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| Bangladesh |
| Fatwa in practice for personal gain: Dr Kamal |
| 2011-03-03 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain on Wednesday said some people are involved in illegal practice of issuing fatwa in the rural areas of the country for personal gain. Punishment in the name of fatwa is against the Constitution, he said while placing his submission before the Supreme Court during the hearing of a long overdue appeal against a High Court verdict that earlier declared fatwa illegal. No barbarism in the name of fatwa should be allowed in the society, Dr Kamal said. The six-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque adjourned the hearing till Thursday. Mentioning that some people in the rural areas are practicing fatwa for personal interest, Dr Kamal said a girl named Yasmin was killed by whipping in 1993 and after long 18 years, another girl named Hena was whipped to death in the same way. Such barbarism cannot be allowed, he added. Had the HC verdict declaring fatwa illegal been enforced properly, such incidents could not take place. Advocate Nazrul Islam, counsel for the appellants, placed submission against the HC verdict and told the court that fatwa is a part and parcel of Islam. If fatwa is banned the structure of Islam will be damaged, he told the court. He, however, said the misuse of fatwa has to be stopped. The Appellate Division on Tuesday started hearing the appeal against a HC verdict. On January 1, 2001, the HC declared all punishments imposed in the name of fatwa illegal. The verdict came following a hearing on a suo moto rule issued earlier by the court after a newspaper report on Hilla marriage (marriage with a third person). Human rights organisations Bangladesh Mahila Gay Pareehad and Ain O Salish Kendra argued against fatwa before the HC. The same year, Mufti Mohammad Toyeeb and Abul Kalam Azad filed the mentioned appeal against the HC verdict with the SC. |
| Posted by:Fred |