On the caning punishment<\/p>\n
The decision taken to administer caning in Aceh province in
\npublic places for Muslims who fail to carry out their religious
\nobligations is not only a backward step, but it is positively
\narchaic. This was perhaps a golden opportunity for Islam to show
\nthat it can be a caring and flexible religion, as it would have
\nbeen very easy to come up with a punishment that was not
\nassociated in any way with violence. Why not get the offenders to
\ndo some community work as punishment, if indeed punishment is at
\nall necessary.<\/p>\n
There is little doubt that "doing good" is far better than
\npraying for it, as each man surely has the right to worship in
\nhis own way, to his own God as he sees fit. It won't take very
\nlong before a number of spies come forward who will gladly report
\nthe absence of whoever to the necessary Islamic police, who in
\nturn will no doubt drag the offender to the designated place and
\nthrash the living daylights out of him.<\/p>\n
Next stop will be the women, and who knows how far that will
\ndrag the free society down the hill toward the next Taliban
\nregime. Aceh has been fighting for years against oppression, and
\nnow, just when there is a glimmer of hope for a peace settlement,
\nthey want to start another oppression of their own.<\/p>\n
DAVID WALLIS, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-the-caning-punishment-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }