Filipino couple caught in khalwa embrace Islam

By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: A Filipino couple caught in khalwa (illegal seclusion) in the Barzan area, near the northern city of Hail, have embraced Islam and are to marry soon, said the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

“The Filipino man and woman were caught in seclusion by members of the commission in Barzan. They were told that this was prohibited by Islamic law and were made to sign a pledge never to do this again,” said a spokesman for the commission.

He added that the man, who works for a private company, told commission members that he was in love with the woman, who works as an embroiderer, and that he wanted to marry her.

The couple were then taken to the center for foreign communities in Hail to learn about Islam.

“Within 18 hours, they announced that they had embraced Islam,” said the spokesman, adding that the man took the name Sami and the woman took the name Mariam. “The two will soon be married according to Islamic rituals,” he said.

The spokesman said the head of the commission’s office in Barzan, Sheikh Nawwaf Al-Jidaie, and his staff would pay for the couple to visit Makkah.

Comments

ROBYN GRAVES

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This is shocking. You convinced these people to change their religion in only 18 hours....after having previously arrested them. What do you think should happen to them when they go back to the Philippines? What would happen to a Saudi couple if they went to the Philippines and became Catholic and then came back to Saudi to dear old mom and dad? According to Saudi standards, they should be killed, shouldn't they? Nice of you to give them such a moral crisis to deal with.

JAMIL A ALVI

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SAUDI ARABIA IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB IN THIS FIELD MAY ALLAH BLESS THEM TO CONVERT ALL NON MUSLIM TO MUSLIMS.INSHALLAH
JAMIL

SUHAYB YOUSEF

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I hope they did not embrace Islam just for sake of being together and marrying each other. Anyways good luck them for their future life.

EL-DOLO

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Are you guys ok about this whole approach? This couple is clearly doing this in fear of the actions that may be metted against them due to this Khalwa business.

I highly doubt they "embraced" Islam. They were harassed to corner and Islam seemed the best viable option at the time.

AHMED B.

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Is it an authentic conversion to Islam? Or were there pressures to convert?
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