The rebels have won the support of the West with generalities about freedom, liberty, justice and human rights, but it is Sharia that will determine the specifics. It will not be the academic-exercise, vaporware conception of what Sharia could, would, or ought to be; it will not be the prototype on someone’s drawing board, but the production model that is ready to be rolled out.
And wherever Sharia has gained a foothold, the observable effects (as opposed to the promises) have consistently been to the detriment of tolerance and civil liberties, whether in Aceh, Tehran, or sections of British cities. It never performs as advertised, but it performs according to its contents, as much as they continue to be the object of impassioned denial.
“New Libya should be governed by sharia: imam,” from Agence France-Presse and the South African Press Agency, September 10:
The new Libya to emerge after the ouster of Moamer Kadhafi will be Islamic in character and should be governed in accordance with sharia, or Islamic law, a prayer leader said in Tripoli today.
Speaking to thousands of worshippers attending weekly Muslim prayers in Martyrs’ Square, formerly known as Green Square, Sheikh Abdel Ghani Abu Ghrass said “we must underline the Islamic character of the new Libyan state.”
He added the future Libya “should be governed in conformity with sharia.”
Abu Ghrass also called for preserving national unity, which he said “is an important element for the success of the revolution, which faces numerous challenges.”
He also called for regulation on the bearing of arms and for fighters to be integrated into the security forces.