Why Siti Kasim's 'think a thousand times before converting for the sake of marrying' is gospel truth
Take away the first flushes of romance, married life is full of unexpected pitfalls and challenges.
So warned human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim on her Facebook page recently on the many instances marital breakdown has led to a spouse wishing to leave a religion which he or she converted into for the sake of nuptials.
As it is not so easy to declare apostasy as in the case of Muslim convert spouses – in fact, it is very much a one-way traffic – it is best that one thinks long and hard when choosing a Muslim life partner, she counselled.
Sharing a video of a Muslim wife lamenting about her convert husband's refusal to adhere to certain Islamic practices, the legal eagle – while chiding the woman for washing dirty laundry on social media – contended that such is a chilling reminder of how fast reality of life would creep in once marital bliss has faded.
In the video which was first posted on Berani Viral's Facebook page, the lady identified only as Ema complained about her husband's fondness for his pet dog.
The canine which Ema admits is cute has clearly become a major bone of contention as its very presence within the home has greatly upset her.
Additionally, she is also infuriated by her husband partaking in some Taoist praying ritual alongside his grandmother who is living with them in addition to his fondness for Chinese food with dubious halal status.
However, Ema was berated by one commenter for being narrow-minded with her religious interpretations having contained too many restrictions which were not universal Islamic values.
He went on to chide the lady for not being able to differentiate between religious and cultural practices.
One lady commenter who claimed to have divorced from her Muslim convert spouse revealed that she never felt the urge to share him on social media. Foolish seems to be the verdict here.
The same sentiment was echoed by more than a few who thought such story telling of family matters in public to be in poor taste.
One commenter seemed to hit the nail on the head by asking why marry a convert if the lady was unwilling to compromise or buy into a different cultural background.
Such small-minded individuals are ill-suited to mixed marriages it was observed, hence Ema should have sought a Malay-Muslim spouse from the off to avoid all the challenges she is now facing.
It was also pointed out that in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, does not require non-Muslims to convert to Islam before legally marrying a Muslim.
There was little sympathy for Ema as many saw her rant as attention-seeking as well as displaying her narrow-mindedness for all to see.
One commenter even urged the husband to simply kick out this complaining spouse instead of his beloved dog.
That may be a tad drastic.
The one thing that the video does highlight – regardless of one's cultural or religious beliefs – is that mixed marriages can be fraught with difficulties.
Love can indeed conquer, but only if you let it … with a huge slice of compromise. – July 2025
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Focus Malaysia
19 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Why Siti Kasim's 'think a thousand times before converting for the sake of marrying' is gospel truth
LOVE conquers all or so it would seem. Take away the first flushes of romance, married life is full of unexpected pitfalls and challenges. So warned human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim on her Facebook page recently on the many instances marital breakdown has led to a spouse wishing to leave a religion which he or she converted into for the sake of nuptials. As it is not so easy to declare apostasy as in the case of Muslim convert spouses – in fact, it is very much a one-way traffic – it is best that one thinks long and hard when choosing a Muslim life partner, she counselled. Sharing a video of a Muslim wife lamenting about her convert husband's refusal to adhere to certain Islamic practices, the legal eagle – while chiding the woman for washing dirty laundry on social media – contended that such is a chilling reminder of how fast reality of life would creep in once marital bliss has faded. In the video which was first posted on Berani Viral's Facebook page, the lady identified only as Ema complained about her husband's fondness for his pet dog. The canine which Ema admits is cute has clearly become a major bone of contention as its very presence within the home has greatly upset her. Additionally, she is also infuriated by her husband partaking in some Taoist praying ritual alongside his grandmother who is living with them in addition to his fondness for Chinese food with dubious halal status. However, Ema was berated by one commenter for being narrow-minded with her religious interpretations having contained too many restrictions which were not universal Islamic values. He went on to chide the lady for not being able to differentiate between religious and cultural practices. One lady commenter who claimed to have divorced from her Muslim convert spouse revealed that she never felt the urge to share him on social media. Foolish seems to be the verdict here. The same sentiment was echoed by more than a few who thought such story telling of family matters in public to be in poor taste. One commenter seemed to hit the nail on the head by asking why marry a convert if the lady was unwilling to compromise or buy into a different cultural background. Such small-minded individuals are ill-suited to mixed marriages it was observed, hence Ema should have sought a Malay-Muslim spouse from the off to avoid all the challenges she is now facing. It was also pointed out that in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, does not require non-Muslims to convert to Islam before legally marrying a Muslim. There was little sympathy for Ema as many saw her rant as attention-seeking as well as displaying her narrow-mindedness for all to see. One commenter even urged the husband to simply kick out this complaining spouse instead of his beloved dog. That may be a tad drastic. The one thing that the video does highlight – regardless of one's cultural or religious beliefs – is that mixed marriages can be fraught with difficulties. Love can indeed conquer, but only if you let it … with a huge slice of compromise. – July 2025
The Star
a day ago
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'The world changes in the blink of an eye, and countless events must be documented and conveyed by journalists. This work carries the mission of preserving and advancing civilisation and progress.' Kuan Yuan (seated left) celebrating the launch of his memoir with Chan (seated right) and fellow current and retired journalists. His memoir reveals he was far from being an ordinary journalist. Those who knew him describe Kuan Yuan as courageous and passionate – someone who never shied away from paying the price for publishing the truth. He recalled the pressure faced from the powers that be when The Borneo Times supported the formation of multi-racial political parties in North Borneo, while political forces then preferred the race-based model used in Peninsular Malaysia. At the book launch, Sabah Journalists Association advisor Datuk Muguntan Vanar disclosed that Kuan Yuan was detained for 18 months under the now-repealed Internal Security Act for ignoring censorship laws shortly after the Emergency was imposed following the May 13, 1969 riots. 'Keeping with the ethics of journalism, Kuan Yuan never revealed the sources of his articles. His book details these episodes. Believe me, I can relate to his stress and fears during questioning and his journey to Kepayan prison just for telling a story,' said Vanar. 'The worst part is that, like for many journalists, telling a story is our job. Kuan Yuan did not see any crime that deserved incarceration.' The book, Vanar said, offers a peek into Sabah's history and the thinking of its people before and after Malaysia's formation – all through the lens of a veteran journalist. It was a double celebration for Kuan Yuan – publishing his memoir and receiving this year's Tokoh Wartawan Sabah award. He is seen here with Vanar (left) and Chan. He describes the memoir as essential reading, especially for younger journalists navigating an era of social media noise and artificial intelligence. 'It reflects the ethics, good practices and high standards of journalism. It's both inspiring and a reminder of the ethics we must uphold, especially now, facing challenges not only from social media but also from modern tools like AI,' Vanar said. He also hopes the book will be translated from Chinese into English and Bahasa Malaysia for wider access. Datuk C.L. Chan, the book's publisher, said the memoir goes beyond storytelling; it celebrates a living record of Sabah's modern history through the eyes of a man who spent over six decades chasing stories and keeping the public informed. 'He served as chief editor of no fewer than eight newspapers in Sabah, including The Borneo Times, which was co-founded by my late father in 1956,' said Chan. 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Focus Malaysia
a day ago
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Mainland China tourists learn how to eat with hands in heartwarming video
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