A Jewish Woman's Conversion to Islam Changes the Course of a Custody Case in Bahrain

Daily Tribune

17-05-2025

TDT | Manama
In a strange and intriguing case involving the intersection of religions and laws in their respective countries, and amidst an ongoing conflict between a former couple from different cultures, a Jewish woman found herself in front of a civil court in Bahrain. This came after her European ex-husband filed for custody of their child and sought a large financial settlement, revealing dramatic details that began more than a decade ago in Europe and ended in Bahraini courts. The court decided that the final word should belong to the Sharia courts after the African woman converted to Islam, according to lawyer Eman Al-Ansari.
Regarding the details of the case, Al-Ansari stated that her client married her ex-husband more than 10 years ago, and they had a son. However, their marriage lasted only two years while they were residing in a European country. Al-Ansari added that the ex-husband pursued her client from one country to another to take their son from her, filing kidnapping lawsuits against her in multiple countries to harm her. The plaintiff resides and works in the Kingdom of Bahrain. However, her ex-husband came to Bahrain and filed a civil lawsuit to gain custody of their son.
Al-Ansari pointed out that she argued the court had no jurisdiction over the case, as the defendant had converted to Islam. She attached a certificate from the Islamic Awareness Center, stating that the defendant had been in contact with them since August 2024, which was before the lawsuit was filed. In 2025, she formally converted to Islam.
For its part, the court, in its ruling, stated that the argument of lack of jurisdiction was valid. According to the law and the provisions of Articles 13 and 17 of the Judicial Authority Law, Sharia courts have jurisdiction over all personal status disputes involving Muslims, except those concerning the inheritance and its division, which fall under the jurisdiction of the competent civil court.
The court noted that it had verified the certificate issued by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Endowments confirming the defendant's conversion to Islam. This made the case fall outside the jurisdiction of the civil court, as it was related to the personal status of a Muslim, and the jurisdiction of the Sharia courts applied. Consequently, the court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction over the case and referred it to one of the Sharia courts to rule on the matter.