Sharia Law is a concept that would be a good one to explore. "Sharia Law" much like the idea of "freedom of religion" gets tossed about to mean many things according to the individual or group using it.
Offcourse. Its a legal code that is always changing/evolving depending on the contemporary environment, reality of present time, and wishes of those who want to achieve their own purposes by using this law as a tool.
These things happen with every law-code. I can show you many disturbing things in our U.S constitution that were added during old days in order to subjugate women and slaves etc. But judging U.S constitution only from these clauses would be wrong. Similarly, judging Sharia by people's bad actions is not the right way. Sharia isn't some 'absolute' code of law. It is different from places to places, people to people etc..Its how humans use it to
their advantage..
For example, there are parts of Sudan where Sharia Law is not only religious but political even if the political use of Sharia Law was ended with the caliphate.
Offcourse. And in Africa, many Christians are still burning young girls alive due to their biblical belief that they are 'witches' and hence must be burn according to God's law. The reason for giving this example is not to attack Christianity but just to show how scripture/religious laws can be misused in a society pinned down in civil war, suffering from dire poverty, and with high literacy rates.
In Saudi Arabia there is a kind of Sharia police that runs about checking on whether women are covered up enough.
Sharia has no place for it. Also, Saudis barely follow any Sharia. They follow their local laws mixed with Islamic Puritanical touch. I have lived in KSA..I know lol ...
Do you know why Saudis don't allow women to drive? Because the biggest tribe around Riyadh (Saudi's capital) has a tradition where it is considered disgraceful if a women rides a camel by herself. Women must sit in the back and let some man ride the camel. This is more graceful/respectful for women. Guess what? Saudis translate this tradition into modern era by applying it on cars
Hence women aren't allowed to drive in KSA. Now, Saudis will give 'religious spin' to this tradition by claiming ridiculously stupid things. But people who live in KSA knows where all this comes from. Saudis are tribal for more time than they are Muslims..Same goes for Afghans etc...hence many tribal traditions still survive in these societies.. Sadly, people in the West confuse it with Sharia Law/Islamic Law.
When does exercise of Sharia Law conflict with the exercise of democratic principles?
Almost never.
If you are a Muslim living in West, you can only follow Sharia Law in your personal capacity. Like no pork, no sex, no drinking, halal banking if you like etc. Remember, all of the above is if a person
choose to follow Sharia Law for himself..and to what extent he follows it is also his choice.
Sharia can't be use as the law of land in any non-Muslim majority country.
Now, if a country is Muslim-majority, and if they decide to apply Sharia law on criminal level..like death for rapists..then this is democracy too. Since majority of people want it (it they do), they'll get it.
So you see, there isn't any much of a conflict b/w democracy and Sharia. Also, it depends on one's interpretation of Sharia. If someone does a very, very extreme interpretation of Sharia..then he'll be in conflict with just everyone..as it is the case with most extremists..haha..
So you see, Sharia Law works like any/all other law codes..
All this boils down: How does anyone who is not Muslim, or even Muslims who are not scholars of their own religion, make sense of what Sharia Law is and is not?
Just like you make sense of every other legal code. Non of us know the constitution of our land..but just very few basic laws that are universal..like killing in punished, individual freedom is granted to everyone, and all of us adults have a right to vote etc. For anything more complicated, we have lawyers/legal experts to comment on the issue. Same goes with Sharia..Muslims know the universal/personal aspects of it..Like rape is punishable by death ( in a Sharia governed country), pork is haram, and drinking is also haram (under personal sharia practice) and so on..but if you really want to know some deep issue in Sharia..then one goes to the Mufti to clarify things etc. (Remember, you don't have to obey the Mufti. You can go to different muftis and can get different "Fatwas" (opinions) on the issue..
How should it be applied in countries that are predominately Muslim (not theocracies like Saudi)?
Just like Prophet (SAW) told us to do.
Through Shura (parliament)/consensus etc.
Why do countries like Nigeria tolerate extreme expressions of Sharia Law, in areas where the majority of citizens and lawmakers are Muslim?
)
I don't know much about it. Nigera is having a civil war b/w Northern Boko haram and South groups etc...
And what is a accredited Islamic web site as you have in your signature.
Who accredits these sites? Thank you
lol
Well, its accredited by me..do you need any other accreditation now?
Actually, I saw many posters posting BS sites as 'sources' on Islam/Muslims..I was kinda mad at them and hence I made this my signature..It is just a Muslim website dealing with spiritual life, health, sports, sexual life, physiology, Sharia'h Law , contemporary politics etc etc.. The whole point was that if you really need to learn something about Islam, atleast learn it by actual sources/Muslims themselves. Learning Islam from Christian missionary, anti-Islamic websites only churns more ignorance..
Therefore I had made this as my signature...If someone wants to learn Islam..atleast ask Muslims or go to normal Muslim websites...
Give this site some try one day..believe me, its not "convert luring" website. Inside it has thousands of articles on Muslims, Islam, contemporary life, sexual life etc etc...
JazakAllah..now I'm very sleepy..I'll try to answer others later
