Maria Hertogh

Maria Huberdina Hertogh (born Huberdina Maria Hertogh; 24 March 1937 – 8 July 2009), also known as Bertha Hertogh, Nadra binte Ma'arof, Nadra Adabi or simply Natrah, was a Dutch woman of Eurasian descent and Malay upbringing. She is notable for being at the centre of the Maria Hertogh riots when she was a young girl.

She was born to Dutch Roman Catholic parents in Java (then part of the Dutch East Indies). During World War II, her parents were imprisoned by the Japanese and she was given to a Malay Muslim, Che Aminah binte Mohamed, and raised as a Muslim under the name Nadra. After the war, Maria’s biological parents sought to reclaim her and a custody battle ensued between the Hertoghs and Che Aminah.

The British colonial court in Singapore ruled in favor of the Dutch parents in 1950, ordering that Maria be returned to them. The court's decision was seen as an insult to Islam, since Maria was taken from a Muslim home and forced to leave her faith. A protest by outraged Muslims escalated when images of her were published showing her kneeling before a statue of the Virgin Mary and Saint Blaise, leading to riots that took place between 11 and 13 December 1950 in Singapore. 18 people were killed and 173 injured; many properties were also damaged.