Sentences of stoning and amputation are relatively rare: between 1981and1992forty-five judicial amputations were carried out and four death penalties by stoning in Saudi Arabia.
The introduction of the Sharia became the rallying cry of the religiously inspired political movements. The idea of going back to their cultural roots and of imposing Islamic norms on society was appealing to large segments of the population that were opposed to the increasing Western political and cultural influence. In a few countries, as we shall see, Sharia-based legislation was adopted, whereby criminal legislation usually was the first to be enacted.
In implementing Islamic criminal law, there is a clear ...view middle of the document...
The victim’s heirs control the process in the sense that they are party to the trial, that prosecution depends on their wills and that they can agree to an extrajudicial settlement. When Islamic criminal law was reintroduced in the various countries, it did not meet with much opposition. In most countries it was supported by large groups in Muslim society. This is due to the powerful ideological discourse surrounding it, which holds promises for the ‘ordinary people’. In the first place, there is the religious aspect, the idea that by implementing Islamic criminal law the community complies with God’s wishes and will be rewarded. But on a practical level, Islamic criminal law holds a promise of eliminating crime and corruption as a result of its deterrence and its swift justice. Those who are apprehensive about rising crime rates and corruption will welcome Islamic criminal law as a panacea for the cure of social evils and the restoration of a virtuous society. Its advocates argue that Islamic criminal law offers effective tools to fight crime because it allows the application of severe and painful punishments consisting of whipping, amputation and...
