Malaysian Islamic Party Wants National Sharia Law
KAMPUNG PULAU MELAKA (Malaysia) - MALAYSIA’S Islamist opposition party called on non-Muslims on Thursday to back its election campaign to apply strict sharia law, including amputations and stonings, for the country’s Muslims.
Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) is trying to broaden its appeal beyond the predominantly Muslim heartland at the next election, which is expected by political experts to be called by end-March and to be fought partly on the issue of rising street crime.
‘The people want the best and there is nothing better than Islam,’ Nik Aziz Nik Mat, 77, told Reuters after morning prayers at his home in the largely rural northeast state of Kelantan, ruled by PAS since 1990.
An Egyptian-educated scholar, Nik Aziz said non-Muslims had nothing to fear from strict sharia punishments, known as hudud, and a lot to gain from them, especially Malaysia’s large and wealthy ethnic Chinese minority.
‘It is more important for the Chinese to accept hudud laws because those who steal do not steal from the poor,’ said Mr Nik Aziz, who wore a skullcap, white shirt and sarong. ‘Who steals from the poor?’
Mr Nik Aziz’s spartan, single-storey home of green brick and wood sits next to a mosque and a religious school in a traditional Malay village. Malays constitute virtually the entire Muslim population and are defined as Muslim under the constitution.
‘Thieves steal from the rich and the Chinese are more well-off than the Malays. If a thief’s hand is amputated and he goes to the football field or he goes to the market, people can see that he is a thief,’ he said. ‘Everyone will be afraid and won’t steal.’
‘It’s not impossible for hudud to be implemented,’ said a Muslim watch-seller who gave his name as Nor, as he sipped coffee near his stall at a street market in Kelantan.
‘It’s a good deterrent, but it’s not easy to be implemented because there are so many races.’
Malaysia has been run since independence in 1957 by a multi-racial coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties, which is considered the only political structure that can govern and keep a lid on Malaysia’s religious tensions.
(StraitsTimes)
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Hmm, lets see, Nik Aziz’s says that the person that looses his hand will not steal anymore.
Has he not thought about the fact that if he looses that hand he will most likely not be able to work, or work as well? There for no longer able to provide for himself or his family, or at least not as well?
So what will that cause the theif to do? Probably to refine his theiving skills and not get caught the next time.
Yes, what he says it is strong motivation not to steal, but honestly in the long run I do not believe it is sound.
January 17th, 2008 at 3:39 pmoh gosh, that’s so gross.
Much luck to Malaysia, hopefully they don’t turn into the next Iran.
January 17th, 2008 at 4:43 pmI agree on one condition Mr. Egyptian-educated scholar…for everyone who is wrongfully convicted, your family pays with their life….You agree to that and we have a deal!
January 17th, 2008 at 4:57 pm“The people want the best and there is nothing better than Islam”
Yeah. Good luck with all of that. WTF
January 17th, 2008 at 7:36 pm