Sharia Law The evil tool
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
June 26, 2009
In todayŽs world, when terrorist attacks and suicide bombing has already turned into potential threat to global peace, a valid question is circulating in the minds of the people on the influence of Sharia Law on Muslim mind, in giving them instigation towards Jihad and killing Jews and Christians for attaining heaven and 72 virgins.
Many a times I said, any religion promising 72 virgins in exchange of murder or genocide, is for sure, religion of bad taste. I always fail to understand, why a man should turn mad for getting 72 virgins? Is it not a kind of mental perversion? Moreover, when QurŽan promises virgins and all comforts for men in the heaven, it completely ignores the rewards for women. Why? Any special reason? Does Islam consider women as mere tools or something even worst?
Clergies in Muslim countries not only narrate the comfort in heaven with tunnels of wine and 72 virgins, who will get back their virginity after each of sexual intercourse, but also gives promise of Gilman [young boys] for those men, who loves homosexuality instead of regular physical relations. IsnŽt it too much?
God is not that selfish or wrong-doer who will only give virgins, young boys and every other comfort for the men in the heaven while completely ignoring the mere existence of women.
In Muslim nations, especially during Friday prayers, clergies will describe thousands and millions of years in hell for those, who will oppose Sharia Law. They also narrate imaginary stories of repression on Prophet of Islam by Jews and Christians. I heard many a times during my childhood how graveyards of Muslims were destroyed by Israel and luxurious hotels were constructed on them. Each time, when I asked my father about this, he used to say, "Do not trust these words, look into world realities".
My father has great influence on my mind. Because of his personal interest in literature and global issues, I got the opportunity of reading the Holy Bible right during my childhood. But, I had to wait the touch the Holy Torah, almost 40 years, because in Bangladesh, Torah is a book of taboo. No one dares to utter the very word Torah, although according to QurŽan, if anyone will ignore Torah and Prophet Moses, he or she will no more be a Muslim.
Why Bangladeshi clergies made Torah and Jews a serious taboo to the innocent and mostly uneducated people? When I got the opportunity of reading Torah, I immediately got the answer. Anyone, who will have the opportunity of reading the Torah, he or she will immediately get the window of intellect opened to make judgments over various divine and worldly issues, including many criminal interpretations of QurŽan as well as false propaganda by the Muslim clergies.
In recent years, several Islamist and ultra Islamist groups are continuing their efforts and even notoriety demanding establishment of Sharia rule in Muslim nations. With 150 million populations, where more than 84 per cent Muslims, Bangladesh regularly witnesses such actions of various groups, mostly demanding Sharia law to replace the existing rule of law as well as democracy. There are many Islamist groups like for example, Hizb Ut Tahrir, who openly denounce democracy and electoral system, saying it is the "law of satan" [law or evil]. Some major political parties in Bangladesh too, such as Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party etc are demanding Sharia law. Even just before the postponed general election in 2007, present ruling party in Dhaka signed a secret treaty with a notorious Islamist party named Khelafat Majlish, with the promise of establishing Sharia law in Bangladesh.
In recent time, political Islam is backed by the demand of establishment of Sharia law. Crook Islamist leaders believe that, it is the only easiest way for them in capturing power by giving the promise of 72 virgins to innocent and mostly ignorant people, in accepting this rule, although most of those people are not aware at all, how basic human rights are greatly violated in many of the nations practicing Sharia law.
If we look into, for example Iran, where Sharia law is in practice, social perversion is increasing even faster, but now under the veils and turbans. In Saudi Arabia, most of the homes of normal Arabs or even the palaces of Kings are nothing but worst center of various forms of sexual perversions. Arab Muslims mostly do not bear any respect for women in their mind. The only thing they pretend to respect females in public is because of stern punishment, and not for any other reason.
And, we all know the cases of sexual genital mutilation of women in several Muslim countries in Africa and elsewhere. Before any women reach her age of 10, clitoris are mutilated so that she loses the sense of any sexual comfort in entire life. By doing so, the men dominated society turn the women into mere sexual tool of comfort for them. Nothing more!
Genital mutilation of women is also conducted under the garb of Sharia law. In fact, Muslim men use this law, for total repression of women and seizing their basic fundamental rights as well treating them as almost sub-human beings.
Now let us also try to know, what Sharia law is. Sharia law is the instrument by which Political Islam seeks to control the Muslim world. Whilst the Sharia may have been inspired by the Holy QurŽan, it has developed and evolved through time and through the efforts of men. The Sharia should be opposed for its imposition of theocracy over democracy, its abuse of human rights, its institutionalized discrimination, its denial of human dignity and individual autonomy, its punishment of alternative lifestyle choices, and for the severity of its punishments.
In the west, in countries that have a sizable Muslim population, there have been calls for the Sharia to be adopted for the Muslim community. These calls should be vigorously opposed; the Sharia conflicts with many basic human values, such as equality before the law, that punishment should be commensurate with the crime, and that the law must be based on the will of the people. The Sharia as it developed in the first few centuries of Islam incorporated many pre-Islamic Middle-Eastern misogynist and tribal customs and traditions. The Sharia was developed not only from the Holy QurŽan but incorporates legal principles from other sects. We may ask how a law whose elements were first laid down over 1,000 years ago can possibly be relevant in the 21st century. The Sharia reflects the social and economic conditions at the time of the Abbasids and has become further and further out of touch with later social, economic, technological, cultural and moral developments. The principles of the Sharia are inimical to moral progress, humanity and civilized values.
When Political Islam really does advocate jihad to achieve world domination, then anyone deeply concerned with humanity and human rights will be critical. Of all the existing ideologies, Political Islam remains the greatest danger to humanity. Political Islam has been neither tamed nor moderated by progressive forces. It has the power to inspire the terrorist mind, and, through its ties to oil-rich states, the funds to pursue its plans.
Many a times I said, any religion promising 72 virgins in exchange of murder or genocide, is for sure, religion of bad taste. I always fail to understand, why a man should turn mad for getting 72 virgins? Is it not a kind of mental perversion? Moreover, when QurŽan promises virgins and all comforts for men in the heaven, it completely ignores the rewards for women. Why? Any special reason? Does Islam consider women as mere tools or something even worst?
Clergies in Muslim countries not only narrate the comfort in heaven with tunnels of wine and 72 virgins, who will get back their virginity after each of sexual intercourse, but also gives promise of Gilman [young boys] for those men, who loves homosexuality instead of regular physical relations. IsnŽt it too much?
God is not that selfish or wrong-doer who will only give virgins, young boys and every other comfort for the men in the heaven while completely ignoring the mere existence of women.
In Muslim nations, especially during Friday prayers, clergies will describe thousands and millions of years in hell for those, who will oppose Sharia Law. They also narrate imaginary stories of repression on Prophet of Islam by Jews and Christians. I heard many a times during my childhood how graveyards of Muslims were destroyed by Israel and luxurious hotels were constructed on them. Each time, when I asked my father about this, he used to say, "Do not trust these words, look into world realities".
My father has great influence on my mind. Because of his personal interest in literature and global issues, I got the opportunity of reading the Holy Bible right during my childhood. But, I had to wait the touch the Holy Torah, almost 40 years, because in Bangladesh, Torah is a book of taboo. No one dares to utter the very word Torah, although according to QurŽan, if anyone will ignore Torah and Prophet Moses, he or she will no more be a Muslim.
Why Bangladeshi clergies made Torah and Jews a serious taboo to the innocent and mostly uneducated people? When I got the opportunity of reading Torah, I immediately got the answer. Anyone, who will have the opportunity of reading the Torah, he or she will immediately get the window of intellect opened to make judgments over various divine and worldly issues, including many criminal interpretations of QurŽan as well as false propaganda by the Muslim clergies.
In recent years, several Islamist and ultra Islamist groups are continuing their efforts and even notoriety demanding establishment of Sharia rule in Muslim nations. With 150 million populations, where more than 84 per cent Muslims, Bangladesh regularly witnesses such actions of various groups, mostly demanding Sharia law to replace the existing rule of law as well as democracy. There are many Islamist groups like for example, Hizb Ut Tahrir, who openly denounce democracy and electoral system, saying it is the "law of satan" [law or evil]. Some major political parties in Bangladesh too, such as Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party etc are demanding Sharia law. Even just before the postponed general election in 2007, present ruling party in Dhaka signed a secret treaty with a notorious Islamist party named Khelafat Majlish, with the promise of establishing Sharia law in Bangladesh.
In recent time, political Islam is backed by the demand of establishment of Sharia law. Crook Islamist leaders believe that, it is the only easiest way for them in capturing power by giving the promise of 72 virgins to innocent and mostly ignorant people, in accepting this rule, although most of those people are not aware at all, how basic human rights are greatly violated in many of the nations practicing Sharia law.
If we look into, for example Iran, where Sharia law is in practice, social perversion is increasing even faster, but now under the veils and turbans. In Saudi Arabia, most of the homes of normal Arabs or even the palaces of Kings are nothing but worst center of various forms of sexual perversions. Arab Muslims mostly do not bear any respect for women in their mind. The only thing they pretend to respect females in public is because of stern punishment, and not for any other reason.
And, we all know the cases of sexual genital mutilation of women in several Muslim countries in Africa and elsewhere. Before any women reach her age of 10, clitoris are mutilated so that she loses the sense of any sexual comfort in entire life. By doing so, the men dominated society turn the women into mere sexual tool of comfort for them. Nothing more!
Genital mutilation of women is also conducted under the garb of Sharia law. In fact, Muslim men use this law, for total repression of women and seizing their basic fundamental rights as well treating them as almost sub-human beings.
Now let us also try to know, what Sharia law is. Sharia law is the instrument by which Political Islam seeks to control the Muslim world. Whilst the Sharia may have been inspired by the Holy QurŽan, it has developed and evolved through time and through the efforts of men. The Sharia should be opposed for its imposition of theocracy over democracy, its abuse of human rights, its institutionalized discrimination, its denial of human dignity and individual autonomy, its punishment of alternative lifestyle choices, and for the severity of its punishments.
In the west, in countries that have a sizable Muslim population, there have been calls for the Sharia to be adopted for the Muslim community. These calls should be vigorously opposed; the Sharia conflicts with many basic human values, such as equality before the law, that punishment should be commensurate with the crime, and that the law must be based on the will of the people. The Sharia as it developed in the first few centuries of Islam incorporated many pre-Islamic Middle-Eastern misogynist and tribal customs and traditions. The Sharia was developed not only from the Holy QurŽan but incorporates legal principles from other sects. We may ask how a law whose elements were first laid down over 1,000 years ago can possibly be relevant in the 21st century. The Sharia reflects the social and economic conditions at the time of the Abbasids and has become further and further out of touch with later social, economic, technological, cultural and moral developments. The principles of the Sharia are inimical to moral progress, humanity and civilized values.
When Political Islam really does advocate jihad to achieve world domination, then anyone deeply concerned with humanity and human rights will be critical. Of all the existing ideologies, Political Islam remains the greatest danger to humanity. Political Islam has been neither tamed nor moderated by progressive forces. It has the power to inspire the terrorist mind, and, through its ties to oil-rich states, the funds to pursue its plans.