By: Aeneas Lavinium
ICLA

The practice of sugar coating sharia seems to be very fashionable activity in early 21st century society. There appears to be no shortage of Muslims and non-Muslims alike who claim that sharia is not this or that and that those who say otherwise are somehow ‘racist’ or ‘Islamophobic’.

Such people must rely on the gullibility and laziness of the general public because the true nature of sharia can be quickly and easily confirmed by referring to the classic manual of sharia law – Reliance of the Traveller (1).

An article at Policymic.com entitled “Sharia Law is Not What You Think It Is” (2) illustrates the point. This article makes claims that sharia law applies only on Muslims and that barbaric punishments are not really part of it.

The article (2) brazenly claims:

“It is not meant to convert people to live culturally like Muslims: Sharia law only ever applies to Muslims.”

Reliance of the Traveller states:

“….non-Muslim subjects are obliged to comply with Islamic rules that pertain to the safety and indemnity of life, reputation, and property. In addition they…. (4) must keep to the side of the street, (5) may not build higher than or as high as the Muslims’ buildings…. (6) are forbidden to openly display wine or pork, (A: to ring church bells or display crosses,) recite Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays; (7) and are forbidden to build new churches.” (Reliance of the Traveller, o11.5, p608).

“If non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state refuse to conform to the rules of Islam, or to pay the non-Muslim poll tax, then their agreement with the state has been violated” (Reliance of the Traveller, o11.9, p609).

So much for sharia law not applying to non-Muslims. Non-Muslims must make their buildings lower than those of Muslims, they are not allowed to build new Churches, they have to pay protection money to be tolerated by the state, etc. As for barbaric punishments the article (2) makes the claim that such punishments are not part of sharia as follows:

“It is not a primitive system of eye-for-an-eye justice: Muslims do not support severe punishments (like cutting off a hand to punish theft) as accurate interpretations of sharia law.”

Reliance of the Traveller appears to contradict this claim and with regard to the punishment for theft it states:

“A person’s right hand is amputated, whether he is a Muslim, non-Muslim subject of the Islamic state, or someone who has left Islam….” (Reliance of the Traveller o16.3, p613).

With regard to the punishment that you could expect for the heinous crime of drinking alcohol it states:

“The penalty for drinking is to be scourged forty stripes, with hands, sandals, and ends of clothes. It may be administered with a whip, but if the offender dies, and indemnity (def: o4.4) is due (A: from the scourge) for his death….” (Reliance of the Traveller o16.3, p617).

So much for the sugar coating sharia. It clearly applies to non-Muslims and it clearly includes barbaric punishments. Sharia clearly is not something that respects human rights whatever sharia’s apologists may grandly claim.

(1) Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law

(2) Sharia Law is Not What You Think It Is (Policymic.com)