This man richly deserves punishment, if not capital punishment, but this story is noteworthy for several reasons. First, for its acknowledgment that the modern, moderate UAE, with which so many companies (from Halliburton to Marvel Comics) are so eager to do business, follows Sharia. Second, for its acknowledgment that Sharia includes stoning for adultery, which will usually get you an “Islamophobia” charge for pointing out. And third, because the stepdaughters are getting lashed — for what? Their punishment stems from the same mentality that gives rise to honor killings.
From Reuters, with thanks to JE:
A PAKISTANI man faces death by stoning in the United Arab Emirates for committing adultery with four of his stepdaughters.
In the first case of its kind in the UAE, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence issued by an Islamic sharia court in the emirate of Ajman, the English-language Gulf News reported.
Police arrested the man, identified only as Abdul Aziz, in 2005 after his youngest and fifth stepdaughter reported the case when he refused to let her marry a local man, it said.
The man, who had 11 children from illicit relationships with his four stepdaughters, admitted his guilt but said he was the father of only some of the children, Gulf News said.
The four stepdaughters had been sentenced and received 80 lashes each, it added.
Like most Arab states, the UAE implements Islamic sharia laws, but rarely executes convicted criminals.