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| Bangladesh | |
| Is there any Islamic basis for blasphemy law? | |
| 2015-01-11 | |
| [Dhaka Tribune] A fairly common demand of conservative Moslem political parties is that the death penalty be implemented as punishment for blasphemy (by which is meant insulting Islam or its Prophet) in accordance with Shariah or Islamic law. It is therefore worth looking at the textual sources which are used to justify blasphemy law. Interestingly, investigation reveals that there is no Quranic basis for any blasphemy law at all. Further investigation reveals that blasphemy law arises from the secondary legal source of Sunnah (or Prophetic practice). However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... the Prophetic practice as described in the Sirah (Prophetic biographies) does not establish any death penalty for blasphemy. The Sirah passages which might have provided a basis for blasphemy law actually seem to be dealing with secular nationalist issues, namely treason during wartime. Finally, the relevant Hadith (Prophetic sayings) which advocate blasphemy law may be the product of political tampering by the early Caliphate during the post-Prophetic wars of apostasy (ridda).
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 I think ALL religion is made up whole, do NOT trust "Religious" leaders. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2015-01-11 13:11 |
| #4 Agreed AlanC, although many 'Pillars of Christianity' went 'Old Testament' on not a few infidels over the ages, probably coming to realize why these ancient Hebrew doctrines were promulgated in the first place for those particular places and times. Mainstream Christianity gave those practices up (mostly) about 400-500 years ago, right after the Inquisition and 'Reconquista'. Isl*m just lags behind by that much or more. Modern weaponry and communications just make it easier for the current hard-liners to make 'statements'. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2015-01-11 13:00 |
| #3 Mullah, I seem to remember that one of the whole points of Christianity was the over-writing of the more violent parts of Judaism. All in all Jesus wasn't big on killing folks, no? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-01-11 11:25 |
| #2 Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus have a few tidbits about what to do with infidels and apostates, too. Judeo-Christian practices have 'evolved', however. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2015-01-11 09:45 |
| #1 This is a good description of my feelings toward all organized religion. I believe in God on one level, but, I do not believe in men who insist they know what "he" really means. The Christian texts on which I was raised were written by men, translated by other men, ordered rewritten by still others, on and on. If God needs me to understand more than I do, he can tell me himself and cut out the middle men all of whom could, and probably were, feathering their own nests. Omnipotence allows for direct communication, no? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-01-11 08:28 |