Couple sentenced for 25 years in jail for ..

[plekhanov]

They should have been made to attend a day long course where somone would have educated them about what the laws regarding Blasphemy against Islam are in Pakistan so they could make sure they don't face the same predicament again.

Why should it be anybodies else's business if people of any faith touch any book with less than clean hands?

 

Even I didn't know about this law and I'm a Muslim.

You seemingly still agree with the law though, it's only the penalty you have a problem with.

[Amaranthus]

In what way is it "an excuse" who here is saying "well this is just terrible but we can't hold those behind this responsible, I blame their religion not them"?

 

Clearly no one is, pointing to the role of religion explains why it's a crime to touch a certain book with dirty hands in pakistan, it in no way excuses it.

 

No, it doesn't because it is not an Islamic law, it is a law that has been manifested by Pakistani nutters.

 

 

In how many societies not subject to a highly intolerant ideology such as Islam is it a crime to touch a book, even if you own it, with dirty hands?

 

It is not a crime in Islamic law. It is a crime according to Pakistani nutters.

 

Of course all societies have psychopaths in some societies however the "psychopaths" would seem to be in the majority.

 

 

According to a 2005 research paper by Pew

 

70% of Pakistanis see themselves as "Muslim First"

94% favoured Islam having a growing role in Politics

51% had "a lot or some" confidence in Bin Laden as a world leader

44% thought Suicide bombings and other acts violence of against civilian targets in defence of Islam was often/sometimes or rarely justified

 

What was that about a "small minority"?

 

Do you honestly think the varieties of Islam being promulgated in Pakistan have nothing to do with those attitudes displayed by pluralities, majorities and overwhelming majorities of Pakistani Muslims?

 

I don't trust those statistics, I can't believe 44% of people from any group, Islamic, religious or otherwise would think suicide bombing acceptable, especially seeing as suicide is strictly prohibited under any circumstances in Islam.

[icon76]

The point is it's Pakistani legislature, not Islamic law.

 

The hudood ordinaces in the pakistani legal code are based on the Islamic hudud laws, and bear a pretty good resemblance to the qu'ranic view of these "crimes".

[Amaranthus]

BTW Plek... not a fan of your quote wars.

[Amaranthus]

The hudood ordinaces in the pakistani legal code are based on the Islamic hudud laws, and bear a pretty good resemblance to the qu'ranic view of these "crimes".

 

25 years for touching the Quran with dirty hands? There's nothing Islamic about that.

[Amaranthus]

The point is pakistani authorities were doing nothing much about it until pressured by islamic fundamentalists and a bent copper.

 

Speedng is against the law here but there is no way a load of nutters could make a judge give you 25 years for it after being out on bail.

 

If they control the law they control the country.

 

Should it not be their job to uphold justice and fairness, not bend to extremists? They need to grow some balls if that really was the only reason they did it.

[plekhanov]

No, it doesn't because it is not an Islamic law, it is a law that has been manifested by Pakistani nutters.

Correction it is not a crime under your personal understanding of Islam, a significant body of muslims in pakistan obviously disagree about what Islamic law is.

 

It is not a crime in Islamic law. It is a crime according to Pakistani nutters.

Correction it is not a crime under your personal understanding of Islam, a significant body of muslims in pakistan obviously disagree about what Islamic law is.

 

I don't trust those statistics, I can't believe 44% of people from any group, Islamic, religious or otherwise would think suicide bombing acceptable,

Do you have any grounds other than finding the results inconvenient for your argument for denying the validity of the survey I linked to?

 

especially seeing as suicide is strictly prohibited under any circumstances in Islam.

Martyrdom however is not prohibitied, just the opposite and seeing as many Muslims regard what we call 'suicide bombing' as becoming a martyr the prohibition upon suicide is no problem.

[alex3659]

Should it not be their job to uphold justice and fairness, not bend to extremists? They need to grow some balls if that really was the only reason they did it.

 

Correct..............

[plekhanov]

BTW Plek... not a fan of your quote wars.

And I'm not a fan of people who arbitrarily dismiss studies by groups as respected as Pew Research simply because they don't like the findings.

[Amaranthus]

Correction it is not a crime under your personal understanding of Islam, a significant body of muslims in pakistan obviously disagree about what Islamic law is.

 

So that makes them right does it?

 

 

Correction it is not a crime under your personal understanding of Islam, a significant body of muslims in pakistan obviously disagree about what Islamic law is.

 

So that makes them right does it?

 

 

Do you have any grounds other than finding the results inconvenient for your argument for denying the validity of the survey I linked to?

 

You provided the link; you provide irrefutable proof it is the Real McCoy.

 

 

Martyrdom however is not prohibitied, just the opposite and seeing as many Muslims regard what we call 'suicide bombing' as becoming a martyr the prohibition upon suicide is no problem.

 

They can regard it that way, it does not make it true. Suicide is not allowed. Martyrdom can be achieved in battle or through being killed for your beliefs, not killing yourself for your beliefs.