The Penang High Court, Malaysia is currently hearing the case of a woman who claims she was forced to convert to Islam at the age of seven. Siti Hasnah Vangarama Abdullah, now 38, was given to the Ramakrishna Orphanage at the age of five, and was living there when the alleged incident took place.
A former Muslim Welfare Organisation named Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Perkim officer Raimi Abdullah, and the Penang Islamic Religious Council have been named as defendants in the case.
Siti Hasnah says she was taken by Mr. Mohamad and Mr. Abdullah from the orphanage to the Kadi Municipal Council, where a conversion ceremony was carried out.
She says that, as a seven year-old, she did not understand the “Sijil Akuan Masuk Islam” document which she was forced to read, recite and… read more.