This sounds great; it is amazing for the ruler of a Muslim country to acknowledge that Islamic law discriminates against women and non-Muslims. If he were a non-Muslim analyst in the West saying the same thing, American Muslim advocacy group spokesmen would call him a bigot and hatemonger!
I am just not sure it will get very far as long as it must stay "within the teachings of the Holy Koran," since that is the source of the laws to which he objects in the first place. From Reuters, with thanks to Nicolei:
ISLAMABAD : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf called on Saturday for a review of controversial Islamic laws that human rights groups say are discriminatory against women and non-Muslim minorities.Speaking at a convention on human rights, Musharraf said the strict Islamic laws passed under the military dictatorship of late General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1979 should be studied afresh to ensure they were not misused.
"The nation should not shy away from re-examining the Hudood Ordinance by scholars, lawyers and legislators within the teachings of the Holy Koran," the official APP news agency quoted Musharraf as saying.
"Islam says we must reach a decision through discussion ... why should a discussion be opposed on an ordinance which is the creation of human mind," he added.
Musharraf said the country's blasphemy law should also be reviewed. The blasphemy law prescribes the death penalty for insulting Prophet Mohammad, other prophets and holy books, but rights groups say it is often used to settle personal scores.
"The blasphemy law needs to be looked into so that justice is done and it is not misused to victimise the innocent," he said.
Musharraf also called for a law banning honour killings, in which male relatives kill women deemed to have brought disgrace on their families by having a relationship with a man, or marrying without consent or bringing an inadequate dowry.
"Although honour killing is illegal, the passage of law banning it would lend more strength to Pakistan 's efforts to do away with the intolerable practice," he said.
God bless General Musharaff.... I hope he has damn good life insurance. If he's still alive a year from now I'll eat my hat. I just hope that when the jihadis kill him they don't get their grubby little hooves on the nuke button.
When will people realize that democracy and religious insanity do not mix?
Bravo - this reform needs to be made - but I wonder how long before another attempt will be made on his life?
Islam is not able to undergo a "reformation" as did Christianity since Martin Luther based it on "what was in the scriptures"....unfortunately, the imams are just reading the Quran (the scripture) - so how can Islam undergo a reformation without throwing out parts of the Quran and the Hadiths?
jihan
Bah. He's just making noises to make people happy. He'll head home, throw the promises in the trash, and chuckle as the "courts" in Pakistan sentence more people to death for "blasphemy".
With Pakistani Madrassas going at full capacity, Musharraf's call may be nothing more "sweet nothings." Pakistan originated as a tolerant Islamic state in 1947. In 1977, it voted itself into its present state, which is nothing more than more consistent Islam. Unhooking 1400 years of entrenched Islam cannot be undertaken with any promise of success until young minds are reached, starting before six years of age. When Pervez sends the Saudi Wahhabi teachers and funders packing, starts closing Madrassas, and enforces eclectic education, then we can take hope. Otherwise, his words are empty.
With islam you never know whether someone is being truthfull or just spreading islam in a way more acceptable to the west. the quran teaches deceit is acceptable because allah is the greatest deceiver of them all. Nice guy this allah.
Can't decide on General Musharaf. He's probably playing a perilous double game.
On the one hand, he says he's "Kemalizing" Pakistan (a titanic undertaking!), but on the other he's acquiescing to his military's notorious Inter Services Intelligence agency (ISI) - riddled with Islamists, despite the limited purges he's conducted - appease the Jihadi Pashtun tribes of the North West Frontier Province, the Taleban across the border in Afghanistan and the mujahedin terrorizing Indian Kashmir.
He's seeking to have things both ways, but in the pitiless machinations of Machtspolitik, sooner or later, that approach always comes badly unstuck! Mr Musharaf should watch his footing with great care (there've already been several assassination bids which have missed him narrowly and his country's crawling with armed fanatics)....
If this man is for real then I applaud his efforts. Of course, he could very well be lying to try and appease us in the West and hoping somehow that would make our guard go down. If that is the case, he really is stupid! Our guard will never again be down and he is doing nothing more than wasting time and breath.
Very nice comments but you all need to know that besides your view there is someone waching ya all!
So this new bush lovely dictator is nothing new than we saw before. I had a dog and when I throw a piece of wood he start barking and runing! Nothing new to see when the dogs are in questions>>>...... (Bush has a dogy called M.......F, when he throw he bark and jump)