “House of Islam” – the Arab World, the Persian World, various regions of Africa and Asia, and Indo-Malaysia. Dr Ahmed Andrews, a lecturer in the sociology of religion at Derby University and another convert from Catholicism to Islam said: "There are between 5,000 and 10,000 white Muslim converts … The ruling, read out amid a heavy police presence outside the courthouse in Kuching, Sarawak state, was made after four Muslims in that state appealed to the civil court to nullify their status as Muslims as they had embraced Christianity. Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord, If you convert to Islam, there are important changes in your legal status and what you can or cannot do. According to estimates compiled by a respected Hindu organization, about 130,000 Malaysian Hindus have converted to Christianity and another 30,000 to Islam. Malaysian Chinese Convert - From worshipping money to ALLAH . Your conversion to Islam will be registered with the Religious Department and the National Registration Department, both of which are … I hope that my fellow Catholics, and all fellow Christians, can feel assured by the testimony of one person’s unwitting journey that what we believe is true indeed; for if I can come around say “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then anyone can. In a report on its website today, the … Malaysia's highest court has rejected a six-year appeal by a Malay woman to have her Christian identity officially recognized. The situation is: 1. The problem has typically been that I’ve been asked this in such a setting in which I’ve only had only a few minutes to give an answer. The story of my conversion, from Islam to Christianity, from Evangelical to Catholic, is a rather long one. Arnold Lunn: skier, mountaineer, and writer; agnostic; wrote Roman Converts, which took a critical view of Catholicism and the converts to it; later converted to Catholicism due to debating with converts, and became an apologist for the faith; Jean-Marie Lustiger: Roman Catholic Archbishop of … Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Catholic school pupils are being pressured to convert to Islam, according to Sister Rita Chew, president of the Educational Commission of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (Sabah Region, East Malaysia). Alongside the Catholic community, Islam is also spreading: "There are two reasons - Chin continues - for which Muslims are growing more rapidly. In Malaysia, the state religion is Islam, religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, although there are several violations of this right. Islam may still count as the fastest-growing religion in the world, thanks to high birthrates, but it will lose some of its best and brightest. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I n a landmark ruling last week, a Malaysian court upheld the rights of a Christian to convert from Islam. Now Reading: Mine began when I was in 7th grade. For this reason, Islam is the … Catholic music to promote dialogue in Ambon, the city of sectarian violence, Going from Hinduism to Catholic conversion is not a change in religion but a radical change of heart, National Commission for Women asks for 'immediate action' in the nun rape case in Kerala, Church leads the way in helping Vietnam cope with its educational emergency, Easter baptisms, a right and the life of the Church, Card Gracias says, Pope: John the Baptist points us to conversion, to change direction and way of thinking, West Papua, declaration of independence splits the liberation movement, Jakarta, Chinese anti-Covid vaccine arrives, Paris, Greek and Russian Orthodox reach agreement. This is a true story, based on the life of a devout Iranian Muslim girl who had every ambition to do great things in the world. We married in Singapore this year and we already stopped working there so we came back to Malaysia. Many churches have increased the number of Sunday Masses, to cope with the influx of the faithful.