State must not interfere in interfaith marriages: Experts<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Demand for an end to the ban on interreligious marriages in
\nthe country remerged, with a woman activist calling the ban state
\nintervention in its citizens personal affairs.<\/p>\n
"Interfaith marriage is a decision made by people who know
\nwhat they should do with their lives, so it's not something that
\nshould be decided by the state. The state cannot be allowed to
\nimpose its way of thinking on its citizens," said Ade Kusuma
\nNingtyas of the Rahima Center for Education and Information on
\nIslamic and Women Rights Issues.<\/p>\n
She stressed that choices have to be made available for those
\nwho want to marry someone of a different religion, by providing
\nthem a complete explanation on the impact it will bring.<\/p>\n
"Marriage is a personal choice, as is religion. Religious
\nauthorities and the state should provide comprehensive
\ninformation for those who want to have such a marriage, but not
\nby banning it," said head of the research division at Rahima.<\/p>\n
The issue was brought up during a discussion at the office of
\nthe country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in
\nJakarta on Saturday titled "Interreligious Marriage: Learning
\nfrom Various Countries' Experiences."<\/p>\n
Law No. 1\/1974 on marriage, stipulates that the state will
\nonly recognize marriages between people of the same religion.
\nThis means a man and woman from different religious backgrounds
\nmust choose to marry in accordance with one religion, so that
\ntheir marriage will be acknowledged by the state.<\/p>\n
A number of celebrities and expatriates have had their inter-
\nreligious marriage recognized by getting married in Singapore or
\nAustralia, countries where the practice is legitimate.<\/p>\n
Ade said that a move to accept interfaith marriages was also
\ncrucial to help develop a more pluralist and tolerant society in
\nthe world's largest Muslim country.<\/p>\n
Ade said that Sharia (Islamic Law) has been misinterpreted by
\nIndonesian Muslims, by considering it the final word from God and
\nforgetting that human beings have interpreted the verses of the
\nKoran.<\/p>\n
"There were human interventions in interpreting the verses of
\nthe Koran in terms of rules and laws in society, which then were
\nenforced by the state," said Nining.<\/p>\n
She explained that the laws, which were assumed by the state
\nbased on Islamic teachings, were formulated by people of certain
\nbeliefs and schools of thought, therefore its application had
\ndisregarded differences among Muslims.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Saturday's discussion was Abdullahi Ahmed An-
\nNa'im, an expert on sharia at Emory University school of law, in
\nthe U.S. who believes religions are dynamic and have to be
\ndeveloped according to the changes of time.<\/p>\n
"Sharia ceases to be sharia by the very act of enacting it as
\nstate law, because then it becomes the political will of the
\nstate, not the religious law of Muslims. If it is the religious
\nlaw of Muslims, it should remain a matter of free choice," he
\nsaid in an interview in 2004.<\/p>\n
"As a Muslim, I'm entitled to chose one opinion over another,
\nbut if you make it state law, you deny me that right." (006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/state-must-not-interfere-in-interfaith-marriages-experts-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}