Re: Sharia Law in NWFP
Peace All
Shari'ah law is definitely not rigid. It is fluid, but there are places where it must be rigid. It is rigid in it's trends, i.e. it needs to establish policies and regulations that encourage people towards being upright and generally strict on themselves but lenient on others and kind. Values such as respect for the Deen and the characters of our Islamic heritage are sacrosanct. The idea of sacredness is mutually exclusive of the idea of 'freedom of speech'. Islamic law curbs freedom of speech to a set of defined boundaries and through time as and when the society becomes more mature (Islamically speaking) it can afford to squeeze the tolerances. It would be an injustice to apply the very tight tolerances of a mature Shari'ah state on a place like NWFP, injustices are unIslamic. There are some rulings that can never be applied, such as barbers being closed down. This type of practice is an abomination to the liberties Islam gives us. It also goes beyond the strictest of restrictions that Islam applies. It also means no non-Muslim will be able to live in that area. It is a nonsense!
So Islamic law is fluid
Islamic law grows towards a society that matures in it's Islamicness (to coin a term)
Islamic law cannot allow certain things even in it's infancy (such as blasphemy)
Islamic law cannot apply certain rules even in it's most mature form (such as preventing people from cutting their facial hair)