Posted on 06/15/2008 2:27:20 PM PDT by forkinsocket
A leader of Malaysia's Islamist party, which made surprising gains in March elections, wants its secular allies to apply strict sharia law, which include amputations and stonings for Muslims.
The hardline Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) has enacted such laws in its Kelantan stronghold to punish rapists and adulterers with stoning to death, while thieves would lose their limbs.
However, the country's Federal government has barred PAS from enforcing the laws.
PAS and other opposition parties wrested control of five of Malaysia's 13 states in the March election as voters punished the ruling coalition for concerns ranging from rising crime to racial tensions.
But analysts have said it would be tough for PAS to broaden its appeal due to its advocacy of the punishments called for by strict Muslim religious law, known as sharia or hudud, which scare off non-Muslims who see the party as a fundamentalist clique.
"Islam is a moderate, soft religion," PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat told Reuters late last week in the northeastern state of Kelantan, the party's stronghold for the past 18 years.
"We took small steps to introduce Islam as a way of life in Kelantan. We would like to do the same in the other states that have fallen to the opposition."
Half of Malaysia's 26 million people are ethnic Malays, who by definition are Muslims. Ethnic Chinese and Indians, the largest two minority groups, are either Hindus, Buddhists or Christians.
Hudud laws, which relate to many aspects of behaviour, would not apply to non-Muslims.
Nik Aziz, also chief minister of Kelantan, said he had asked leaders of the opposition-held states to come together to discuss implementing hudud law.
"But we don't want to force or pressurise people, we want to discuss. We can surely come to a compromise," he said.
The use of hudud punishments has long been a stumbling block in PAS's bid to form a formal pact with other main opposition parties, which include a mainly ethnic Chinese party and a multiracial secular one.
Other opposition leaders say an Islamic platform would not hold appeal in this modern, multi-ethnic country.
"We compliment PAS for being willing to consult," Tian Chua, spokesman of the opposition People's Justice Party, said in response to Nik Aziz's invitation to discussion.
"But our position, as it stands, is actually clear. We will not recommend any implementation of hudud."
The opposition pulled off its biggest win ever during the recent election, depriving the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition of its two-thirds parliamentary majority and gaining control of five states.
Until we dramatically remove the oil weapon from Islam, the delusion that Sharia law works will be maintained. On the other hand, were we to finally leaders who would dramatically remove it, the failure of Sharia law would be apparent.
Well, that seems kind of harsh!
"Islam is a moderate, soft religion," PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat told Reuters
Oh, never mind then.
“...amputations and stonings for Muslims.”
Sounds just fine-and-dandy to me, if all the murderous, subhuman, 7th century muslims-islamists-arabs, get it applied equally.
Historically the problem is Moslems start drawing invisible lines around the community and applying Sharia to folks inside those lines. Eventually they draw invisible lines around everything and everyone gets to start donating members.
Historically the problem is Moslems start drawing invisible lines around the community and applying Sharia to folks inside those lines. Eventually they draw invisible lines around everything and everyone gets to start donating members.
“Islam is a moderate, soft religion”
When listening to these people it is important to remember they are under demonic control, thus lying is their native tongue.
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