Islamic scholar calls for implementation of Sharia law to fight crime

PORT OF SPAIN (CMC):

An Islamic scholar has made a call for the implementation of Sharia law to solve the crime problem in the twin-island republic.

Abraar Alli, the principal of Al-Ihsaan School and chairman of the Al-Ihsaan Institute, speaking at an event on Saturday, argued that the Islamic legal system of Sharia law serves as a powerful mechanism to reduce criminal activities, uphold social justice, and curb moral decline.

Alli said the legal system is so powerful that merely having it codified in law acts as a deterrent.

“That being said, it is a systematic and specific punishment for crimes like theft, adultery and false accusation”.

Using theft as an example, he said: “The law of Sharia is that if a person is caught stealing and goes through the judicial system that is implemented in Sharia law, then that person’s hands are cut off, severed, removed. His hand is removed completely from the wrist; [the] second time, the second hand is removed. Thereafter, going on to the other parts of the limbs of the body.”

Alli said that while Sharia law is very structured, mercy and consideration are also taken into account before any punishment is carried out. He however emphasised that if a lawbreaker stole out of hunger, they would be spared from such a fate.

When asked how Sharia law could be implemented in societies with flawed and inefficient justice systems, Alli said that unlike the common law judicial system, the Islamic system is very rigorous, “such that when evidence is brought, it is brought in a very systematic way, and it actually takes a lot to actually convict and implement the punishment … if there is insufficient evidence, then move on. It is not going to be implemented”.

He added that there was also a maximum time limit for which someone could be held on remand.

Drawing on examples from Saudi Arabia and the other Arab countries that have implemented Sharia law, Alli said that although the law may seem punitive and harsh, it ultimately serves as a form of justice.

However, during his presentation, Br David Muhammad, from the Nation of Islam and head of the Education Department, School of Business (UWI-Roytec), countered that there is no universal Sharia law in Islam.

Muhammad cautioned against taking the legal system from another region or country and applying it “wholesale to your community or your society, unless there is a cultural identification similarity between the two communities”.

He said the social concerns in Arab countries differ significantly from those in the Caribbean societies.

Muhammad listed several prevailing issues in Caribbean communities, including gun violence, drug trafficking, gang activity, high school dropout rates, lack of education, and a significant recidivism rate among the prison population.

He stressed that addressing these critical social concerns should take precedence before considering the implementation of the four applications of Sharia law.