KUALA LUMPUR, May 17: A Hindu woman on Thursday succeeded in persuading Malaysia's highest court to consider an appeal to stop her Muslim husband from divorcing her in an Islamic court, her lawyer said.In a case underlining religious tensions in the multi-ethnic nation, R. Subashini, 28, has been battling for a year to stop her divorce from being ruled on in a shariat court and to prevent the conversion to Islam of one of her sons.

“The federal court will hear Subashini's appeal,” her lawyer, K. Shanmuga said.

Subashini's conflict with her husband, Muhammad Shafi Saravanan Abdullah, 31, began when he converted to Islam in May 2006, along with their oldest son, Dharvin Joshua, 4.

He then started proceedings in a shariat court for divorce and custody of their second son, two-year old Sharvin.

“My client has not met her eldest son for a year now, since he was taken away from her,” Shanmuga said.

Malaysia's civil courts operate alongside shariat courts for Muslims in areas of personal law, including divorce and child custody. Non-Muslims say they fear they will not get an equal hearing if referred to a shariat court.

Subashini applied for an injunction in the high court and then the court of appeal but was knocked back and told to go to a sharia court. —AFP