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Whipping, stoning, amputation - Terengganu to go ahead
The Religion Of Piece.They only want a piece of you. Yâknow, a hand here, a foot there, or a head if need be.... KUALA LUMPURTHE ruling Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) state government in Terengganu has announced that from next month, it will begin enforcing controversial Islamic penalties for crime, such as stoning for adultery and amputation of limbs for theft. With this latest development, the Islamic party appears headed for a new confrontation with the federal government. The announcement was made by the party president, Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang, at the weekend. âNow, it is in the process of being gazetted,â he said of the legislation. âGod willing, it will be completed in October.â Enforcement would follow shortly after. The move is likely to provoke a strong response from Premier Mahathir Mohamad, who has accused PAS of trying to force its extremist views on a multiracial society. It also raises questions about the rights of the federal authority against those of the states. PAS has accused the federal government of blocking its previous attempts at imposing Islamic laws in the Kelantan and Terengganu states, which it controls. Among the laws passed in Terengganu are: whipping for Muslims who drink alcohol, stoning for those found guilty of adultery or sodomy, and death for Muslims who leave the religion. Datuk Abdul Hadi, who is also Terengganu Mentri Besar, said on Friday that new judges and enforcement officers would be appointed to implement the laws. âA change in courts is needed to safeguard the law. Our main target is to ensure that all parties understand the enactment,â he said. But the Malaysian police have said they are answerable only to the federal government and will enforce only laws governed under the Constitution - which guarantees secular laws. Terengganu passed its hudud legislation last year but had withheld the enforcement. Instead, it has chosen to use the federal governmentâs obstruction as political fodder to accuse the Barisan Nasional administration of being un-Islamic. Although Terengganuâs laws do not apply to non-Muslims, their enforcement is likely to alienate the non-Muslim electorate further. But PAS leaders have accused the media of scaremongering. Datuk Abdul Hadi reminded Muslim journalists pointedly that it would be a sin to spread negative remarks about the laws, the New Straits Times reported. âGoing against the law is like criticising the true teachings of Islam,â he said. Posted by: tipper. 2003-09-29 |
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