Sharia alert. Last night after I gave a talk a gentleman confronted me with the fact that only two states today fully implement Sharia — as if the rest of the Islamic world has nothing to do with it. In fact, it is advancing everywhere. Sir, this one’s for you. “MMA MPA seeks law against music, women’s photos in ads,” from Dawn, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
PESHAWAR, Feb 3: An MPA of the ruling Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Thursday tabled two private bills in the NWFP Assembly suggesting that music and dance in public places and educational institutions, and using photographs of women in advertisements be declared penal offences punishable by up to five years in prison along with a fine of up to Rs5,000 and Rs10,000, respectively….
In their speeches in the house on Thursday, both opposition members said the bills were aimed at Talibanisation of the province. In the first draft law, a public place is a building, house, room, tent, enclosure, road, lane, bridge, square or any other place to which the public is admitted to witness a dance or music performance on payment or otherwise….
If the law is enacted, dancing and music in a public place or in an educational institution will be considered an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to five years and with fine of up to Rs5,000.
The proposed law empowers a police officer not below the rank of inspector to enter any public place or educational institution and arrest any person who in his opinion has committed, or is committing or is about to commit such offence, including the person who abets the commission of such an offence.
The second bill pertaining to photographs of women reads: “Photograph means a photograph of a woman obtained through camera or hand drawing/painting or portrait, whether factual or artificial, which may amount to any incentive to sensuality or excitement of impure thoughts in the mind of an ordinary man of normal temperament; or tends to corrupt those minds which are open to such immoral influence, or which is deemed to be detrimental to public morals and calculated to produce pernicious effect, in depriving and debauching the minds of person.”