Critical Thoughts

Let me see….first we have the Danish cartoons. Then it was that idiotic and bigoted statement from the so-called “Vicar of Christ”, Pope Benedict XVI, regarding the Prophet (P). More recently it was Geert Wilders’ Fitna movie. Now we are having bloggers bashing a proposal to reform the Shariah laws as discussed at a recent forum organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) and the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia.

A seminar on Syariah Law review wants non-Muslims found committing khalwat (close proximity) with Muslims to also be held liable. This was among the proposals made at the two-day seminar organised by the Islamic Institute of Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) and the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia.

Syariah Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Asri Abdullah said the seminar had proposed that non-Muslims committing khalwat with Muslims should also be sentenced accordingly, but in the civil courts.

“We don’t have the jurisdiction to sentence non-Muslims committing khalwat with Muslims,” he told reporters after closing the seminar on behalf of department director-general Datuk Ibrahim Lembut at Ikim here today.

“The Muslims can be sentenced in Syariah courts, and the non-Muslim partners can probably be sentenced in the civil courts, to be fair to both parties.”

He said the proposal, contained in a draft resolution at the seminar, would be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“It is up to the Attorney-General’s Chambers or the relevant authorities to decide how to create such a law,” he said.

(more…)