Academic and religious freedom in Pittsburghistan
Dutch feminist author Ayaan Hirsi Ali appeared at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and local Muslims were not too happy. The University, to its credit, held its ground.
Imam Fouad ElBayly, president of the Johnstown Islamic Center, was among those who objected to Hirsi Ali's appearance."She has been identified as one who has defamed the faith. If you come into the faith, you must abide by the laws, and when you decide to defame it deliberately, the sentence is death," said ElBayly, who came to the U.S.
from Egypt in 1976. ...Although ElBayly believes a death sentence is warranted for Hirsi Ali, he stressed that America is not the jurisdiction where such a crime should be punished. Instead, Hirsi Ali should be judged in a Muslim country after being given a trial, he added.
"If it is found that a person is mentally unstable, or a child or disabled, there should be no punishment," he said. "It's a very merciful religion if you try to understand it."
So murdering people for changing their mind about a hypothetical omnipotent, omnipresent, invisible and immortal humanoid is "merciful"? Sounds like Imam ElBayly could use some Islamic Mercy himself.
Comments
Posted by: jeffrey smith
Posted on: April 23, 2007 10:20 PM
Well, at least he accepts the fact that no Moslem has the right to kill her in the US. Compared to some Moslems, that's downright moderate.
And I suppose that they could apply the old Soviet rule about mental illness. "You do not believe in the Religion? That itself is a sign of mental illness. Therefore we will mercifully not kill you, but for your own protecion put you in the mental hospital until your sanity returns."