Sharia is divine law in normative Islam. The brutality and extreme human rights abuses that are being perpetrated in Afghanistan (and in other Sharia jurisdictions) is in full accordance with Sharia, despite the routine branding of critics of Islam.
Under the Sharia:
Hudud crimes (apostasy, revolt against the ruler, theft, highway robbery, adultery, slander, and drinking alcohol) carry penalties that include the amputation of hands and feet, flogging, and death.
In addition, Sharia is well known to be abusive to women. The Taliban, which is infamous for its treatment of women, is fully justified by Islamic law.
Some examples from the Quran:
Quran (4:34) “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them.”
Quran (33:33) “And abide quietly in your homes…” Women are confined to their homes except when they have permission to go out.
(Quran 24:31) And tell the believing women to reduce of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
(Quran 33:59) O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also declared that “Turkey has nothing that contradicts Taliban beliefs.”
“Afghan supreme leader orders full implementation of sharia law,” Agence France-Presse, November 14, 2022:
Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings, floggings and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson said.
Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted on Sunday that the “obligatory” command by Haibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met with a group of judges.
Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland.
The Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh rule that characterised their first stint in power, from 1996-2001, but have gradually clamped down on rights and freedoms.
“Carefully examine the files of thieves, kidnappers and seditionists,” Mujahid quoted Akhundzada as saying. Those files in which all the sharia [Islamic law] conditions of hudud and qisas have been fulfilled, you are obliged to implement. This is the ruling of sharia, and my command, which is obligatory.”
Mujahid was not available on Monday to expand on his tweet.
Hudud refers to offences for which, under Islamic law, certain types of punishment are mandated, while qisas translates as “retaliation in kind” – effectively an eye for an eye.
Hudud crimes include adultery – and falsely accusing someone of it – drinking alcohol, theft, kidnapping and highway robbery, apostasy and rebellion.
Qisas covers murder and deliberate injury, among other things, but also allows for the families of victims to accept compensation in lieu of punishment.
Islamic scholars say crimes leading to hudud punishment require a very high degree of proof, including – in the case of adultery – confession, or being witnessed by four adult male Muslims.
Since last year’s takeover, videos and pictures of Taliban fighters meting out summary floggings to people accused of various offences have appeared frequently on social media.
On several occasions the Taliban have also displayed in public the bodies of kidnappers who they said were killed in shootouts.
There have also been reports of adulterers being flogged in rural areas after Friday prayers, but independent verification has been difficult to obtain….
BTeboe says
You simply cannot drag 7th Century barbarians into the 21st. Afghanistan is not a country in the sense that we think of a country. They are a collection of tribes, with tribal leaders calling the shots. Islam is a totalitarian form of govt and Sharia law is how they govern. And totalitarian govts can only remain when they use force or the threat of force to keep their power.
Keith O says
Islam, bringing barbarism, rape, murder and terror to civilised countries since the 7th century.
What a remarkable achievement in allahs name.
James Lincoln says
BTeboe,
Agree.
Afghanistan was never going to accept a Jeffersonian-style democracy.
PRCS says
No Islamic nation can.
PRCS says
+1
Yes, as it is a theocracy, a totalitarian theocracy, Islam is a totalitarian form of government.
So few in the west realize that.
PMK says
According to a 2013 Pew survey, 99% of Afghans believe Sharia should be the law of the land and 73% of Afghans believe that Sharia is the revealed word of God, rather than a body of law developed by men based on the word of God.
The only conclusion I can draw is that Afghans preferred the Taliban, for all its cruelty, to freedom. If enough Afghans disagree with the Taliban interpretation of Sharia then let them fight the Taliban. The onus is on them.
PRCS says
Agree, but…
The Taliban have all the guns.
NoLibsWelcomeHere says
Yeah, but JoJo Cabbage Brain Biden did background checks prior to handing all those fully automatic weapons over to his colleagues.
Keith O says
Afghanistan has in abundance what Islam needs to prosper.
Lots of ignorant, superstitious, uneducated peasants and a group of murderous primitive nutters who thrive on the violence and fear they utilise to keep the plebeians in check.
tim gallagher says
Bloody good summary of islam and its wondrous achievements, Keith O. It is staggering to read that here we are in 2022 and these knuckle draggers want to bring back stoning, amputations, etc. These creatures are truly sub-human. At least in Iran these days, those brave people are trying to break free of some of islam’s primitive shit.
PRCS says
They want to bring it back because that’s what the Big Book states, commands, demands and expects.
To paraphrase Bill Clinton, “It’s the Islam, stupid”.
tim gallagher says
That’s it, PRCS. AS you say, it’s all there in that foul book, the Koran. It is encouraging to see the people in Iran seemingly deciding that they have had enough of islam though. They probably won’t win, but they are aiming to make some human progress and ditch the barbaric load of crap, the Koran.
Walter Sieruk says
Sharia = oppression ,slavery misogyny brutality and death.