Assuming The Surabaya District Court's Decision To Be Odd, East Java PWNU: Interfaith Marriage In Islam Is Not Valid

SURABAYA - The East Java Nahdlatul Ulama (PWNU) Regional Leader declared interfaith marriages to be invalid even though the court had legalized the interfaith marriage.

"Interfaith marriages are clearly invalid, because they have different beliefs. So, Islamic religious law is clearly not valid," said PWNU's Bahtsul Masail Institute (LBM) Chair Ahmad Asyhar Shofyan, Friday, June 24.

The religious marriage took place in the city of Surabaya. The Surabaya District Court (PN) approved and ratified the petition for a couple of different religions between Islam and non-Muslim (Christian).

According to Ahmad, the decision of the Surabaya District Court to ratify a religious marriage was odd. This is in accordance with Law Number 1 of 1974 article 2 concerning marriage, marriage is a teaching of each religion, and marriage must be in accordance with each religion and belief.

"So if there is a PN decision that legalizes interfaith marriages like that, then it's very odd. Once again, it's never legal in Islam, even though there is a PN decision, because it doesn't meet the requirements," he said.

According to Ahmad, when viewed from the product of world law, interfaith marriages are still declared invalid. He emphasized that the PWNU LBM only records Islamic religious marriages, because it contains the prophet's law.

"Even in the hadith it is stated that husband and wife can join hands until they reach heaven. This means that when it is like that, it is purely an authority in religious law," he said.

Ahmad said PBNU had also conducted studies and discussions related to religious marriage, based on the Al-Quran and Hadith. In fact, it was discussed in the 1962 and 1989 congress.

"After discussing it through a congress, it was still decided that interfaith marriages are not valid," he said.