Various media outlets are reporting the latest outrage from Sharia courts. Iranian authorities have reportedly executed Mohsen Amir-Aslani, 37, for allegedly “insulting” the prophet Jonah and accused him of committing adultery. For that exercise of free speech and freedom of religion, a Sharia court had him hanged.
Amir-Aslani was arrested nine years ago for what is described in the Guardian article as “making innovations in Islam and providing his own interpretations of the Qur’an.” He was later accused of insulting prophet Jonah and having sex outside marriage.
Leila, his wife, said that the court declared his religious views as “spreading corruption on earth” and denounced “innovations in the religion.”
The specific charge regarding Jonah is based on his simple observation that the story of Jonah, which appears in Chapter 10 of the Qur’an, is “symbolic.” The Sharia court viewed that as insulting since Muslims believe that he was swallowed by a fish and imprisoned before he “glorified Allah” and repented for his actions.
The charge of illicit sex with people in his classes was added later and one can only imagine what officials may have done to his students and associates to support such a charge.
Human rights groups have charged that Iran’s ministry of intelligence was behind Amir-Aslani’s arrest. The case was given to a notorious judge, Abolghassem Salavati, who is known for denying basic rights and consistently ordering executions.
It is telling that these “judges” are so fearful of “innovation” or commentary on their religion. Such disgraceful executions only serve leave the impression of men who are insecure about the viability of their faith in the modern world or its ability to withstand commentary. The destructive legacy of these Sharia courts continues to mount as various Muslim countries disguises blind religious Orthodoxy and intolerance as forms of “law.” Salavati is not a judge in any plausible interpretation of that word. Likewise, this is no more of a “court” than was the tribunals of the Spanish inquisition. These atrocities will continue until the Muslim world embraces the concept of separation of mosque and state and rejects such crimes as apostasy.
RIP Mohsen Amir-Aslani
There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest.
Job, 3. 17
Source: Guardian
Got it, DBQ , will remember.
Paul, not a scholar, just a humble student.
Not a backhanded compliment, there is always value in one challenging another to think and to learn more.
“what is the constitution to us? The spirit or the letter? It makes a huge deal of difference, heck, even to the supreme court. Who gets to decide?”
Good questions Po; how would we know? Technically it’s an inanimate object. Metaphorically, it’s a weapon and it does have an intended purpose. Is it something the People have pointed at government or the government has pointed at the People? Is it to limit or enable government?
http://thefederalist.com/2014/06/26/the-age-of-mafia-government/
The true answers to all of these questions won’t be found with the end-users of government; that would be insane. No, we have to get them from the framers themselves.
@ po
If you are quoting said by some one earlier in the blog comments it would be helpful if you used quotation marks or somehow made it clear who you are quoting. I’m finding it difficult to determine if you are writing YOUR words or quoting and responding to some one else. When it is so muddled I find that I am skipping over your comments.
It would make it easier to follow the dialogue. Thanks 🙂
I am quite loyal, Nick, but am my own man still. It is also loyalty that keeps me coming back here and not cutting the cord. I find value in everything, everyone, and though I could point the finger at you, specifically, for that lovely atmosphere I referred to earlier, I believe you fill a need, as does Paul.
po – I have no need for affirmation by others, but I think I should thank you for what appears to be a back-handed compliment.
A lot of po’s buddies left. I figured he did so out of a sense of loyalty and unity. Like Aridog, I’m glad he’s back. Po is not a fan of mine but I am secure enough to not need fans.
Paul
I used to be more active on this blog, until the level of intellectual dishonesty became way too much for my taste. I came looking for insightful and honest discussion, no matter how spirited it is. When I realized I was not getting it anymore, especially after some of the regular commentators were driven away by the corrosive atmosphere, I took a break. Now am back,as I said before, only to act as a garde-fous, in case someone believes that some of the things being said here about Islam are indeed true.
If you have time, course back the timeline of this blog and you’ll have a pretty good idea who I am, if it is still in doubt.
But…regarding the crucifixion, am still not sure what you are saying. I can be slow sometimes and have learned not to assume to know what one is trying to say until they actually say it.
Olly
I see what you are saying, but that is part of the issue, what is the constitution to us? The spirit or the letter? It makes a huge deal of difference, heck, even to the supreme court. Who gets to decide?
Again, to bring it back to religion, it is the same spectrum of issues, is the Bible/Quran in its letter or in its spirit? In both areas some say it is the former, some say it is the latter, and some occupy a shifting middle ground.
po – as a scholar of the Quran you will have read that Jesus did NOT did on the cross and then did not rise again three days later, which is crucial to Christianity.
“this this”? Nice.
Need more coffee or more sleep. 😉
“one thing I forgot to add earlier is that natural rights means a great deal of things to a great many people. From self rule, to cutting off from society, to vaccinations to home schooling, to marital composition to abortion to not seeking medical help…etc. Part of the issues we have in general stem from our inability to agree on what natural rights means and are.”
Po,
The great thing about our nation’s historical documents is they provide clear evidence as to what the founding generation believed natural rights to be. THEY had no misconception as to their meaning or to the purpose of the constitutional republic they established to secure them. The framers expressed plenty of concern that subsequent generations would become disassociated with those founding principles and for good reason.
“It is . . . [the citizens] choice, and depends upon their conduct, whether they will be respectable and prosperous, or contemptible and miserable as a Nation. This is the time of their political probation; this is the moment when the eyes of the World are turned upon them.” – George Washington 1783
While it would be helpful to have a citizenry that wasn’t ignorant of our founding first principles, we still have the historical record and constitution to prove the reality of what this is all about. No matter how vehemently intellectuals will argue against natural rights, they can’t put that genie back in the bottle. And although I would prefer we had an electorate that did not want this this bureaucratic state, I do understand how it came to be. So the only question really that remains is whether it will it take peaceful or violent means to rid ourselves of this leviathan we created.
PO is a positive addition to this blog. At least in my opinion. I may not agree, or simply not agree at all, but I welcome this discourse. As I’ve noted before, I live in a Muslim community, and anyone who is wiling to honestly address the issues of the day is welcome in my world. So long as the input is honest and unfettered by politics, it is worth while. Period.
IN short, Po, don’t restrict yourself to solely Islamic threads….all threads are about how we think, join us.
po – I would say the whole crucifixion thing is a put off to Christians as far as the Koran goes. The historian Josephus sure thought he was dead and so did his followers. And if he was such a big deal why didn’t he live longer and have lots of wives, or at least one wife before the big send off.
As the day continues, there will be new threads to blog on, please join us in the sandbox. I truly would love to see what you have to say outside the confined box of Islam you have placed yourself in.
LOL!
you = your
Good grief Paul, why would you think anyone cares about what grade you would give them on their grammer? Seriously? LOL.
Annie – you spelled grammar wrong, but you MSN is in nursing so spelling only counts on drugs. BTW, Annie, this is not your discussion.
Paul, there are no private discussions on a public forum. You inject yourself anywhere you please, so can anyone else here. Are you a bit cranky this fine morning?
annie – lack of sleep and coffee.
Aridog – thanks, I agree.
Precisely Po, natural rights can be a anything to anybody. A theoretical right is almost useless.
Yep, Annie. History tells us that natural rights were once refused to a great number of people in these lands, some so they can be “genocided”, and others so they can remain enslaved.
Also, Paul, Karen, careful you don’t get out-Christian-ed by a Muslim! Jesus (AS) is a great inspiration to us Muslims, we love him, respect and use him as an example, as prescribed by the Quran and the Prophet Muhamad (AS). Though we don’t claim him as God, we do claim him as prophet. WE learn from his life (and yes the quran discusses him greatly and our traditions say that he will return to usher a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity on earth (to match the Christian lore), and try to model our behavior according to his example. All of that just to say that as a disciple of Jesus, I can recognize those closer to his example than not, and as it stands now, Happypappies it is.
momdemom – I am currently agnostic so how the Quran deals with Jesus interests me only intellectually. Oddly, for a group of suras given by the Sustainer (who most scholars either think was God or was Godly inspired) the take on Jesus is inaccurate. From a historical standpoint there is a good reason for this and it is easily explainable. However, as a divinely inspired document, there is just no excuse. 🙂 Still, the Torah has some inaccuracies and it is supposed to be Divinely inspired.
Paul, which parts of the Quranic narrative on Jesus is historically inaccurate? The part about the crucifixion?
Regarding typos, I actually forgot to include the link I was referring to. So I was not addressing your typos or Karen’s. That is the title of the piece.
http://ianwhiteman.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/deadly-typos/
But sure, grade my essays, as long as I get a passing grade, I am fine. English being my 4th language and all…:)
And here is the other link I failed to include, insightful as well.
http://thrivalroom.com/watch-6-things-islam-everyone-needs-know/
po – by grading I should have been clearer. By that I meant I would comment on your use or misuse of English language. Is English the fourth language you learned or one of the four you have learned? Makes a difference. And where did you learn it and who taught you? That also makes a difference. For example, I have two former students who learned British English and we had a difficult time getting them to adjust to American English.
Thanks Po Annie Theories are just pies in the sky
Funny, just saw this that answers some of the points Karen made. WATCH: 6 Things about Islam that Everyone Needs to Know – ThrivalRoom
WATCH: 6 Things about Islam that Everyone Needs to Kno… With many misconceptions about Islam, its time to set the record straight. Watch and learn. View on thrivalroom.com Preview by Yahoo Po
Interesting musings on terrorism and typos, deadly typos. Pretty insightful still. Karen, Paul, let me know if oyu have any question. Tha plant Po
momdemom – generally I do not go after anyone’s typos and I am aware I make my own. There is no edit button on WordPress. I have complained about that before.
However, if you want to go on about typos, I think we are going to have to raise the issue of bad and/or awkward grammar in your comments. You live by the sword you die by the sword. Personally, I want to read what you say, I don’t want to have to grade it, however, if you annoy me enough I will start grading your essays.
And, finally, this shows better than I could just how complex of an issue it is, and goes way beyond shariah law and terrorism. How a Blonde Tattooed Texas Girl Became an ISIS Twitter Star
How a Blonde Tattooed Texas Girl Became an ISIS Twitter … Last Monday, I had 60 followers on Twitter. Today, I have more than 4,300. Not to brag or anything, but that’s more than Benjamin Wittes; more than Bobby Chesne… View on http://www.lawfareblog.com Preview by Yahoo Po The Plant
momdemom – do you know how many Twitter followers I have? None. One less vehicle for the government to follow you on. And 4300 followers? Sick kids get millions. I hate to think how many Rush Limbaugh has.
happypappies – I thought Evolution was a Theory, now I learn it is just pie in the sky? Darwin will be so hurt.
Karen S … I dropped out of this discussion when it became all about personal viewpoints rather than an honest discussion. I do not have any problems with what you have said, and I don’t feel you’ve been answered honestly…at least from my point of view.
I’m a fairly recent Christian convert, usually the most dogmatic right? Yet, I am not so foolish as to suggest no similar crimes were committed in the name of Christianity. It took honest discourse and a reformation to arrive at the faith most call Christianity today. Judaism has come a long way from Joshua at Jericho as well. Something similar is afoot in Islam, at least where I live, but it will take a while for the noise makers and smug apologists from drawing all the media attention and for the honest advocates to actually not dodge the hard questions but address them forthrightly and speak up more frequently. It is not about a “different G-d” (as Obama has called it, hopefully by misspeaking, not belief)….it is all about how the same Abrahamic G-d is interpreted.
Aridog – as a recent Chistian convert I can suggest both C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton as good reads to help round out your understanding of your faith.
It is not “demonizing Muslims” to wholeheartedly condemn murder that extremists do in the name of Islam. It’s not like their faith is totally unrelated. They’ve taken it to a dark place.
“Ironic she even misrepresents herself!”
Anyone who says that I am against all Muslims makes a false accusation in an utterly contemptible way.
Yallah, Let me find a real discussion on another thread.
Oh, look, ISIL just beheaded another innocent man, and have threatened to behead another American.
This is me condemning it as yet another barbaric act of Muslim extremism.
Po, Annie, and Happy are all free to argue with me.
Po, if you don’t want anyone criticizing Muslim extremists, maybe you should focus your anger on those who keep chopping people’s heads off in the name of radical Islam.
Just a suggestion . . .
Oh, look, ISIL just beheaded another innocent man, and have threatened to behead another American.
perhaps you should focus on something else for a while Karen that is more humanitarian that we can help – Once those troops have arrived, Volesky will take command of Operation United Assistance against Ebola from Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, who will return to the command of U.S. Army Africa.
In addition to the 700 from the 101st, 700 troops from several commands – many of them combat engineers — were also being designated for deployment to West Africa.
The Army on Friday announced that more units from several bases, totaling about 1,800 troops, would also deploy in support of against Ebola by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Centers for Disease Control.
Other units from Fort Campbell contributing troops to the 1,800 were elements of the 86th Combat Support Hospital, 44th Medical Brigade, and a Military Police company from the 16th Military Police Brigade.
“These units will provide medical and logistic support, as well as site security to the Joint Task Force,” the Army said.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/10/03/troop-estimate-for-ebola-fight-boosted-to-4000-or-higher.html
Olly, one thing I forgot to add earlier is that natural rights means a great deal of things to a great many people. From self rule, to cutting off from society, to vaccinations to home schooling, to marital composition to abortion to not seeking medical help…etc. Part of the issues we have in general stem from our inability to agree on what natural rights means and are. In your book, does gay marriage constitute a natural right? Does polygamy? Does not paying taxes? PO
Po and Paul Shulte – I know. This is Po not multi tasking on this blog and dodging questions again. I can plainly see that.
momedmom aka po – if you would play with us in the sandbox on other thread we have already had a long and extended discussion on natural rights. My challenge with natural rights is that they are an artificial construct of the person raising the issue, i.e., my natural right are not naturally yours. However, you have made my point much better by going much further than I ever would thank you.
Annie,
Po agreed completely with the following statement and this would be a great opportunity to demonstrate how aligned you are with Po. Do you support Po’s natural and unalienable right to practice his religion without being concerned that right is subject to change by the will of the People?
“I believe we are all created with unalienable rights. I believe we have the unalienable right to believe in a God(s) or Creator or in none of the above. I believe we have the unalienable right to practice our faith in accordance with specific doctrine but that our fidelity to that doctrine shall not infringe the unalienable rights of ourselves or any other person. Just as secular (constitutional) law shall not infringe natural rights; neither shall any other law or belief infringe natural rights.”