Proposal by Islamic scholar would halt stoning, death penalty - Debate urged on Sharia

Toronto Star (regn required) ^ | April 1, 2005 | Megan Ogilvie

[llama hunter]

An appeal by Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan for an international moratorium on corporal punishment, stoning and the death penalty in the Muslim world has been met with a mixed reaction from Canadian Muslim groups.

"It's a wonderful thing he has suggested," said Mubin Shaikh, spokesperson for the Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians, a group of about 100 scholars trained in the field of sharia, or Islamic law.

Ramadan's call for a moratorium on the application of sharia laws associated with the Islamic penal code appeared in 60 countries on Wednesday.

The opinions of Islamic scholars on the application of sharia law are both divided and vague, said Ramadan in the release.

Canadian progressive Muslims have been demanding a similar call for at least the past five years, said Tarek Fatah, a board member of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

While Fatah fully supports Ramadan's appeal, he believes Ramadan is addressing only the symptoms of sharia law.

"I have a concern that he has not addressed the fundamental issue that religion and government have to be separated to have a civilized society," said Fatah, who is also host of Muslim Chronicle, a Canadian Muslim news, talk and education TV show.

"He (Ramadan) is not addressing the issues of citizenship in the Muslim world, which should be based upon the equality of people regardless of their religion," Fatah said.

"Society should be based on human-created laws, which can be changed by future generations."

[Mount Athos]

I hope they don't stone this scholar to death.

[headsonpikes]

Bob Dylan had it right about these guys - "They stone you when you're riding in your car..."

[Alouette]

Why Did Dept. of Homeland Security Revoke Tariq Ramadan's U.S. Visa?

[llama hunter]

Yes I noted that, when I did my search to ensure this item was not already reported.....

it certainly makes the fact that he is calling out for this review of Sharia and a moratorium on its harsher penalties, more curious or perhaps more credible? I will have to mosey on over to Daniel Pipes website and see what he thinks of this move as he is no fan of Ramadan, Ramadan is certainly putting his security at risk though....

there are many Muslims who have a problem with Sharia and esp stoning

I remember finding an incredible article by a former Islamist scholar turned reformist, he was an Egyptian scholar who was apparently convinced by an American Muslim scholar, his name escapes me but I seem to recall the American scholar is someone the conservative Muslims absolutely hate


the whole article was about all the contradictions and problems with the Koran and hadith, he's advocating scrapping all the hadith and I will tell you the nastier bits of Islam and things that Bin Laden constantly quote come more from hadith than the Koran per se

this Egyptian scholar had a brilliant section on why stoning as punishment is a) not in the Koran b) contained in Hadith which basically says, the Jews prescribe stoning for adultery so we must too, imagine that huh or basically it is saying Mohammad "forgot" to throw in stoning and c) that saying Mohammad "forgot" to put something about stoning as punishment for adultery is blasphemous as well as the fact any hadith that contradicts the Koran is blasphemous - if you read the punishment for adultery in the Koran it is clear Mohammad didn't intend death as the punishment because he has a clause about fornicators and adulterors can only marry each other....sounds good to me, let the sinners keep themselves company...

I noted this article at another forum, and the whole section about stoning being contradictory to the Koran [I was having a gay old time throwing this up to Muslims who would defend stoning etc] and oddly it suddenly disappeared from the web just a week later and I have yet to find it again, I found that highly suspicious and this was a few months after 9-11 and during the controversy ove the poor woman in Nigeria who was sentenced to death for getting pregnant out of wedlock

I think I printed it off but it is lost in the pile of internet articles I print off and leave to be filed someday...

Tarek Fatah, thank god we have a progressive Muslim leader in Canada to counter the Wahhabi apologists, noted long ago which Sharia, Sharia is different in every country which right there tells you Sharia is not some Allah ordained thing, that humans have been tampering with God's word even in Islam for centuries....

if Ramadan is sincere, and even if he isn't, it is an interesting step in the internal struggle within Islam, those that wish to embrace democracy and modernity, oh say like the Lebanese and the Iraqis and those that wish to cling to the 7th century, like the Wahhabis

I've said before I sincerely believe a good part of winning the war on terror is backing the right side in this internal war within Islam