Sunday, June 28, 2009

Bangladesh: Religious 'Fatwa' Proposes Whippings Against Adulterers



Bangladeshi fatwa issuer Maulana Md. Manirul Islam
Photo Courtesy: www.thedailystar.net/

The fatwa (Islamic religious edict) issued by Maulana Md. Manirul Islam led to 303 whippings of Piara Begum, a 40-year-old widow, and 25-year-old Mamun Miah of Khaiyar Village under Debidwar Upazilla of Comilla District, Bangladesh, for alleged adultery, reports The Daily Star of June 29, 2009.

Maulana Md. Manirul Islam, the Assistant Super of local Dakhil Madrasa (Islamic religious school) issued the fatwa at the village arbitration presided over by Dudmiah, an elderly villager. Wahed and Jalil whipped the accused. Piara Begun got whipped 202 times and Mamun Miah 101 times and they have been fined with Tk. 30,000 (435 US dollars) each. The whip-victims are in critical condition.

The police arrested Maulana Md. Manirul Islam, Dudmiah, Ibrahim, Jalil and Mamun, the whip-victim. Piara Begum filed a case against the six arrested persons as well as 10 to 12 other people with the Debidwar Police Station.

In 2001, the High Court in Bangladesh had declared issuance of such fatwas illegal in the country.

In the past, there have been many such fatwas issued against Muslim women in Bangladesh.

Indiscriminate and often, revengeful and selfish fatwas are creating havoc in different parts of the Muslim world. Iraqis in Germany are protesting against Wahabi fatwas in Iraq.



Bookmark and Share

No comments:

Post a Comment