Are Libyans Fighting for Freedom; Only to Practice an Oppressive Religion ?

For reference here is a list of Muslim majority countries.

The media narrative is that Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Oman, Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt are experiencing uprisings because their people want “freedom”. While this might be true to some extent; freedom has a completely different meaning to Muslims.

The uprisings are a result of many factors largely economic in nature, but there are many factors which are a direct result of Islam. Islam doesn't allow for freedom in the western since. Most majority Muslim countries have adopted some form of Sharia Law. Sharia Law is very oppressive in nature. Sharia courts issue punishments, which by western standards, would be considered cruel and unusual, to say the least. Still the majority of the world's Muslims agree that Sharia Law is the best and most pure form of law.

With Sharia Law there are quite a few issues when it comes to freedom. Sharia Law is more than just a system of law as westerners understand law. Western laws are generally applied on an individual basis, Sharia Law is applied to every part of life. Sharia is an entire system of religious laws and governmental laws simultaneously. Think about that for a minute, what if government, any government, could claim that their actions are directly mandated by God. That's not to say you have rights ordained by God, but that man (government) can do whatever to you in God's name. Doesn't that sound a little scary to you? Now you understand why the founders of the United States of America stated that congress is not to establish a national religion.

In short Islam doesn't lend itself to a free society, in the western since, because the limits imposed on personal freedom under Sharia Law are so overbearing. Let's say that a true Muslim democracy emerges. Even if elections in this Muslim nation were held; what would one vote to change? The only thing you could do would be to vote for government officials who would enforce Sharia Law to a greater or lesser degree. Islam binds its followers to Sharia Law, there is no way to opt-out.

Libya has been under the control of Gaddafi for just under 42 years. How does one man keep his power so long and in a place that is considered largely tribal? The most glaring factor among modern dictatorships is that they are mostly in majority Muslim countries. It sounds strange to say this but Islam works well with dictatorships because those who practice Islam tend to be numb to the kinds of atrocities that dictators commit. After all, offenders of Sharia Law are often sentenced to atrocious forms of punishment.

- 2001-SEP: Nigeria: A teenage single mother, Bariya Ibrahim Magazu claimed at trial that she was raped by three men. The court assumed that she was guilty, because she could not prove that her father pressured her to engage in sexual activity with the men. She was found guilty of two offenses: having pre-marital sex, and bringing false charges against the men that she claimed were responsible. Her sentence was 180 lashes. 5 "When nongovernmental groups ramped up pressure to free the girl, the government immediately carried out the sentence, ignoring a promised appeal process. The local authorities said they wanted to put an end to the controversy."

- 2001-DEC: Sudan: An 18 year-old pregnant woman, Abok Alfa Akok, was accused by her husband of adultery. She claimed that she had been raped. The man co-accused with Abok was not tried due to lack of evidence. She was tried, even though the country claims that Sharia would not be applied to non-Muslims. In Sudan, a married person found guilty of adultery is executed by stoning; an unmarried person receives 100 lashes. She had no lawyer, and was unaware of her rights during the trial. She could not speak or understand Arabic, the language of the court. The Court of Appeal in Southern Darfur overturned the death sentence and sent the case back to the lawyer court which set punishment at 75 lashes. By immediately executing the sentence, she was denied her right to obtain legal advice and/or an launch an appeal prior to the beating.

- 1996-MAR: Afghanistan: Some strict interpretations of Islamic law calls for the death penalty for any woman found in the company of a man other than a close family member. Sexual activity is assumed to have happened. A woman, Jamila, was found guilty of trying to leave the country with such a man. She was caught and stoned to death on 1996-MAR-28.

- 1996-NOV: Afghanistan: Under the previous, Taliban, regime, a woman, Nurbibi, 40, and a man Turylai, 38, were stoned to death in a public assembly using palm-sized stones. They were found guilty of non-marital sex. Turylai was dead within ten minutes, but Nurbibi had to be finished off by dropping a large rock on her head. Mr. Wali, head of the Office for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prohibition of Vice expressed satisfaction with the execution: "...I am very happy, because it means that the rule of Islam is being implemented." These executions (as well as hand amputations for convicted thieves) are regarded as religious occasions and are not normally viewed by non-Muslims.

Just something to keep in mind when you see news stories about how the people of Libya or any other majority Muslim nation are fighting for freedom. Freedom, as US citizens are used to it, is still a very long way from becoming the norm in the Middle East. Still any move towards freedom is a good move no matter how small.

Note: You DO NOT need to register to leave a comment.