Rizky Febian and Mahalini Overcome Interfaith Marriage Hurdles ...
Interfaith couple Mahalini (right) and Rizky Febian (left) are getting ready for their wedding in early May 2024, with celebrations set to take place in both Bali and Jakarta. (Instagram @rizkyfbian)
Jakarta. Celebrity couple Rizky Febian and Mahalini, who come from different religious backgrounds, are set to tie the knot in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 8. In Indonesia, interfaith marriages are prohibited by law, meaning one of the partners must convert to the religion of the other.
Sutisna, Rizky's father, confirmed that Mahalini, who is Hindu, has received approval from her family to convert to Islam. Sutisna, also known as the famous comedian Sule, admitted that Mahalini had received permission from her family regarding the religious conversion for her wedding to Rizky Febian.
"Her family has given Lini (Mahalini) permission (to convert). She has received blessings from her parents and relatives," said Sule on his YouTube channel, SL Media, on Sunday.
Sule and his family traveled to Bali on Sunday to formally propose to Mahalini Raharja to be Rizky Febian's wife.
"Now we are witnesses in the mepamit ceremony. As the groom's family, we came here to ask permission from the bride's family," said Sule.
Sule expressed gratitude that the Balinese traditional ceremony went smoothly. Mepamit, which means bidding farewell, is a customary procession to seek permission to leave one's original place.
"Praise be to God, the Balinese traditional ceremony went smoothly. All the family members supported it, and Mahalini was handed over by the traditional village chief and her family to us. Then, we will proceed with the wedding ceremony according to our religion, Islam," Sule revealed.
During the mepamit procession, Mahalini performed the sungkeman ceremony, a local tradition where she paid respects to her father. The sungkeman ceremony was done together with her fiancee. The emotional moment was captured on Instagram by @auliazhrrani.
Mahalini Raharja couldn't hold back her tears as she kissed her father's hands. "Dad, please forgive me. I'm sorry if I have made many mistakes," Mahalini Raharja said tearfully.
Previously, a prominent leader of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) reiterated the prohibition against Muslims marrying people of different faiths.
"Muslim scholars have reached a consensus that a Muslim woman is forbidden from marrying a non-Muslim man, while opinions differ regarding the marriage of a Muslim man to a non-Muslim woman -- some consider it permissible, while others disagree," explained Muhammad Cholil Nafis, head of the MUI’s Islamic Teachings and Brotherhood Division
Under current state law, a marriage is recognized only if conducted in accordance with religious laws and teachings. This means that couples of different religions cannot marry each other unless one party converts to the religion of their future spouse.
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