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Shariat court awards death to cartoonist
A Shariat Court in UP has issued a decree sentencing Danish cartoonist, who caricatured the Prophet, to death.
A Shariat Court has issued a religious decree sentencing the Danish cartoonist, who caricatured Prophet Mohammad, to death.
This was after a Uttar Pradesh Minister announced a cash reward of Rs 51 crore to the person beheading the cartoonist.
The decree was issued on behalf of the Idar-e-Sharia Darul Kaza and Ifta Firangimahal Taksal (Islamic courts) by their Qazi on Sunday.
The Qazi said it has been clearly stated in the Quran that whosoever hurts the Prophet, deserved to be sternly punished.
Asked whether the fatwa had any significance in India, where the Islamic law does not apply, he said, "it is applicable wherever Muslims live".
He claimed that he was authorised to issue fatwa in his capacity as the Qazi of the city and he had been doing so for the past many years.
The Muslim clerics and leaders on the other hand said that though the fatwa was legitimate according to the Islamic law, it had little significance in India.
All India United Muslim Morcha Vice President MA Siddique said Islamic courts were authorised to issue fatwa but it did not apply to the country where Islamic law was not in force.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board's spokesman SQR Iliyasi said fatwa had no significance in India.
UP Minister for Haj Mohammad Yaqoob Qureshi had last week announced the cash reward for whoever beheaded the cartoonist.
