Sis Drops Islam From Name On Selangor Sultan S Advice

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 The group will now use its registered name, SIS Forum (Malaysia).
SIS executive director Rozana Isa said the group will continue advocating for Muslim women despite the name change.PETALING JAYA: Women’s rights group Sisters in Islam (SIS) has dropped the word “Islam” from its public-facing name following advice from Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
The group said the decision was made during an extraordinary general meeting on July 11, and that it would now use its registered name, SIS Forum (Malaysia).
“Even as we drop the word ‘Islam’ from our pen name, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advocating gender equality and justice in Islamic family law,” the group’s executive director, Rozana Idris, said in a statement today.
“At the end of the day, it is the work we do for Muslim women and for Malaysian citizens that matters the most.”
Sultan Sharafuddin said in a June 20 post on his official Facebook page that SIS should cease arbitrarily using the word “Islam” in its name or any of the company’s publications, as this could confuse the Muslim community.
This came after the Federal Court ruled that a fatwa could not be imposed on an organisation like SIS, which could not “profess” a religion.
Rozana expressed hope that SIS Forum’s decision would put an end to a long-standing contention over its name and allow it to continue working “in good faith with all parties”.
“Unfortunately, for too long, our work has been misrepresented and misunderstood by some quarters.
“We are not here to challenge Islam, but to ask that laws meant to protect women do not fail them,” she said.
She said SIS Forum would continue working with scholars, community leaders, and institutions to ensure that no woman is left behind in the pursuit of justice.
“Women are equal in the eyes of God. Surely, they must also be seen and treated as equal in the eyes of men.” - FMT

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