NEW YORK: A Malaysian Muslim woman has dismissed as slander a claim of her having embraced Christianity contained in an article that had gone viral on the social media.
Adila Hussin McGhee said: “I’m still a Muslim; I still believe in Allah, the one and only God, and Prophet Muhammad. I know what is good and bad in Islam.
Don’t believe lies.”
News of the 43-year-old Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia graduate from Ipoh allegedly having become an apostate spread on the Internet after the article was published by a charity organisation following a talk she had given.
The article was about Adila’s purported willingness to share her “story from the heart” of how she allegedly embraced Christianity when she was still in Malaysia after her first marriage, to a Malaysian, had failed.
Adila moved to Virginia after her second marriage, to an American citizen, and now resides in a small town in the district of Richmond.
When Bernama contacted her from New York, the former student of the Klang Islamic College in Selangor denied having embraced Christianity.
“I am very sad that my name has been tarnished, and this article on me is a lie. I did not meet nor was I interviewed by the writer of that article.
“In fact, when I gave a talk on Malaysia, it was only attended by women,” said Adila, who now teaches the Malay language at the Diplomat Language Center in Washington DC.
Adila, who has three children from her first marriage, said she was saddened when informed that the article had been widely circulated in Malaysia.
“It saddens me not having anyone to talk to about it. Everyone believes what they hear without checking if it is the truth.
“I have told my parents what really happened, but am concerned about whether the matter would reach my children. They could possibly be ostracised,” she said.
Adila said she was sad that her charity work had been misunderstood. It all started when she needed to find markets for her hand-made soap.
“I went to the district office near where I stay and was introduced to an officer there,” she said.
She opened a stall to sell her wares during the harvest festival at Bowling Green and after that the stalls were confined to a gymnasium at a church there.
It was then that she got to know the local people who invited her to give talks on Malaysia for the members of a women’s association there.
“I have given talks on Malaysia, from the pre-Merdeka to the post-Merdeka period, on the country’s geography, climate, economy, people, food, culture, religion and others, and was surprised to know that many did not know where Malaysia is.
“Besides introducing them to Malaysia, I also explained to them the success and achievements of Malaysian women, how they held high positions in the government and private sectors. I told them that Malaysian women could also drive.
Adila and her husband, F. McGhee, have contacted the management of the church which invited her to give the talks on Malaysia to help clear her name.
She said the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, after which she would decide on the next course of action.
Adila also claimed that pictures on her Facebook account, including of her student days at the Klang Islamic College, had been downloaded and posted on other social websites.
She said she was also harassed with various accusations through email, text messages and telephone calls.
“I am also sad because the names of a few of my friends at the Klang Islamic College have also been linked to the allegation, when they know nothing about it,” she added. — BERNAMA