In a first, UAE gives birth certificate to girl born to Hindu father and Muslim mother
Dubai, Apr 28: In probably the first, the UAE government has given birth certificate to a nine-month old girl who was born to an Indian Hindu father and a Muslim mother, setting aside the country's marriage rules for expatriates during the Year of Tolerance, according to a media report.
As per the marriage rules for expatriates in UAE, a Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man.
Sharjah-based expat Kiran Babu and Sanam Saboo Siddique, who got married in Kerala in 2016, faced and unusual situation when their daughter was born in July 2018, the Khaleej Times reported.
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"I have an Abu Dhabi visa. I get my insurance coverage there and got my wife admitted to Medeor 24X7 Hospital in the emirate. But after the baby's delivery, the birth certificate was rejected as I am a Hindu," Babu said.
"I, then applied for a no-objection certificate through the court. The trial went on for four months but my case was rejected," he added.
Babu said that since his daughter had no legal documents, he pinned his hopes on the amnesty period.
The UAE has declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance to highlight UAE as an exemplary example of a tolerant nation, bridging the communication gap between different cultures and build an environment where people accept each other as they are.
Those days were stressful and the amnesty was a window of hope. The Indian Embassy helped with the provision of an outpass. But the baby was denied immigration clearance as there was no data or registration number to prove her birth," he said.
Now, birth certificate not mandatory for issuing passport
Babu said that Indian Embassy counsellor M Rajamurugan supported them throughout the process.
"The
judicial
department
made
my
case
an
exception.
I
was
told
that
from
now
on,
in
such
cases,
we
have
to
put
together
a
request
letter,
get
it
approved
by
the
chief
justice,
and
take
it
to
the
health
authority
for
the
issuance
of
a
birth
certificate,"
he
said.
Babu
again
went
to
court
and,
this
time,
his
case
was
approved.
The couple was given the birth certificate of their daughter Anamta Aceline Kiran on April 14, a day before the Hindu festival of Vishu.
"I am told that this is the first case where the rule has been amended," he said.
Rajamurugan said the ground-breaking ruling from the court will serve as a precedent for future cases.