'Give Shariah-like death to rapists'

The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, an influential Muslim organisation espousing Islamic values, will make a case for Shariah-style public execution of rapists before the Justice Verma Commission, reports Zia Haq.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, an influential Muslim organisation espousing Islamic values, will make a case for Shariah-style public execution of rapists before the Justice Verma Commission.

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The Jamaat's emir, or chief, Maulana Jalaluddin Omari told HT on Saturday that this should not be seen as a sweeping call for Shariah by the group, but said laws on sexual crimes were "very weak".

In a rare praise for the BJP's stand, the Jamaat appreciated the party's demand for the death penalty for rapists.

The commission was formed to recommend harsher laws for sex crimes after last month's horrific rape of a woman on a bus and demands for the death penalty.

Although it is unlikely to be accepted, the Jamaat's proposal will be the first from a well-known Muslim group to demand punishments based on or similar to those under the Shariah, the Islamic legal code.

In India, Shariah laws apply to Muslims in only purely personal and civil matters under the Shariat Act of 1937, but it has to be administered by regular courts.

"When horrendous crimes take place, people want serious punishments. So, Islam had 1400 years ago prescribed capital punishment - in public places - for rapists. This is very much relevant today."

Jamaat leader Mohd Salim said the demand was limited to capital punishment in public for rape, not full Shariah.

The punishment for rape in Islam is the same as for "zina", or sex outside marriage: death by stoning if the offender is married, and 100 lashes if he is not.