The oddest piece of news we have encountered lately is the death penalty verdict to Maulana Sayeedi charged with inciting crimes against humanity during the Bangladesh War of freedom in 1971.
Death penalty is usually welcomed by the conservatives in the Muslim world, in the United States, South Asia, China and a few other nations. But this time around, ironically the conservatives are protesting the death penalty punishment.
We must resist the temptation to give Sayeedi his own dose of Sharia law; death penalty.
The most important principle in the application of Sharia Law is justice, and not the base instincts to take revenge or end those who oppose. Even if they hate Sayeedi for the war crimes, the death and destruction he caused, they should be just to him. Indeed, some of the Sharia defenders are the ones who drew sadistic mis-pleasure in executing people in the civil society; we need to ensure justice is justice.
The most important principle in the application of Sharia Law is justice, and not the base instincts to take revenge or end those who oppose. Even if they hate Sayeedi for the war crimes, the death and destruction he caused, they should be just to him. Indeed, some of the Sharia defenders are the ones who drew sadistic mis-pleasure in executing people in the civil society; we need to ensure justice is justice.
To be just is to follow Quran, one of the most profound statements on justice in Quran, states that don’t let your bias, prejudice or hate come in the way of being just. There is a lot of wisdom in it in keeping peace (Islam) in the society alive.
I do hope and pray that the Bangladesh Supreme Court hears the appeal. Justice denied to one is justice denied to all. The following verses from Qur’an strongly recommend one to be just
4:58 (Asad) BEHOLD, God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice. Verily, most excellent is what God exhorts you to do: verily, God is all-hearing, all-seeing!
5:8 (Asad) O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do
16:90 (Asad) BEHOLD, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards [one's] fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind.
34:26 (Asad) Say: “Our Sustainer will bring us all together [on Judgment Day], and then He will lay open the truth between us, in justice - for He alone is the One who opens all truth, the All-Knowing!”
38:26 (Asad) [And We said:] “O David! Behold, We have made thee a [prophet and, thus, Our] vicegerent on earth: judge, then, between men with justice, and do not follow vain desire, lest it lead thee astray from the path of God: verily, for those who go astray from the path of God there is suffering severe in store for having forgotten the Day of Reckoning!”
49:9 (Asad) Hence, if two groups of believers fall to fighting, make peace between them; but then, if one of the two [groups] goes on acting wrongfully towards the other, fight against the one that acts wrongfully until it reverts to God’s commandment; and if they revert, make peace between them with justice, and deal equitably [with them]: for verily, God loves those who act equitably!
Death Penalty is indeed a primitive form of justice where the state deliberately and intentionally kills the bad guy as horribly as the criminal had committed those crimes on innocent civilians. The death penalty is still prevalent in most of the United States, South Asia, Middle East and many a Muslim majority nations.
Death penalty needs to go, but we cannot let go of justice.
Islam to most Muslims is justice and accountability of one’s actions. God declares in Quran that the best ones among you are those who take the time to know each other. When you do that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge to live in harmony with fellow humans. A Muslim is someone who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill.
I will not consider myself a Muslim if I did not stand up for the rights of another human being, Muslim or not, period.
....... Mike Ghouse is committed to doing his share of building cohesive societies, he heads the World Muslim Congress, a think tank based in Dallas. He is aspeaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India,interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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