{UAH} Saudi anti-terror authority argues 'no death penalty for apostates'

Mayimuna/ Afuwa Kasule/Ahmed Kaetegga/ Edward Mo irundrua,

Why does Islam still retain the barbaric koranic law of APOSTASY? Surely this law confirms Islam is a barbaric religion. No modern religion subjects a person to death merely because he has rejected it. Relgion should be accpeted or rejected by individuals according to their own judgement and conscience. No body should be forced to belong to a religion. It is cruel and barbaric.

Take my example. My father was Cahtolic, but my mother is Anglican protestant. I was baptised in the Catholic Churchm, but most of my early life, I attended both Catholic and protestant churches. For primary education, I went to catholic schools and for secondary education, I attended protestant schools. Later on after university, I totally rejected religion. But this never invited any animosity of ill feelings against me by either the Catholic Church or the protestant church. The catholic Church could infact have excommunicated me- ie expelled me from the church as this is the highest penalty the church can impose- but it did not. In fact I have continued to work with Catholic Church even though they know I am no longer a practising catholic. I was even a Governor of A Catholic Primary School in London for 2 years, responsible for the education of over 250 London children,

The question I ask then is, why cant Islam behave like the Catholic Church? Why does it have to murder people who disagree on doctrine?

It reminds me, when I last went to Saudi Arabia to help  the widow of the late Sudanese President Numiery in a settlement of his estate after he died, the woman insisted on opening my bag before we left- she then carefully  went through every single item I had packed- including even my underpants- to ensure that I did not carry anything that would annoy the Saudis or break their laws. She would not allow me to carry even a newspaper- or any books for reading - she said the Saudis are savages- they will get any quotation from a book by Karl Marx or Chairman Mao to charge me with "insulting Allah" and I would get hanged. Thats how frightened she was.

This new move by Saudi Arabia is welcome, but it is long overdue. The whole of the the Koran must be revised to bring it into line with modern civlisation. As it stands. it is the longest death sentence currently existing in the world.

Bobby

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Homepage : Blog : Saudi anti-terror authority argues 'no death penalty for apostates'

The New Arab

 

In Saudi Arabia apostasy can be punishable by death [Getty]

Date of publication: 9 December, 2017

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A Saudi anti-terror agency has argued that people who leave Islam should not be punished by death, sparking rumours the kingdom would abolish capital punishment for apostates.

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Saudi Arabia, apostate, death penalty, Islam.

An anti-terror unit in Saudi Arabia's defence ministry has argued that people who leave Islam should not be put to death, sparking rumours the kingdom would abolish capital punishment for apostates.

The Ideological Warfare Center [IWC] last Saturday published a series of online statements arguing that there was no death penalty for those deemed apostates under Islamic law, citing the Quranic and Islamic scholars.

In Saudi Arabia apostasy can be punishable by death.

"There has been much Islamic juristic debate both old and new about the penalty for apostasy. It is one of the many issues discussed and expanded on with false interpretations in a number of terrorist tracts," the IWC said on Twitter.

"It has not been proven that God's Prophet killed those who - by Quranic criteria - renounced their religion. His companions and followers, their followers and some Islamic scholars have taken a different approach," it said.

"Apostasy can be understood to be high treason as it can result in repercussions that infringe on 'public rights' in the form of communal harmony, the sanctity of the community's religion and safeguarding religion's reputation. When this happens it has important considerations that are reflected in criminal law," it added.

Saudi social media users were quick to interpret the IWC's message as a move towards abolishing the death penalty for people convicted of apostasy, with some praising the development and others condemning it.

The official Saudi Press Agency responded to the rumours, categorically denying the claims.

"Allegations published by some sources in good intention or otherwise that Saudi Arabia has embarked on abolishing the apostasy penalty are altogether false and incorrect," it said in a statement.

The controversy comes as Riyadh has said it wants to adopt a "moderate" state-sanctioned interpretation of Islam, with women recently being granted the right to drive.

In October, the kingdom said it would establish an authority to monitor interpretations of the Prophet Mohammed's teachings to prevent them being used to justify violence or terrorism.

Despite the efforts to modernise, senior Wahhabi clerics - who strongly influence the royal family - endorse execution by beheading for offences that include apostasy, adultery and sorcery. They also describe Shia Muslims as heretics.

Saudi activist Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012, and brought to court on several charges including apostasy and insulting Islam using electronic means.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes.

Footage emerged in July of Badawi being flogged by authorities in a public square.

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