Mali Islamists chop hands, feet off five suspected robbers

Reuters ^ | 10 Sep 2012 | Reuters

[Cronos]

Islamist fighters in northern Mali cut the hands and feet off five suspected robbers in the northern city of Gao in what they said was the application of sharia or Islamic law, residents and a hospital official said on Monday

..MUJWA, which is allied to other al Qaeda-linked Islamist groups, has said it intends to impose sharia throughout Mali. It had already carried out corporal punishments in territory under its control, including public floggings of suspected adulterers. This is the first time it has carried out group amputations.

"I witnessed them cut off the hand and foot of the five young men that MUJWA has been holding for the past months for theft and armed robbery," a relative of one of the suspected thieves told Reuters by telephone.

.. "According to the sharia, the men had to face double punishment for theft and highway robbery," Hamaha said.

"The sentence for theft is to cut a hand, and the sentence for highway robbery is cutting the opposite leg," he said.

.."Around 1400 GMT, they brought in four amputees each with two of their limbs, a right hand and left foot, cut off. The surgeon has taken steps to stop the bleeding," Diamoye said. He said there was no fifth man brought into hospital.

[Cronos]

Where are the bleeding heart libs now?

[Pearls Before Swine]

The thing that bothers me the most here is the presence of the adjective “suspected.”

Also, it bothers me that those dishing out the justice have probably done far worse under the authority of Sharia, and probably enjoyed it, too.

[Bitsy]

If we chopped the hands and feet off liars, most of Washington DC would be in wheel chairs.

[Uncle Chip]

No hands and no feet — that will sure help them to find meaningful employment.

[SunkenCiv]

A map of the Sahel region showing where Al Qaeda operates (AFP/Graphic)