Fuming over a Name

In Malaysia, Hoo Ying Soon, an ethnic Chinese man is challenging the conversion of his baby daughter to Islam by his estranged wife. The 28-year old carpenter was shocked to receive a notice from the Islamic Shariah court granting temporary custody of their 15-month-old daughter to his wife. While he has no problems with his wife converting to Islam ,he feels it is unfair to convert their daughter and is rather concerned that their child, Hoo Joey, has been renamed Nurul Syuhada Chew Abdullah, which doesn't carry his surname. A Chinese name is written with the family name or surname first and the given name next. Surname has always been an important part of the Chinese name. Even if Chinese today have adopted English or other foreign names, they will still retain their surname. Children will adopt the surname of their father and in the case of the Malaysian carpenter, his surname is Hoo and his daughter even having been converted, should have a Hoo in her name rather than Chew which I am very sure is the surname of his estranged wife. Chinese in the Four Seas would understand why the man is fuming...

Comments

Liudmila said…
I think, the religious leaders have to make their job and not to ruin the families.
footiam said…
Leaders can be religiously wrong!