Crimes and Islamic Punishments
By Khalid A
London, UK
I once asked an Egyptian friend whether amputating hands of thieves in Egypt was still in vogue. He laughed and replied that there was a saying in Arabic, "If a hungry person steals some food, the hand of the ruler or king should be amputated." The truth is that we always think of punishing petty thieves and conveniently overlook those who steal millions. It is said that if you owe $ 100 to a bank, they will sue you. But if you owe $ 100 million, they will make you a director of the bank.
I suspect that there would have been times when we could have had a whole cabinet of ministers with amputated hands. If being a bank defaulter can be a status symbol, so could be an amputated hand! Oh, what heights one could reach single-handedly!
I believe there are no petty thieves in Saudi Arabia because the severity of the punishment acts as a deterrent. But millions are stolen from the national exchequer by the high and mighty.
While discussing punishments, why should we overlook forgiveness? There is the well-known and authentic case when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) showed extreme reluctance to punish a self-confessed adulterer and his mistress.
Then there is the risk of miscarriage of justice, because the Qazi is as human as the witnesses.
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