In "A soulless distortion of Islamic law," Australian lawyer Irfan Yusef argues that Australian Treasurer Peter Costello was wrong to say that Muslims who wanted to see Australia become a Sharia state should leave the country. Why? Because Sharia, you see, has been misunderstood. From The Sydney Morning Herald, with thanks to JE:
Costello says most migrants become Australian citizens because they want to embrace the things this country stands for. He lists six core Australian values, including economic opportunity, security, democracy and personal freedom....In the annual CIS Acton Lecture, on the topic of sharia and pluralism in Indonesia, Falaakh listed five basic values of sharia, agreed on by sharia scholars from all schools of Islamic law. If one compares the five principles of sharia to the six values espoused by Costello, one finds they are virtually identical.
Perhaps for Muslims, anyway. But to claim that Sharia upholds the ideals of democracy and personal freedom, for Muslims as well as non-Muslims, flies in the face of the evidence of Sharia states in history and of the present-day Sharia states of Saudi Arabia and Iran. It ignores the elements of Sharia that mandate inequality for religious minorities -- elements which manifest themselves in discrimination against non-Muslims today in every Muslim state, even those in which Sharia is not fully enforced.
Perhaps this is what Australian imams mean when they state in their sermons that Australia is a more Islamic country than most Muslim-majority states.But this should be of no surprise. After all, sharia is not the name of a draconian system of legal punishments. It is not a synonym for amputations and beheadings. Rather, sharia is a legal tradition, a set of legal principles based on certain values. And those values are identical to those expressed in the Old and New Testaments.
Further, legal scholars in the East and West agree that the traditions of sharia, English common law (from which our legal systems are derived) and European civil law have borrowed from, and influenced, each other.
Some commentators present sharia as a system of medieval criminal punishments. But for Australian Muslims, sharia represents little more than ethics (honesty, enterprise) and liturgy (how to perform prayers, weddings, funerals). Costello's comments on sharia are, in effect, an attack on liturgy that should concern followers of all faiths.
Indeed, Costello's comments about those seeking to establish sharia in Australia do not go far enough. What he should have said was that those seeking to establish only sharia (outward liturgy) without its spirit (inner liturgy or the spirit of the law) should find another country and another religion.
Christ castigated rabbis who followed the letter, but ignored the spirit, of sacred law. Muslims believe the sharia to be an updated version of the same law, the outer manifestation of the same Abrahamic values. However, this must exist in tandem with an inner manifestation - given a variety of labels by Muslims and commonly known in the West as sufism.
A minority of Muslims seek to establish sharia without sufism across the world. They are the source of virtually all terrorist groups in the Muslim world. Their theology is regarded by mainstream Muslims as isolationist and fringe. They distort sharia by imposing it on people without the inner discipline of sufism. They are openly hostile to sufi tradition.
These people seek to destroy Islam from within. They are arguably more of a threat to Muslims than non-Muslims. Hence, the majority of their victims are Muslims. Costello would like to see such people leave Australia. Most Muslims, on the other hand, would prefer to see these people leave our planet.
These people distort our perceptions about sharia. Most Australians regard sharia as purely consisting of draconian medieval punishments. Costello's own inaccurate comments about sharia are a manifestation of distorted perceptions.
All this would hold up fine if the "Sufis" to which Yusef refers actually rejected those draconian punishments -- but supplementing them with some "inner law" is not the same thing. In fact, Sultanhussein Tabandeh, the author of A Muslim Commentary on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was a Sufi leader -- and in that book he defends those punishments and says: "Islam and its peoples must be above the infidels, and never permit non-Muslims to acquire lordship over them."
Note that even Yusef doesn't say that the draconian punishments are actually rejected by adherents of Sharia. He knows better.
Sharia is already being practiced in several places, let Irfan Yusef put his money where his mouth is. Show us proof that sharia beats democracy. Where is it working and how is it better? Because I understand him to be a true believer, I’d like to send him to live under it for at least a year or so. I’m sure he will benefit greatly and be able to modify his law practice to conform to enforcement of shiria. Anyone want to chip in on his airline ticket?
Jay Tea over at WizBang had an excellent post on how uncivilized Sharia is: http://wizbangblog.com/2006/02/21/a-civil-action.php
He makes a good case against Sharia.
Canadian Muslims, women in particular, rallied to keep Sharia courts from being recognized in Ontario for the purpose of arbitrating family and civil disputes. (And this potent opposition was mustered without raising the issue of Sharia-based criminal law being adopted!)
Yusef's claim of compatibility also fails on the point of finding such strong harmony between Australian law, which is based on British law. If the two are so close, why even bother to discuss the need to sanction Sharia? Why not just accept the legal system as it stands?
Obviously, because the two are not alike.
Ifran always puts his articles up on Online opinion, an Aussie political debate forum
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/index.asp
Its hilarious, he always comes in and calls the commenters “armchair nazis”. What’s even funnier is he is often asked about sharia and if he wants it in Australia, with no answer…I guess he’s finally answered.
The guy is just after a bit of fame and power.
But still a budding sharia nazi lawyer isn’t a nice thing for Australia. No wonder he hates Mr Costello
Heres his comment list for Online Opinion
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/user.asp?id=8119&show=history
You can also go to his profile and see his articles and websites.
What ifran and his cronies don’t like is in Australia an Australian muslim woman/man/youth can wear bikinis, cuddle pigs, drink beer, have sex with men women and transexuals. Have lots of sex, lots of beer and say and think what they like all as muslims.
Also Keysar Trad (2 wives 9 kids) is a nasty one as well see his essays on Racism Homosexuals on
http://worldwar111.blogspot.com/
"Islam and its peoples must be above the infidels, and never permit non-Muslims to acquire lordship over them."
-- from the article above, quoting Tabandeh, that (gentle, otherwordly) Sufi
Muhammad said it best, and said it first:
"Islam is to dominate, and not to be dominated."
What Believer would dare to quarrel with Muhammad?
Sharia shares values with the OT and NT? Last time I read Exodus, I noted that the thief is expected to restore stolen goods and then some (five sheep for one stolen sheep, something like that); not get his hand amputated.
Also, for the record, the dichotomy of letter and spirit of the law comes not fom the words of Christ himself, but from Paul. Far be it from me to suggest a problem between the Lord and one of his chief apostles, but I do like people to make proper ascriptions.
I need a bigger FONT for this than Type Key allows for this one word comment:
________________LIAR!______________________
Picture it the size of your entire computer screen.
In blood red. (Typeface "Creepy")
Saudi Arabia is Shariah Law in pure practice.
Women shot in the back of the head. Men beheaded.
No freedoms of any kind.
All but Islam forbidden.
One more purulent
_______________ LIAR!______________________
There are 'Sufis' and there are 'Sufis'. I know from firsthand experience that the real Sufis who have over centuries created mystical brotherhoods within Islam for the perfection of its members under the guidance of Sheikhs have been hounded, repressed and jailed - particularly in Iran.
The Bektashi order in Albania is rooted in pre-Islamic Albania and the psychological subtlety of its work is a living reproof to the stupidity of the mullahs and literalists and jihadists.
Then of course there is Rumi - one of the greatest mystic poets of all time - Rumi and the Mevlevi order he founded have been warped into some kind of 'feel good' New Age phenomena and yet it is quite atonishing to see what Rumi created 800 years ago in the midst of Islam.
Rumi subverted the literalism of Islamic terminology and there is no way to read him and be a Moslem in the 'generally understood' sense of the word.
a set of legal principles based on certain values. And those values are identical to those expressed in the Old and New Testaments.
Nowhere in the Old or New Testaments does it say that a woman's evidence, or the evidence of a particular religious is only worth half that of a man.
Nowhere in English Common Law does it say that a woman's evidence, or the evidence of a particular religious is only worth half that of a man.
Nowhere in English Common Law is there, or was there, anything comparable to the second class status of the dhimmi, as laid down in Sura 9:29.
I'm not so familiar with the Napoleonic code, the second world legal system which was based on Roman Law but I believe it to be similar to Common Law in this principle.
OT
From Ralph Peters' new book, "When Devils Walk the Earth"
Chapter III. Fighting Terror: Do's and Don'ts for a Superpower:
It's not too late.
"Muslim apologist lies to infidels again."
Wow, what a surprise!
But the writer did not say "made an explicit statement using the terms 'letter' and 'spirit'." He said "castigated rabbis who followed the letter, but ignored the spirit, of sacred law." This is certainly consistent with, for example, S. Matt 12.
... not to mention the many passages which speak of "hypocrites".
This is not to say that anything Irfan Yusef says has much value, but that particular "point" is the demolition of a straw man.
All the non-muslim immigrants (especially the Asians and the non-whites who can't be called "racist") need to organize against this sharia menace and remind the muslims that non-muslims did not immigrate to Australia to put up with sharia.
I didn't come to the United States to see muslims, have to deal with their islam in my children's public schools, or have to see black bedsheet-swathed women "freely" choose a doctrine that gives their husbands the option to have four wives.
"It is not a synonym for amputations and beheadings."
Yeah, we wouldn't want to distort perceptions...it is a synonym for amputations and stonings...Get It Right!!!
Shari'a isn't so bad.......it's worse.
" After all, sharia is not the name of a draconian system of legal punishments. It is not a synonym for amputations and beheadings. Rather, sharia is a legal tradition, a set of legal principles based on certain values. And those values are identical to those expressed in the Old and New Testaments."
All lies and especially: "And those values are IDENTICAL to those expressed in the Old and New Testaments" What? Takiya Alert! Takiya Alert!
... sharia is a legal tradition, a set of legal principles based on certain values...
Sharia is a pile of crapulous offal pinched out by millions of squatting Moslems, a stinking delivery not graced by the presence of toilet paper or soap.
To volunteer to convert to Sharia is to volunteer to replace the will of free people with the will of several thousand confused jackassses operating under the befuddled guidance of the Noble Koran --- the most awful book ever written, a novel, a fiction, a murder manual.
Alarmed Pig Farmer
Come on now .. say what you Really Think :) !
"How to perform prayers, weddings and funerals." Of course if sharia were to be established, I'm sure my 9 year old Australian niece would be ready for marrage, no less to a man (it pains me to refer to a pedophile as a MAN.) with 2 other wives.
Alarmed Pig Farmer,
That ain't just what you think, amigo.
The continuing fixation we seem to see with Sufism seems to parallel the unicorn hunt which is still seeking out the "moderate muslim" with no real success. It is, I would imagine, fuelled by the desire to find some sort of Islam that we can actually live happily ever after with. So . . . where's the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow?
Whenever I ponder happy coexistance with Islam I seem to find myself using the rhetoric of fantasy and faery tayles.
I wonder why that could be.
"For Australian muslims, sharia represents little more than ethics and liturgy."
until it becomes legal in Australia.
And why isn't Keysar Trad in jail for bigamy?
Borg, Keysar can't be imprisoned for bigamy because he came to Australia with two wives. According to our enlightened leadership, the practise of bigamy is not allowed according to our laws but a person may enter Australia if he has more than one wife.
So any praise for Howard and/or Costello must be muted. What lunatics would allow such a policy?
Irfan is another of the smooth-talking, Western-dressed, nice-sounding taqiyya artists who are front and centre of the taqiyya campaign in this country. They're hellbent on whitewashing Islam, and this is their latest tactic. The both-feet-in-big-stupid-loud-mouth types, like Hilaly, aren't in the forefront anymore. Instead, it's these mild-mannered suits.
I read Irfan's writings on that Online Opinion forum, and he comes across sounding oh so reasonable and moderate, and all that. He barely maintains his modulated cool when he gets dissenting opinions fired back at him, especially ones cemented by facts and reality. When his taqiyya is exposed, he does the usual - name-calls. He's also on any TV discussion forum of Islam. There's a real concerted effort by Muslims these days. And I'm nervous about it.
Now there's the effort to whitewash sharia, make it sound like some non-threatening thing that's just the same, no different. With Costello coming out and saying those who want sharia, ship out, their sharia campaign has suffered a setback. So they've got to bring out the whitewash brushes, to try to assure us it's not so bad. Not about beheadings and stonings, just twee little rituals and customs.
Give in just a little bit, just a few of these "quaint" customs, and it will not stop there. One demand begets another, and another.
Feralee
i think people like ifran will try to do is find loop holes in the law and push legislation that is pro sharia, stuff like wills, poly marriage and financial advantages, via the dole or special shariaesque considerations.
I think its a race between them and us to "tie up" the legal rights of Australians.
Salad,
Keysar apparently came in to Aust thro poly and is legally married to one woman but can't legally marry his second wife who he found here in Australia.
http://worldwar111.blogspot.com/2006/03/keysar-trad-smh-oct-2-2002.html
English common law (from which our legal systems are derived) and European civil law have borrowed from, and influenced, each other.
Really ? Yet they are incompatible. English Law is very different from Scottish Law; and is way apart from European legal tradition which is why the European Union legal system is wreaking such havoc in a Common Law system.
The whole human rights legislation imported wholesale by New Labour is being interpreted completely different from that in other EU countries because of the Common Law traditions of judges making law. It is leading to constitutional crisis in a country which does not have a Supreme Court.
The German Supreme Court has ruled that EU law cannot override German law which is upholding the German Constitution but vitiating the treaties Germany has signed. The British Courts cannot do any such thing since Parliament alone is sovereign
"For Australian muslims, sharia represents little more than ethics and liturgy."
Fine let's restore Anglican Consistory Courts and make Divorce a matter for the Church and not The State..................
The amount of money that is being spent promoting islam and sharia in the western world must be astounding. Every mosque is basicly sponsored by the Saudis, magazines, films, newspapers, and the crucibles of learning, universities, are all massively influenced by Saudi money.
Prince zz boasted of phoning Rupert Murdoch to have the islamic aspect of the recent uprisings in France 'taken out' of the stories worldwide, and that the stories were changed as 'requested' within the hour. The real power of money lies with islam; we have the real power of the people who will fight for freedom.
With their financial power, are the Saudis bribing our politicians the same way they are bribing our universities ?
The combination of bribing the media, universities, opinion makers etc on the one hand, and outright thugery and slaughter of people who oppose islam in the west, frightening many others into silence, on the other, is a pretty powerful combination.
http://forums.muslimvillage.net/index.php?s=a814b98aa0f25ddd2a187f6e287ee29f&showtopic=20478
this is a link to muslim forums in Australia the discussion is ifrans SMB debut
Slightly OT, but I for one cannot believe how little the MSM has indicated that it is the "Holy Season of Lent".
Mohammedans in Australia represent a tiny percentage of the population, yet not so long ago every paper I opened or every time I watched television, I had "The Holy Month of Ramadan" and/or The bloody Haj stuffed down my throat.
It is unbloodybelievable.
For the many aetheists, agnostics and non Catholics on this site, I would add that I do not consider it the job of the MSM to inform everybody that it is Lent. Most people, as is their want and right, probably couldn't care less.
But it does shit me that in a country like Australia, with its essentially Christian background, all we bloody get are wonderful stories about mohammedan practices.
Thanks, Anthony, for pointing that out. You're right. We don't really want to know about the various religion's special days. But we certainly seem to be forcefed Islam's Ramadan like it was something earth shattering that we all have to know about. I'm not Jewish, but for me, it's more useful knowing their holy days so that I know not to show up at the Kosher Bakery for bagels on one of their holy days when they are closed.
Meredith, thanks for the link. I see they aren't that happy with Howard. So, therefore, I know he's the right guy to vote for.
One member of our city counil came up with than supid idear to ban all sex offender from living within 25 miles of the USA Mexicam border. Islam have the right idear either put sex offender for life behind bar or behead then. Our city is now home to over 400 released child raper from other place in Texas bumd in our city.
Islam have the right idear either put sex offender for life behind bar or behead then. Or alternatively revere them as a prophet, the perfect man, to be emulated for all time. Then rape and child sex cease to be a sexual offence, end of problem.