Allow Muslims to live as they wish
Med Walid Smati, medlido@excite.com 5 Sep, 2002
(translated from the French)
In the name of the rights of man you take the right to judge people and their choices. In Nigeria, it is the people who have chosen the law to use, it is not the case of the abuse by a leader, or something similar. You want this woman [apparently Amina Lawal, sentenced to death by stoning] who has no respect for the laws of her tribe (Islamic law or not) to punish the whole tribe, not only the tribe, but all the muslims and their beliefs, then what human rights are you talking about? This woman was able according to Islamic law to ask for a change of her beliefs or to leave the tribe, but no, but no, wishes to stay and has chosen Islam and wants her tribe to change its laws. Or perhaps because Nigeria has associations like your own. One would rather see human rights associations make a greater effort in their own countries of origin against the politicians no longer making the countries of the south poor than throwing them a few cents. Please unite your strength to overcome the problems and don’t cry victory over an isolated case and finally don’t call people idiots who know differently.
Hello Med,
I know that the Muslims of northern Nigeria welcomed the reintroduction of Sharia, but that does not make it right. Many laws, for example those of Nazi Germany probably also supported by German people, have been bad. People in India used to expect a widow to be burnt to death on her husband’s funeral pyre.. No, the people of northern Nigeria must learn that lapidation, amputation of hands, whipping are not acceptable to civilized society. The death penalty is bad enough but torture and that is what stoning is, is against the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on cruel and inhumane punishment.
As secularists we want the separation of religion and the law. A religion or state has no right to interfere in the sex lives of consenting adults.
As to poverty in Nigeria there is no doubt the people should benefit more from its oil wealth. But most of the Muslim world is in a bad state economically. There is little investment in industries which would provide wealth and employment even in countries which can afford it such as Saudi Arabia. (They are too idle to do their own work and bring in foreigners to do it.) Perhaps they spend too much time thinking about religion? Our leaders of industry certainly don’t spend 5 times a day praying.
Bob Burns