Personal sins not criminal, Sisters-in-Islam urges review of Act The Star (Malaysia) Wednesday February 2, 2005 http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/2/2/nation/10049888&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: The Syariah Criminal Offences Act should be reviewed because the existing legislation provides for certain �personal sins� to be deemed as criminal, said women�s non-governmental organisation Sisters-in-Islam (SIS). Commenting on a call by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil for the possibility of making it compulsory for all raiding parties to include women, SIS programme manager Masjaliza Hamzah said: �It is a good idea but it will not solve the problem. Having women officers will, perhaps, improve enforcement. But what SIS is questioning is the substance of the Syariah Criminal Offences Act.� �This is because it provides for the state to criminalise what can be termed as personal sins,� she said recently. She said SIS felt that it was the personal choice of Muslims to go to places that served alcohol or dressed in any manner that they chose. �The Quran talks about personal choices and submitting to God from the heart rather than have it forced from the outside,� she added. On Saturday, Shahrizat made the call following a raid on a nightclub in Jalan Ampang on Jan 20, where 100 Muslim youths, half of them women, were allegedly detained for several hours, placed in lock-ups and treated in a high-handed manner. The women, including a celebrity, claimed they were ogled at by the officers who also made derogatory comments about them. Masjaliza said SIS was putting together a memorandum for the relevant authorities regarding the Syariah Criminal Offences Act and the organisation would be pointing out the provisions which curtailed the personal liberty of individuals as provided for under the Federal Constitution. �We will do this within the next few months. This is because these laws violate personal dignity and privacy and need to be amended,� she said. She said the approach had to be right or there would be inconsiderate religious officers who would have uncouth conduct. �Those who enforce may be overzealous because they feel they are doing the right thing in promoting good and preventing bad dressing,� she added. http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/2/2/nation/10049888&sec=nation __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page � Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? It is easier than you think. Click Here to meet a Child you can help. http://us.click.yahoo.com/O2aXmA/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
