Khalil Tabatabai

Some Muslims can’t keep their hands to themselves. In fact, they go so far as to lose their hands entirely, thanks to the sharia law punishment of hand amputation for theft. Canadian Shia Islamic cleric Khalil Tabatabai, an instructor of Islamic law & jurisprudence, is a staunch defender of the barbaric punishment, and advocates its continued use as a deterrent against crime.

“Westerns usually say that the [Islamic] prescribed penalties are harsh… It is true that the penalty for theft is mentioned in the Qur’an, and that the hand of the thief should be chopped off…” Well, for one, dude, you live in Canada, did it ever occur to you to perhaps integrate and become one of the so-called “Westerns”? Maybe you need to fit in or get out. That’s a novel idea. Also, normally thieves get a slap on the wrist, not a slap on the wrist from a machete.

“The very high cost [of fighting crime and maintaining jails] ruins the economy of the country. [Governments] have to spend billions of dollars on funding the security forces. If one hand, two hands or three hands are being chopped off the people in the rest of the society will refrain from theft and the people will live in security. Which way is better?” Maybe, you know, ending the pointless drug war and getting perpetrators of VICTIMLESS “crimes” out of jail would fix the economy, not administering a savage punishment that would be a mark of shame in the eyes of the civilized world. As for which way is better, generally the better way is the one that leaves more people whole.

“The penalty that applies on a married person who commits, Heaven forbid, the crime of fornication is stoning. He will be stoned.” Uhh, that’s not so bad. I’ve had sex while high and it was pretty good, though everything did kinda tingle a bit- oh wait, wrong kind of stoning. However, Tabatabai argued in favor of nikah mut’ah, or temporary marriage, in which a man can “marry” a woman for a short time, take advantage of her, and then let her go. In Islam, this is somehow more morally righteous than consensual sex between adults. Tabatabai also stated that the penalty for drinking alcohol was lashing. What is it with Muslims and not letting anyone have any fun?! No wonder they all kill themselves!