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26.11.2014 Feature Article

Stone Corruption To Death Not Women

Stone Corruption To Death Not Women
26.11.2014 LISTEN

The Daboya/Makarigu MP, Mr Nelson AbuduBaani' might have been taking some slight sighs – a relief in the midst of the suffocating pressure that made him coughed some constricted apology for his Jihadist comments. The NayeleAmetefe's 12 kg cocaine haul which broke last week took the consuming media light off him.

And when Mr Dominic Nitiwul, Deputy Minority Leader exploded Parliament with two12 kg bags of rice to demonstrate the slumbering NACOB officials who could not identify and bust such an enormous size of cocaine, Mr AbuduBaani might have been reciting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) in his head because his prescription to stone adulterous and 'alomojarta' women to death was a sinking dust.

But let us not forget Mr AbuduBaani made a worthy suggestion that broad consultations were needed to avoid the confusions the Interstate Succession Bill may lead to: this deserves commendation and without hesitation I praise him in full-throated force the way I will launch my condemnation for his anti-progressive suggestion. Why couldn't he stop at this?

Mr Abudu's suggestion reminded me of the Islamic State (IS) militants whose quest for caliphate or Sharia law and its strict interpretation has gained global attention largely because of the untold atrocities against ethnic minority groups and religious sect whom they accused as idol worshipers.In fact, they have reduced the whole Islamic jurisprudence to instant punishment for offences including, death by stoning, beheading, crucifixion, lashing, amputation and many others. I thinks ISin the Fertile Crescent is a bit too far from Ghana since Buko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia are closer and allof us are a bit familiar to how their clamour for sharia law is leading to needless loss of lives.
Sharia law according to wipedia means the moral code and religious law of Islam which includes criminal, civil, personal, and economic. It is believed among Muslims that all aspects of law is revealed in the Quran and the Hadiths are considered as pure and infallible law of Allah. Sharia takes its sources from Qur'anic verses ayahs and the examples set by the Prophet Mohammad in the Sunnah. It also includes Islamic laws as interpreted by Islamic judges qadis. Within Sharia law, there are some crimes known as hudud. Such crimes have punishments strictly specified by Islam among which fornication is punished by stoning, alcohol consumption by lashing and theft by amputation of arm.
I recalled a video released by IS recently in which a girl was stoned to death for an adulterous life. The girl's pleading voice, tears and lamentations for her life could invoke kindness and mercy even in the devil. Nevertheless, the video faded with the father pelting the first and stone and was praised for being a dutiful son ofAllah.
Again I recalled in 2004 an Iranian Sharia court sentenced a 13 year old ZhilaIzagyar to death by stoning for being raped by her elder brother. Though international outcry compelled the Iranian government to overturn the ruling, Zhila received a preliminary 53 lashes.
In august 2004, another 16 year old AtefehRajabi was also convicted of adultery and was hanged. She repeatedly shouted “repentance” as she was kicked, beaten and dragged to her gallows. Nobody paid attentions to her pleas, a gesture which according to Islamic law calls for immediate clemency. According to the Telegraph (December 2004) the judge Haji Rezaie rejected medical reports of severe mental handicap the teenager was suffering and convicted her on her plea that she was raped by an elder person. The hanged body of Afetehon the instructions of the judge was left dangling several hours to serve as deterrent for other young ladies.
Is that what Mr Abudu want to bequeath patriotic electorates who stood in the sun and in long winding queues and voted for him to represent them in parliament? In the centre of any adulterous behaviour there is a man. But has anyone decided to find out why it is only the woman that faces death by stoning or hanging? Does these he deserves being a parliamentarian with this extremist ideas? Most unfortunately he was heard on a radio station defending the barbarism saying he won't mind if his wife is toned or hanged for adultery.
Wekipedia reported that the Quran was revealed approximately over 23 years which began 22 Decembers 609 CE (Christian Era or Current Era) when Mohammad was at age 40 and concluded in 632 CE, the year of his death. These revelations could be very important in solving very specific and critical moral problems during that time. Many years have gone and the contradictions in those laws cannot solve current problems. Societies have moved on, old concepts have yielded place to new ones. Even scientific facts are not static, they are mostly dismantled by the arrow of time. Then new sets of laws are constituted again to deal with current issues. If scientist bows to the stings of time to adopt liberal approaches to facts, how much more social issues that have more complex approach systems and mostly vague variables.
Death penalty in the Bible is very frightening and if applied today almost all the Christian population will be stoned to death. In Exodus 19:10-13, there was death punishment for touching mount Sinai, Joshua 7:1-26 death for taking accursed things, (Deuteronomy 22:13-21) KJV death by stoning for a woman not found a virgin on the night of her marriage. In rape cases, the both parties are to be stoned to death if lady does not shout for help (Deuteronomy 22:23-24) KJV.Other offences that attract death by stoning include blaspheming (Leviticus 24:16) KJV, worshipping other gods (Deuteronomy 17:2-5) KJV, disobeying parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) KJV, witch craft and wizard (Leviticus 20:27) KJV, breaking Sabbath(Numbers 15:32-56) KJV, and for cursing the king (I King 22:10) KJV. These laws never remained.
One dramatic character to change is Jesus. I mention Jesus Christ not because I am a Christian but because the Quran and the Bible dealt with the stoning punishment. However, Jesus revolutionise the Moses antiquated laws in the Old Testament which prescribed stoning as retribution to sexual transgression and other offences as stated above.When the woman perceived to have been caught in the act was brought, Jesus' request of the sinless person casting the first stone disarmed the self-righteous Jewish executioners who were ready to lob stones at the poor woman to death. “Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?” And Jesus said, “Neither do I.” Go and sin no more.” (John 8: 10-11)NLT. Jesus also dismantled the Sabbath draconian law when he healed the sick on Sabbath to the consternation of the Pharisees and law teachers but the question “Which of you shall not have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit and will not straightaway pull him out on the Sabbath day?” Luke 14:5) KJV quietened them to accept the new order.Jesus' modernity has saved many situations that could escalate into violence among Christians.
If Mr AbuduBaani applies himself to the laws of Ghana very well, he would have known that even criminals who rob at gun points are not allowed to be stoned or killed though there are occasions that people take the law into their own hands and lynch criminals. If his problem is about unchaste women taking advantage of the estates of their diseased husbands, his duty as a law maker is to come out with options that could prevent such an anomaly for the purpose of equity and justice.His chauvinist bravado against women is a swim against the tide of time but an aggression against women which must not be tolerated.
Again Ghana is among a comity of states considering revoking death penalty from their law books. According to Amnesty International about two thirds of the countries in the world comprising 140 countries have totally abolished death penalty for all crimes including murder. These countries that belong to the first category are called abolitionist for all crimes. The second category are countries whose laws provide for the death penalty only for exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances.
The third category – abolitionists in practice is the classification Ghana belong.By the definition of the Amnesty Internationalabolitionists in practice are those countries that retain death penalty in their statute books for ordinary crimes such as murder but for the past 10 years have not executed any one and are believed to have instituted policies geared toward total eradication of capital punishment. The last category is the retentionists which are countries that retain death penalty for ordinary crimes. Among these countries Afghanistan which Mr AbuduDaani referred to in his submission is number one on the list.
Writing under the heading “Death Penalty Debate,” Sophism Yaw (Ghanaweb November 15, 2005) wrote that Ghana News Agency (GNA)reported Mr Joe Ghana then Deputy Attorhey General and Minister of Justice Mr. Joe Ghartey, as saying no one including the State should kill anyone in pursuit of justice since, it was only God who had the prerogative to take human life. Mr. Ghartey was also quoted as saying, “I do not believe in the death penalty for any type of crime including armed robbery because of the sanctity of life.” Mr. Joe Ghartey, argued that no one including the State should kill anyone in pursuit of justice since it was only God who had the prerogative to take human life. Mr. Ghartey, currently the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament indicated he did not believe in death penalty for any type of crime including armed robbery because of the sanctity of life. This is the position of Ghana and that has not been altered and an important guide for law makers.
It is good the MP is orphaned, ostracised and hooted at. The Muslim Caucus in parliament deserted him, the Speaker of Parliament has referred him to a committee for probe and both the majority and the minority dissociated themselves from him.
The MP has since apologised for his volatile statement most Ghanaians I think have accepted it. What I we don't know is whether his electorates will accept his apology and renew his mandate as MP in 2016. It is time electorates scrutinise those who ask for power from them very well before they give them their power and avoid being coerced with cargoes-little material things. This is very important because Ghana needs high class materials in the Law House.
For Mr Abudu's to redeem his buried image I suggest he organise a vigorous campaign to stone corruption, bribery and abuse of office to death in government and society and leave adulterous women in peace for society to find a better way of dealing with them.

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