SHARIA LAW SPREADING -- BRUNEI -- VICTORY FOR ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS

[HairOfTheDog]

Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah delivers a speech during the official ceremony of the implementation of sharia law

The very wealthy sultan's decision makes Brunei the first East Asian country to adopt Sharia Law as the law of the land (which is applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims in the country). Sultan Bolkiah has faced major criticism from the United Nations' human rights office, along with human rights organizations, world leaders, and others across the globe -- to no avail. It's a done deal.

The term "Sharia" (Arabic شريعة Šarīʿa; "way" or "path") is the sacred law of Islam. Sharia law literally means religious code of life. It is used to refer both to the Islamic system of law and the totality of the Islamic way of life. Sharia guides all aspects of Muslim life including politics, daily routines, foods, clothing, amusements, sports, familial and religious obligations, and financial dealings.

Traditional Muslims believe the Quran and the Hadith believe that sharia (Islamic law) expresses the highest and best goals for all societies on Earth. Islamic groups and fundamentalists seek to see Sharia Law implemented in every country. It is the “law of Allah” and bound to be the best of all.

Sharia law essentially makes it illegal and/or punishable to disobey the words and traditions of the prophet Muhammed in the Quran.

The sultan has defended the implementation of the law, meant to shore up Islam and guard the Southeast Asian country against outside influences. “We have never thought ill of others. We have never relied on them to accept us or agree with is but it is enough if they respect us the way we respect them,” the Sultan said last week when announcing the law’s implementation.

PHASE I IMPLEMENTATION: The initial phase introduces fines or jail terms for offenses including indecent behavior, failure to attend Friday prayers and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

PHASE 2 IMPLEMENTATION: A second phase covering crimes such as theft and robbery is to start later this year, involving more stringent penalties such as severing of limbs and flogging.

PHASE 3 IMPLEMENTATION: Late next year, punishments such as death by stoning for offenses including sodomy (homosexuality is a death penalty offense) and adultery will be introduced.

Women's rights group are particularly concerned -- rightfully so, IMO. Under Sharia Law in some countries, a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man's and a woman's inheritance is half that of her brother's. Women who report rape can and have been charged with adultery and a man can avoid punishment for rape by marrying his victim.

Disappointing to see Sharia Law spreading, for me (one who believes there is very good reason for the separation of church and state and values human liberties over religious/mass compliance).

Refs:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-sty...-law-.html
http://www.cfr.org/religion/islam-govern...aria/p8034

[Maggot]

England is having a problem with Sharia and in the U.S. there are a few courts that have bowed to it.

In June 2009, a family court judge in Hudson County, N.J., denied a restraining order to a woman who testified that her husband, a Muslim, had forced her to have non-consensual sex. Judge Joseph Charles Jr. said he did not believe the man "had a criminal desire to or intent to sexually assault" his wife because he was acting in a way that was "consistent with his practices." A state appeals court reversed his decision. Advocates of the ban in the U.S. have cited this case as an example of the need for the ban.[10]

A court order in January 2012 ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban sharia law, after a Council on American-Islamic Relations official challenged it. The court found the ban had the potential to do harm to Muslims. The invalidation of a Will and testament using sharia instructions was an example.[11]

sharia in America


I see a problem with Islamic money being used by Americans to promote sharia law. There is always some greedy bastard that is willing to take money over common sense.

[Duchess]

This is the United States. There is no reason for any judge in our country to be upholding the law and practices of another country. WTF.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's an Islamic religious code/law practiced in varying degrees by Muslims from around the world.

Tricky for courts to balance freedom of religion for all with the criminal and civil laws that also apply to all, in our diverse country.

Personally, I'd like to see religion left out of courtrooms altogether -- I doubt that'll ever happen -- but I'd still like to see it.

[HairOfTheDog]

Western Boycotting of Brunei Begins

Beverly Hills, California (CNN) -- The Beverly Hills City Council has condemned the government of Brunei for its "extreme and inhumane" Sharia laws and urged the nation's sultan to sell ownership of the landmark Beverly Hills Hotel and any other property the Asian country and its ruler may own in the exclusive community.


Jay Leno led a protest outside of the Beverly Hills Hotel the day before the Council vote.

The council made the declaration in a 5-0 vote Tuesday night, despite 125 workers from the hotel packing the council chambers and expressing concern about their jobs.

Several waiters in white coats told the council they, too, didn't like Brunei's laws but they asked why workers should possibly suffer for the City Council's vote of condemnation.

"It strangles our livelihood," said Ann Romer, a server in the hotel's Polo Lounge, a renowned gathering spot for Hollywood stars and filmmakers. "It causes us to be unable to support our families, my children and my sick grandmother in Vietnam."

All the council members empathized with the workers but said they need to take a stand against the Brunei government.

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/07/us/bev...sy-brunei/
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Well, it may be that the Beverly Hills City Council is taking a stand against what many consider human rights violations under Sharia Law.

But, IMO, the Council has no choice but to publicly condemn Brunei's adoption of Sharia Law and push for the Beverly Hills Hotel to be sold to another investor. That hotel has been a major hot spot for celebrities for decades and also hosts high-profile entertainment events.

With stars like Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres and international investors/celebrities like Richard Branson encouraging others to join them in boycotting all things Brunei, the workers at the Beverly Hills Hotel (and the other Brunei-owned hotels and restaurants in the west which cater primarily to those in the entertainment industry) won't have jobs anyway if the customer base takes it business elsewhere.

Should employees at Brunei-owned western businesses be a fall-out of protests against another country's laws?

The Sultan's not gonna reverse his decision to implement Sharia Law, that's for sure. Will the outrage and boycotts be more than just a temporary trend and truly impact Brunei-owned businesses -- forcing them to sell? Or, will Brunei hold on, suffer a short term loss, and figure people will let it go soon enough and move on to the next hot protest/cause? IDK. I don't think the Russian vodka industry suffered any real long-term setbacks as a result of celebrities boycotting its products in response to Putin's anti-gay laws (but I don't know that for sure).

[aussiefriend]

It's a worry. That's for sure.

[blueberryhill]

I keep reading about foreign countries managing and owning American iconic businesses, e.g., The Beverly Hills Hotel, etc. The Chinese (Wanda Group) also own several, e.g., Hellman's, ⁷⁄₁₁ stores, AMC theater chain (purchased in 2012), segments of General Mills, etc. It is worrisome to me that so many foreign countries are buying up American businesses and could be a country who hates the U.S. or has different laws, religions which cross over into their laws, etc.
Really..... one of the owners of the Beverly Hills Hotel, still stone their citizens for adultery and double the punishment for women...We need to be more picky about who is buying up American properties...




s

[BlueTiki]

Really..... one of the owners of the Beverly Hills Hotel, still stone their citizens for adultery and double the punishment for women...We need to be more picky about who is buying up American properties...

Nah.

But if they verbally express their concern, privately, that one of their female companions not be escorted by a black man, then absolutely forbid ownership and force a sale!

[crash]

Oh snap...

[HairOfTheDog]

Since the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel-Air Hotel are not part of a franchise with contractual ouster provisions, (they're owned by the Brunei Investment Agency as part of its Dorchester Collection of properties), I don't think the Beverly Hills City Council has legal/contractual grounds to pursue a forced sell.

Still, the protests and boycotts have reportedly hit the Beverly Hills Hotel hard in terms of revenue, and protests and boycotts in England have also negatively impacted business at Dorchester's London properties.

Crash, I understand that Brunei is invested heavily in Australia but haven't seen news of denouncements or boycotts out of Australia in regards to the implementation of Sharia Law -- are they taking place there, too?

[HairOfTheDog]

SHOULD BRUNEI BE SHUNNED?

A group of lawmakers wants the United States to press Brunei to revoke Islamic criminal laws that they say jeopardize human rights under threat of being kicked out of Pacific free trade talks.

The United States and Brunei are members of a proposed 12-nation trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)*, that seeks to establish common standards on issues from labor to intellectual property and cut tariffs on traded goods.

Democratic Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin is circulating a draft letter on Capitol Hill that his office says 20 other lawmakers have pledged to sign, mainly other House Democrats. The letter will be open for signatures until mid-June.

"The United States must make it clear that we will not tolerate such abuses," says the draft. It is addressed to Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and says the United States should use its position as the world's largest economy to push against discrimination and abuses.

"(We) urge you to insist that Brunei address these human rights violations as a condition of the United States participating with them in any further Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations," the draft letter said.

"Protecting fundamental human rights is a cornerstone of American values. American trade policy should also promote human rights, not reinforce bad actions by nations like Brunei," Representative Pocan said.

Full story: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/2...A520140521

(*TPP nations: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, Vietnam)

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The Sultan of Brunei has most assuredly already weighed the pros and cons of implementing Sharia Law formally, including international backlash, IMO. I understand the outcry on human-rights grounds, but don't believe that the Sultan is gonna reverse his position, even if cutting Brunei from the TPP was a serious possibility (IMO, it won't happen).

One of the reasons that the Sultan has stated for implementing Sharia Law is to protect the country from outside influences (I wonder if he's afraid that Brunei will be another target of insurgents like the Qaeda-linked ones in Syria and Nigeria).

Anyway, should western and Pacific Rim countries cut off ties/trade and investment with other countries when we don't like their domestic policies? Considering that domestic policies change with the times and leaders -- it could mean a lot of back and forth, cutting off and then trying to re-establish relations. If so, should the US be concerned about the same -- the US is considered barbaric by some of our trade partners in terms of allowing abortion, being the country with the highest percentage of its population incarcerated, still exercising the death penalty in many states, etc...

Will be interesting to see if these US lawmakers' appeals go anywhere.

[Duchess]

I would like people treated in a fair & equal manner but I have a big problem with going into someone's house and telling them how to manage it. I'm a firm believer in minding your own business.

[BlueTiki]

Anyway, should western and Pacific Rim countries cut off ties/trade and investment with other countries when we don't like their domestic policies?

As individual consumers in a free market, don't we "vote" through our pocketbook?

Why should governments (countries) be different?

[HairOfTheDog]

Anyway, should western and Pacific Rim countries cut off ties/trade and investment with other countries when we don't like their domestic policies?

As individual consumers in a free market, don't we "vote" through our pocketbook?

Why should governments (countries) be different?

IMO, governments/countries do base foreign policy decisions on their pocketbooks quite often. I think that's sometimes necessary.

[BlueTiki]

IMO, governments/countries do base foreign policy decisions on their pocketbooks quite often. I think that's sometimes necessary.

Asked and answered.

Simple, huh?

[HairOfTheDog]

IMO, governments/countries do base foreign policy decisions on their pocketbooks quite often. I think that's sometimes necessary.

Asked and answered.

Simple, huh?

It's simple for me to share my opinion and answer that question.

I wanna know if other posters here from the US, Australia, England, Canada...feel that their governments should halt trade agreements/pacts and foreign investment with countries that adopt Sharia Law or another policy/practice which is considered immoral or inhumane to the poster or the poster's home country.

I've seen it suggested here many times that we should essentially just blow all those Muhammad-loving mofos off the face of the planet militarily when Americans die at the the hands of Muslims.

I'm curious how others feel when it's instead a question of a continuing to do business with, allowing foreign investment from, and engaging in pacts/treaties with a country that chooses to formally adopt Sharia Law. Would others like to see their home countries shun those mofos from future relations and parterneships?

I don't suspect that everyone shares my opinion.

[aussiefriend]

They consider crime in these countries when you hang out with your boyfriend. It's another level of reality. They will arrest you and treat you like a criminal. Oh yes. Those women in those countries are probably violated and abused and for sure there are no domestic violence centres. It's hell.

[HairOfTheDog]

They consider crime in these countries when you hang out with your boyfriend. It's another level of reality. They will arrest you and treat you like a criminal. Oh yes. Those women in those countries are probably violated and abused and for sure there are no domestic violence centres. It's hell.

I think Sharia Law is archaic and cruel as well, especially towards women. I don't like it.

So, aussie, do you think that the Australian government should cut off ties with Brunei and find another oil supplier, on moral grounds? Should Australia support Brunei's ouster from the TPP, like some US Congressmen are proposing? I think the Sultan still holds that huge chunk of land and large stake in the cattle industry in Australia. If so, do you think the Australian government should try to force a sell or buy it back from him in protest of the implementation of Sharia Law in Brunei?

No wrong or right answers, if you choose to weigh in, I'm just interested in how others feel about it.

[BlueTiki]

I don't suspect that everyone shares my opinion.

C'mon!

You are one of a handful of members I actually take pause to read and ponder.

Quit beating around the bush and spill.

Are you opposed to a theocratic government?

Do you believe that human rights should be benchmark for all policy?

What is your position on this issue?

Or are you just going to Dosey Doe until the "Nuke 'ems" come out of the woodwork?

[aussiefriend]

I don't get into that deep with it HoTD. I know it's evil and should be exposed. It's spreading. My sister studied politics in the 90s and those who are specialist in this area may come up with solutions. My expertise is the area of health and at the moment trying to look at epidemics and how to address them, find them, measure them etc. I really don't give opinions on things I don't know. I have had very very very very close first hand experience. You would be shocked if I told you, but if I told you, everyone would hate me in Mock (I wasn't a muslim). So I really can't share that part of my life.

We cannot ignore and turn our backs on human rights abuses and atrocities that takes place in these countries because if we do, one day it may happen to us. For those who say 'no it won't', I say Islam is spreading.