Hi all,
I have lived in Brunei for 6 years and converted to Islam 2 years ago in order to marry my wife. We will be having our first baby soon, so I want to find out about Brunei's rules when naming a Muslim baby.
It is important to me that my children have my surname, but I have heard that expats (those who have converted) are often told that their children must have Muslim names. For example, if my name was John Smith and I wanted to call my child Mary, her name would need to be Mary binti John, rather than Mary Smith.
Some people say that this is the actual law, while other say that it is a misunderstanding on the part of hospital/government staff. Does anyone know the actual rules? Or, has anyone in a similar situation been able to find a solution for this?