What Is the Draw of Sharia Law?
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By Dexter Wakefield
eports out of many Muslim-majority countries tell of harsh penalties imposed on those who violate Sharia law, which is a body of religious law that is often incorporated into the civil law of Muslim societies. The severity of the punishment varies widely from country to country, but in some nations, it can include flogging, stoning, or the cutting off of a hand. Even the milder punishments for criminal activity often appear strict to Western observers. And depending on the country, Sharia family law may allow the arranged marriage of female children and severely limit the rights of women. Are such laws being forced on these societies against the will of the people, or do the people willingly approve of these measures? It may be difficult for someone in a Western liberal democracy to imagine, but many in Muslim societies strongly support the Sharia legal system. The prestigious Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life did a comprehensive study that demonstrates the high percentages of people in various Muslim countries who favor making Sharia official law in their nations. This study involved more than 38,000 face-to-face interviews conducted in
12 Tomorrow’s World | March-April 2019
more than 80 languages, with Muslims across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Even in Western democracies, Muslim enclaves sometimes want to exercise Sharia law within their Islamic communities. The Pew Research Center report states, “Overwhelming percentages of Muslims in many countries want Islamic law [Sharia] to be the official law of the land.” It should be noted that many supporters of Sharia say that it should apply only to their country’s Muslim population. The percentage of Muslims who say they want Sharia to be “the official law of the land” varies widely around the world, from near unanimity in Afghanistan (99%) to fewer than one-in-ten in Azerbaijan (8%). But solid majorities in most of the countries surveyed across the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia favor the establishment of Sharia, including 71% of Muslims in Nigeria, 72% in Indonesia, 74% in Egypt and 89% in the Palestinian territories. However, the study also noted that in most countries surveyed, there is considerably less support
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