Shariah: Is it "barbaric"?

[Rayaan]

How does killing your daughter for being a rape victim "strengthen the society"?

Firstly, only the instigator of the rape is to be killed, not the victim of the rape. Secondly, what I meant by "strenghening the society," is that the death penalty is there to ensure the safety of the society so that adultery doesn't occur more frequently. If a person chooses to sin in privacy, whatever that sin is, even homosexuality/adultery, then it is between him and God, and the sin can be erased if he repents. However, the moment his wrong action becomes publicized, or if it involves physically hurting another person - then a punishment can be enforced upon the sinner depending on the crime, evidence, and number of witnesses - and this is done mainly for the benefit of the rest of society in the long run. As an example, the way that God has made the body is that, as soon as bacteria are detected in the bloodstream, antibodies are immediately released to destroy the bacteria to prevent harm to the rest of the body. In a similar manner, there are certain sins which are publicly condemned in Islam to ensure the safety of society.

Well, it's an incredibly pathetic contract, isn't it? The husband can simply ditch his wife by saying "I divorce you" three times. The wife can do no such thing. Pretty much a one way street, isn't it?

It's not that easy as you make it sound like. What you are referring to is the concept of "triple talaq" (talaq meaning divorce), but such a practice is not in agreement with the Quran. Saying "I divorce you" 3 times in one sitting has no validity to permanently separate a couple because in essence it counts as a single utterance. Muslims can divorce a maximum of three times each time followed by a waiting period (or iddah) which is about one month (3 months in total) so that perhaps they will reconcile within that time after solving whatever problems that they have. Therefore, when giving a divorce irrespective of whether a man say "I divorce you" once, twice or even a million times, it is yet one and only one divorce, because the waiting period is not done yet. So the equation is: 1 Talaq = proclaiming divorce (any number of times) + waiting period (during which it can be revoked).

On the other hand, the first pronouncement of divorce could also be the last one after a thorough decision-making process. One may not even need 3 months to consider his decision after he has asserted his first divorce, because that first divorce was the result of a period of many months. Essentially, one pronouncement of talaq may constitute a divorce, while 3 pronouncements of talaq is the maximum one may assert before the divorce automatically is instituted.

But this is not to say that the wife cannot make a divorce. She certainly can, according to grounds such as desertation, insanity, abusive husband, chronical disease, etc. So, it's not a one-way street. The general ground of divorce as mentioned in the Quran is hopeless failure of one or both parties to discharge their marital duties and to consort with each other in kindness, peace, and compassion. If they cannot do that, then either party may take steps to divorce.

And how many Muslim women (or, more accurately, young girls) are forced into a marriage they don't want because their father orders it? And we're talking 13 year old girls being forced to marry 60 year old men. How can you possibly say they "entered into a contract"? They didn't! They were forced!

Being forced into marriage is actually against the Quran. Therefore, forced marriages are not allowed. One of the conditions for marriage to be valid is that both the man and woman are asked independently of each other as to whether or not they agree with the marriage. If either of them say "no," then the marriage cannot continue. The parents have a responsibility to ensure that both couples are compatible and that they do not arrange a marriage merely for their own social and/or personal reasons.

"O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them , except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary, live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good." - (Surah 4:29)

WOW Rayaan. That sure is a huge list of BULLSHIT you posted. Islam sucks rhinoceros dick. I would prefer to live around American christians than mid east Islamics ANY DAY.

Well remember this Rev: Just because you say that something is bullshit because you don't believe in it doesn't make it so. It's one thing to say "bullshit" and another thing to prove it.

As a matter of fact, non-Muslims would not be expected to live according to the demands of the Shariah if it was to be introduced in a Western country. It would only apply to Muslims who have willfully pledged and vowed to live according to the Islamic teachings. Islamic history is replete with examples of Christians, Jews, and other communities flourishing under Islamic rule without being forced to live as Muslims.

Sorry Rayaan, there is absolutely nothing you can say that can ever justify the punishments that the followers of Islam divvy out to both their own people and those who hold contrary beliefs.

These punishments are justified to myself even though I may not be able to justify them to you and the atheists because your faith is not present in the first place. Therefore, it seems almost impossible for me to make these ideas fit together according to your own ethical perspective. What is more important is to look at it from a spiritual perspective, which deals with the sins of our private body parts, how the sin can affect others, what it does to the human soul, how to erase them, how to eliminate them, etc.

And finally, the word "shariah" literally means "a clear path to a large body of fresh water." It has been used also to mean a "divine path" or a "moral code." We believe that all the previous messengers of God were given a Shariah. In other words, Abraham had a Shariah, Moses had a Shariah, and Jesus had a Shariah. So Muhammad, the last messenger of God, also had a Shariah. What distinguishes each of them is merely that the laws differed slightly from time to time.