PUTRAJAYA — The public has been reminded not to use a child’s ‘nasab’ (birth or lineage) status as a reason to insult, shame or discriminate against them, forcing them to bear a social burden throughout their lives.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said a child should not be blamed for the circumstances of their birth, as Islamic principles clearly state that no individual bears the sins of another.

He said that while legal rulings concerning lineage must be upheld, they should not be used as an excuse to subject children to social judgement.

“Discussions on legal rulings should not be used as a reason to insult, shame or discriminate against a child.

“We need to build a society that can distinguish between evaluating an act and condemning a person for the rest of their life,” he said when delivering his speech at the ‘Seminar Nasab Kebangsaan: Dinamika Cabaran Keluarga Kosmopolitan (SANAD) 2026’, organised by Persatuan Kebajikan Bayt Al-Rahmah, here today.

Zulkifli said society should also be mindful of the language used within families, educational institutions and administrative settings to avoid causing children to bear a prolonged social stigma.