Apostasy Punishable By Death: Top Adhaalath Scholar
By Judith Evans in Malé
May 13, 2008
The leader of the religious Adhaalath party scholars' council has said he
advocates the death penalty for those who convert from Islam to another
religion, as well as amputation of hands for certain types of theft.
In an interview with Minivan News, Sheikh Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari
emphasised
the need for "advice" and correct legal procedures before the death
penalty
is implemented, but said Shari'ah law ultimately requires the killing of
those who leave Islam.
Majeed was also a member of the government's Supreme Council of Islamic
Affairs until he resigned at the start of May under the Civil Service Act,
which forbids civil servants to engage in political activity.
His statement follows a media furore over a book co-authored by
presidential
candidate Dr Hassan Saeed, Freedom Of Religion, Apostasy And Islam, which
Umar Naseer of the Islamic Democratic Party has condemned as favouring
freedom of religion.
Punishments
Apostates - those who leave the Islamic religion - "must not be punished
by
the public," Majeed said, and must initially be offered "advice, and the
op****tunity to come back to Islam again".
If the individual concerned fails to return to Islam, he said, "correct
legal procedures" must then be followed.
And he emphasises the scholarly debate over punishments for apostasy -
also
citing the example of the Prophet's life, during which no apostates were
punished with death. But, Majeed adds, this was arguably because converts
to
different religions fled to other areas.
Majeed also cites Surah 2, verse 256 of the Qur'an, which states that
"there
is no compulsion in religion." And he highlights the issue of munafiq -
those who pretend to have faith, but do not - who must in practice be
treated as Muslims.
But despite this, he says, apostasy is one of three offences that must be
punished by death, along with adultery (by those already married) and
murder.
Law
Asked whether Maldivian law is currently in keeping with Shari'ah, Majeed
is
definite: it is not.
As an example, he cites the crime of theft. Under the current legislative
system, he says, burglary, mugging - theft with an element of direct
threat - and stealing via fraud are all similarly classified.
But "in Islamic Shari'ah, they are three different things," he says. The
punishment for theft, in the sense of burglary - where the victim of the
theft is not present - must be "cutting the hand", though certain other
conditions also apply.
For instance, the stolen object must be "valuable". And theft made
necessary
by the thief's "hunger" is exempt.
"Conflicts in society" result from the current legal system, he believes.
"There would be peace if the country was practising Islamic Shari'ah."
But problems also result from a "lack of implementation" of current law,
he
says, citing the much-criticised issue of fugitive criminals. "A man is
sent
to jail, and the next day you see him on the street."
Adhaalath
Majeed is not speaking on behalf of the Adhaalath party, he emphasises,
though he heads its religious scholars' council. Party questions are
referred to spokesman Ahmed Shaheem Ali Said.
The Adhaalath party's manifesto contains only a brief section about
religion, which includes the provision that scholars must be able to
"present their religious views freely", and a Supreme Council of Islamic
Affairs that is "protected by law".
It also mandates a specific organisation to rule on halal (lawful) and
haram
(unlawful) activities.
And it specifies no non-Muslim should be allowed to have Maldivian
citizen****p, with Majeed adding he sup****ts a tightening of regulations in
the constitution in progress, which will see those who leave the faith
losing their citizen****p.
The party has six thousand members, but according to Shaheem, claims the
sup****t of at least 15,000 Maldivians. It is well-known for its strong
religious platform.
--
"I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I
would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working
for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group.
And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."
April 11 2007 B.Hussein Obama
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