Islam: Is Shari'a Law justice
From Memri:
This is an interesting article from the London daily (via Memri) written by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Saudi columnist Thuraya Al-Shihri, who criticizes Muslims for failing to convey the positive messages of Islam. The author does rightly represent Muslim's behavior when perceiving insults against Islam or the prophet Mohammed, these insults are answered with riots and threats of beheading's. She then attempts to separate Shari'a from the Islamofacists ideology that has gained prominence on the world stage today.
The author intimates that what Osama Bin Laden and his ilk are really trying to implement is a political system not Islam or Shari'a. The author tries to paint Shari'a as justice; however, if this were true, we should be able to point to several examples of countries where justice in the Shari'a courts have won the day. Instead, we have example after example of justice turned on its head; the charging of victims instead of the criminals with crimes, such as a woman who is raped is charged, convicted and punished for adultery.
The reality is that Shari'a law is just as harsh as the extremists acts and disregards the basic human rights of large segments of its own population. Shari'a is more than a few laws, it governs all elements of life including religious, political, social, including private life and makes no distinction between sin and law. In fact many Islamic countries have dual court systems, one for secular laws and the other for Shari'a. In these countries the Shari'a court rulings can actually trump the constitutional courts.
Muslims will say we should not blame the religion for the misdeeds of a few, fair enough, however what am I to think if the majority of Muslims who say Islam is the "religion of peace" refuse to defend it against Islamofacists "hijacking" their religion? It seems to me that if you are going to define your religion as "about peace" and "about justice" we should see these characteristics modeled by the majority of Muslim countries and at the very least by individual Muslim's all over the world. I challenge you to show me one democratic Islamic nation where freedom of speech or religion exists, or one that does not treat women as second class citizens. There is not one country that you can name. The fact is that politics and religion intertwined and can not be separated; as long as Shari'a law is part of the makeup of a government there will never be justice for all.
Socialize this! 
Personalize this! 
Radicalize this!
Why Isn't There a Single Muslim Who Hasn't Heard About the Muhammad Cartoons - While a Belgian Paper's Publication of the Koran is Taken for Granted?
"[The London daily] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat [recently] reported that 'a Belgian paper distributed to its readers free copies of the Holy Koran in French, along with a coupon for [a copy of] the Koran in Flemish, which is the language spoken in the part of Belgium close to the Dutch border. For 15 days, the paper also ran a supplement in which it published a book called Islam Now, presenting the history of Islam up to the modern era. The paper plans to run [a series] of articles on the Islamic faith and its practices: prayer, fasting, charity and the pilgrimage [to Mecca]…'
"When the offensive cartoons of the Prophet [were published], we responded by damaging buildings and campaigning to boycott products. Most [Muslims] continued to purchase these products in secret, or [went on buying them] because they were not aware of their origin. The whole affair [produced nothing more than] slogans which were meant to support [Islam], but which in practice only damaged its reputation.
"When we wanted to explain the value of our faith, [why didn't we launch] social initiatives... or harness our economic resources to inform the world about the noble nature of Islam and shari'a? Nothing [of this sort] was done, except for a few conferences organized by Muslim preachers - and even this came only after the situation had deteriorated.
"These conferences did not have as much impact as the actions of the rabble... the bombing of buildings, the abduction of innocent people, and the murder of peaceful individuals. These spread more quickly and made a greater impression than lectures aimed at changing [the Western perception of Islam]...
"Our insistence [on reacting] by chopping off heads is a paradigm no less dangerous to humanity than paradigms like Nazism and Fascism. Why isn't there a single Muslim who has not heard about the [offensive] cartoons [of the Prophet Mohammad] - but when [a Belgian paper] plans to print and distribute translations of our Holy book [the Koran], this is taken for granted?..."
"As for the slogan of 'implementing shari'a,' which is repeated by groups purporting to follow Islam, it is well known that these groups yearn for a revolution in the Arab and Muslim states, so they can take control and impose what they call Islam on these countries and their citizens.
"But [what they call Islam] is in fact a political ideology that has [nothing to do with] Islam or shari'a. These groups insist on [achieving] this [aim], and are willing to use every means including takiyya [concealing one's faith]. They convey double messages and use doublespeak... Their words do not reflect their actions. They have made hypocrisy a way of life, and for them, the end justifies the means.
"What will these groups do when they come to power? Won't they take advantage of Western communication and transportation technologies? Or perhaps they will use [these technologies] themselves, while forbidding us [to use them]? Will they allow the various fields of science to advance, or restrict [scientific learning] to certain religious books? Will they isolate women in fortified castles and hide their faces?... Will their regime be one of oppression in the name of religion?
"What are their full and detailed plans for achieving political, social and economic justice? Even though many years have passed since the revival of the concept of takfir [accusing other Muslims of heresy], those who continue to [believe] in it [i.e. the Islamists] offer us nothing but distorted religious slogans [aimed at] exciting the emotions, [in order to] embarrass governments, destroy regimes, threaten the [rule of] law, and cause people to question the establishment and their way of life.
"Even after all these years, these groups have not presented us with comprehensive and enlightening scientific studies about religion. Reducing shari'a to a handful of punishments turns the entire Islamic [faith] into a punishment - when its most fundamental principle is [actually] justice..."
This is an interesting article from the London daily (via Memri) written by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Saudi columnist Thuraya Al-Shihri, who criticizes Muslims for failing to convey the positive messages of Islam. The author does rightly represent Muslim's behavior when perceiving insults against Islam or the prophet Mohammed, these insults are answered with riots and threats of beheading's. She then attempts to separate Shari'a from the Islamofacists ideology that has gained prominence on the world stage today.
The author intimates that what Osama Bin Laden and his ilk are really trying to implement is a political system not Islam or Shari'a. The author tries to paint Shari'a as justice; however, if this were true, we should be able to point to several examples of countries where justice in the Shari'a courts have won the day. Instead, we have example after example of justice turned on its head; the charging of victims instead of the criminals with crimes, such as a woman who is raped is charged, convicted and punished for adultery.
The reality is that Shari'a law is just as harsh as the extremists acts and disregards the basic human rights of large segments of its own population. Shari'a is more than a few laws, it governs all elements of life including religious, political, social, including private life and makes no distinction between sin and law. In fact many Islamic countries have dual court systems, one for secular laws and the other for Shari'a. In these countries the Shari'a court rulings can actually trump the constitutional courts.
Muslims will say we should not blame the religion for the misdeeds of a few, fair enough, however what am I to think if the majority of Muslims who say Islam is the "religion of peace" refuse to defend it against Islamofacists "hijacking" their religion? It seems to me that if you are going to define your religion as "about peace" and "about justice" we should see these characteristics modeled by the majority of Muslim countries and at the very least by individual Muslim's all over the world. I challenge you to show me one democratic Islamic nation where freedom of speech or religion exists, or one that does not treat women as second class citizens. There is not one country that you can name. The fact is that politics and religion intertwined and can not be separated; as long as Shari'a law is part of the makeup of a government there will never be justice for all.
Labels: Islam, islamofascists, Sharia Law
Socialize this! Personalize this!
Radicalize this!
