Killers Executed Under Decision From Islamic Court
The father and stepmothers of a 9-year old daughter have been executed via public beheading. Their crime was violently torturing and eventually killing the man’s 9-year old daughter. The man had divorced his first wife, received custody of the daughter, and he then remarried.
I think that in this case, the punishment fits the crime. Executing them both publicly should serve as some form of deterrent for other offenders, and I truly believe it was a just punishment for their actions.
Now for some quotes and my reactions to them. All quotes taken from the original article here.
“Now I can sleep as justice has been done to my innocent dead daughter with the beheading of her tormentors,” the mother (who didn’t want her name published) said, adding that she hoped the unusually strict punishment laid down by an Islamic court would serve as a strong deterrent to parents who abuse their children. “The punishment was just and in line with the true spirit of Islamic law.”
I agree strongly regarding the deterrent. I’m not so sure what Sharia (Islamic Law) states about this, but I will look it up. A post on Sharia is coming up.
In the past, cases of domestic abuse often went unreported by the media. But in recent years, there has been an opening-up to publicly address issues of domestic violence. Now the media regularly publishes reports of domestic violence, and many of these cases involve the abuse of children of divorced parents where the father wrests custody of the child from his ex-wife as an act of revenge and then the stepmother becomes involved in the abuse of the child.
It’s good to see the media finally having a chance to speak out and inform the world of what is going on, instead of these things just being an issue discussed in closed circles of society.
While endorsing the beheading of the culprits, Ahmad ibn Qassim Al-Ghamdi, director of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Makkah, told Arab News that there were some scholars who believe that a father should not be executed for killing his own child. Those scholars cite a saying of the second Caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) to support this argument. According to this report, the caliph quoted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as saying that no father should be beheaded if he killed his own son. However, Al-Ghamdi said the reported statement of the caliph is not authenticated as is required for reliable traditions, and therefore unacceptable to most religious scholars.
On the other hand, the Holy Qur’an stresses the law of retribution, which means life for life without exception and prevents the killing of persons without legitimate reasons, he pointed out. Moreover, in the present case the murder is premeditated and the second wife helped him to detain the girl besides torturing her before committing the murder, he said. Such acts would only perpetuate their punishment in hell, Al-Ghamdi said.
I think these “scholars” should know better then to present their arguments based on a saying that is not authenticated. I also personally feel that the crime committed by the father and stepmother are valid reasons for their execution. Al-Ghamdi endorsed the beheadings, in case you read it wrong the first time as I might have. (I originally read it as himself being one of the scholars giving ‘evidence’ that the father should not have been executed.)
Stay tuned for a new post regarding Sharia law. Do I like it or agree with it? Should it be used in Western society? Should it apply to non-Muslims? These questions and more answered in that post… Coming soon!
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I agree with this trial, at least the girl will get foster care that HAS a heart..
Did they have another daughter? Unless I am mistaken the daughter was killed…