Re: RE:Bader - The Koran and Democracy

Submitted by Bader S (Saudi Arabia), Mar 8, 2006 at 03:55

Yes you are correct in the sense that most Muslim countries incorporate some Sharia Laws in their legal systems. But as the following examples show, Sharia Laws that are incorporated have to do mostly with "personal-status law".

"Do traditional sharia laws continue to apply in modern countries?
Yes. Most Middle Eastern countries continue to incorporate some traditional sharia into their legal codes, especially in the area of personal-status law, which governs marriage, divorce, and inheritance. In other areas of the law, such as the criminal code, most Islamic nations have attempted to limit the application of traditional sharia, replacing it either with secular legislation or with laws characterized as modern interpretations of sharia. Iran and Saudi Arabia are exceptions--they claim to fully implement sharia in all areas of the law. In general, each nation's legal code is unique and reflects a variety of historical and cultural influences, experts say. Many Middle Eastern legal codes, for example, have their roots in the Napoleonic law system and the Ottoman Empire, Brown says." (http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=8034)

With regard to the Palestinian celebrations here are some other facts:

"For many of us, one of the most disturbing images has been that of the celebration of a few Palestinian youths after the tragedy.
This image has been played over and over again on CNN, thus reinforcing the myth that somehow the whole of the Arab and Muslim world rejoices at our pain.
We believe that it is important that these images, these words, also receive national attention.

The terrorist act was strongly condemned by every single Palestinian organization including Fatah, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Hamas, Workers Unions and Committees, Human Right organizations (AlHaq, Law, Palestine Center for Human Rights), student associations, municipalities, mosques and churches, etc.

The U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem reported that he has received a huge stack of faxes from Palestinians and Palestinian organizations expressing condolences, grief and solidarity. He himself was pained to see that the media chose to focus on the sensational images of a few Palestinians rejoicing.

The Palestine Legislative Council condemned the terrorist attack on the United States and sent an urgent letter of condolences to J. Dennis Hasterd, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem held a candle-light vigils on September 12 and 14 to express their grief and solidarity with the American families struck by this tragedy. Abdel Qader Al-Husseini, son of the late Palestinian leader Faisal Al-Husseini, led one of the vigils.

Jerusalem University students, along with the President of the University and the Deans of the various faculties, began a blood donation drive in East Jerusalem. Students and professors went to hospitals in order to donate blood for the American victims who need it.

The 1 million Palestinian students in the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, stood five minutes in silence to express their solidarity with the hundreds of American children who have been struck by this strategy, which resembles in its shocking effects their daily sufferings. " (http://www.beliefnet.com/story/111/story_11132_1.html)

See also:
Muslim Responses to September 11
Statements and condemnation from Muslims worldwide, made in the days after 9/11
(http://www.beliefnet.com/story/111/story_11121_1.html)

There is always two sides to a coin.

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