Islam laws fuel the Taliban

The strictness of Islam laws both fuel and motivate the Taliban. So if the Islam laws are the fuel, perhaps a change in the laws may empty the Taliban’s tank.

Every religion has things that they would prefer you not do. For example the Catholic religion has this thing about condoms. Orthodox Jews have a thing about what foods you can eat. The list goes on all the way down to minor religions. The difference here is if you violate the religious restrictions, they just accept that you did. Even the celibacy rules are for the most part ignored. The celibacy rules many seem to think have lead to priests going after children, but that is a topic for another time.

However when it comes to the Muslim faith, they simply dish out punishment wholesale. The stricter the interpretation of Islamic law, the nastier things get and the Taliban and other extremism groups are living proof.

In the cause and effect department of life on this planet, there certainly is a lot of money and man hours being spent by non Muslims as well as Muslims dealing with the fallout of Islamic laws. So there certainly is a lot of incentive to change the laws. The dark side of this is many of the more powerful Clerics are using the Islamic laws to stay in power. Iran is simply the most recent example.

So perhaps the answer to ending terrorism is rewrite the Islamic laws and simply remove the punishment. After all when you can’t even go out and have a beer after work, that seems to hit home for nearly everyone.

KARAI, Malaysia – Malaysia abruptly granted a Ramadan reprieve to the first Muslim Malay woman to be sentenced to caning for drinking beer, but insisted Monday the thrashing would still take place after the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old mother of two, had been en route to a women’s prison for the caning when Islamic officials who took her into custody drove her back home and released her.

Mohamad Sahfri Abdul Aziz, a state legislator in charge of religious affairs, later said the Attorney General’s office advised that the caning should be delayed for compassionate reasons until after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began Saturday.

“The sentence is not being canceled,” Mohamad Sahfri told The Associated Press.

Amnesty International condemned the sentence, and many critics had said the caning would harm Malaysia’s reputation as a moderate Muslim-majority country.

Kartika was arrested in a raid for drinking beer at a hotel lounge in December 2007 and accused of breaching Malaysia’s Shariah law, which forbids Muslims from consuming alcohol.

The law provides for a three-year prison term and caning for Muslims caught drinking, but most offenders are fined. Drinking is legal for non-Muslims.

Kartika was sentenced to six strokes of a rattan cane by the Shariah court in July in what was considered a warning to other Muslims to abide by religious laws.

In an interview with the AP last week, Kartika said she wanted to be caned because “I want to respect the law.”

Kartika’s sister, Ratna, said Kartika was “very stressed” because of the unexpected delay.

Islamic authorities had insisted that the purpose of the caning is to educate rather than punish. They say the rattan cane supposed to be used on Kartika would be smaller and lighter than the one used for men and that she will remain clothed.

Men convicted of crimes such as rape and bribery in Malaysia are caned on their bare buttocks, breaking the skin and leaving permanent scars.


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