The real objective of PAS’ Hudud
KTemoc Konsiders
As many have written, PAS should be focussing on crimes, corruption, racism* and injustice in Malaysia rather than introducing an Islamic penal code, Hudud, which is viewed at best with distaste and in the worst case scenario with much fear, because Hudud’s punishments would generally be irreversible.
* I doubt many in PAS would bother about this as they have shown themselves to be Malay nationalists rather than Islamist.
Yes, Hudud’s punishments are generally irreversible because, for example, once a hand is chopped off, can the mullahs guarantee they have the bio-technology to grow one back for the punished victim if it were to be found later than the victim had been wrongly and unjustly punished – and that would be the same as saying no appeal or legal review would ever be successful, even if allowed.
We have already witnessed in the infamous Qatif (Shia) girl case in Saudi Arabia how the Saudi syariah court horrendously punished a rape victim (yes, a rape victim, not the rapist) with flogging and imprisonment, and then increased that unjust punishment when she appealed, and threats of further increased punishments to deter her from any further appeals.
We have witnessed in Pakistan how a raped victim Mukhtaran (Mai) Bibi was constantly harassed by authorities to withdraw her rape police report, and how 5 of those 6 culprits eventually got away with it, with one having the mandated death sentence reduced to life imprisonment (which in real terms is as good as a less than 10 years sentence). We also witnessed how Pakistan’s then-president denigrated her credibility by suggesting to western press that some Pakistani women would claim to be raped so as to migrate to Canada.
In both the Saudi and Pakistani cases, it was the USA (under pressure from its own citizens) which came to the victims’ rescues, and not because of those countries judiciaries.
