Answering Apostasy and Treason, how so

Submitted by Keith Williams (United States), Oct 29, 2008 at 18:22

Hi,

Sure, no problem. You got most of it right in your comments. First let's define treason: (Wikipedia)

Oran's Dictionary of the Law (1983) defines treason as: "...[a]...citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]." In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aided or involved by such an endeavour.

Outside legal spheres, the word "traitor" may also be used to describe a person who betrays (or is accused of betraying) their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong. Often, such accusations are controversial and disputed, as the person may not identify with the group of which they are a member, or may otherwise disagree with the group leaders making the charge. See, for example, race traitor.

As you can see apostasy, is betraying one's religion and is a form of treason.

Now let's compare apostasy with treason. In Islamic society apostasy must be determined by the testimony of two adult Muslim witnesses, in respectable standing, whose accounts agree. Also, any death penalty case has to be determined by the testimony of four adult Muslim witnesses, in respectable standing, whose accounts agree, for the execution to occur. In retrospect with Treason in the U.S., treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. per the U.S. Constitution. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted. However, Congress has, at times, passed statutes creating related offenses which undermine the government or the national security, such as sedition in the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, or espionage and sedition in the 1917 Espionage Act, which do not require the testimony of two witnesses and have a much broader definition than Article Three treason.

In the past people have been convicted, sentenced, and executed and the last person to be sentenced for treason was in U.K. William Joyce in 1946 in which the death penalty is no longer used for treason since 1989, and for the U.S. which still does death penalties we have Adam Gadahn in 2006 but they got to catch him first in order to sentence him and carry out the sentence which will probably be life in prison but who knows. The last

I am not saying that I support the death penalty for treason or apostasy I was just commenting on the similarities of the two.

Lastly, on the Sunnah, it is not mandatory nor necessary but for some people they find it necessary for them and you can do them if you want. It is okay and recommended but not mandatory or necessary. Just take it slow and step by step.

peace

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