Mini guillotine under hudud

PETALING JAYA: Two Muslim scholars have taken Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah to task for suggesting the introduction of a "mini version" of a guillotine to amputate the limbs of criminals convicted under hudud, as reported in an English daily today.
The Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa said there is a need to discuss first if hudud can be implemented in the country.
He said if a criminal is found to have committed an offence under the Penal Code, he is only punishable under federal law and not hudud.
"Federal law applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims because it is criminal law and not offences related to the precepts of Islam as provided under the State List (List II) 9 Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
"Even if hudud is only applicable to Muslims as argued by PAS, it would be contrary to the Federal Constitution (Article 8) as it is discrimination on grounds of religion," he said.
Agreeing with him is Global Movement of Moderates chief executive officer Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who said in a text message: "Hudud is (a) divine law. When you want to implement hudud, (it is) all the more reason you must be extra careful to ensure that that (it) is upheld in its divineness.
"Hudud, like any other aspects of Islamic law, is to ensure justice. Justice must be done and seen to be done. Now, what would people say when a guillotine is used when it has not been used for so long because the equipment is associated with crude laws and cruelty? It would only add to the perception that Islamic law, in this context, is injustice.
"The fact that one has to resort to thinking of using such an archaic and crude instrument proves that it is not practical to implement hudud," he added.
Their response comes on the heels of a statement by the Malaysian Medical Association, which recently said that medical practitioners performing "hudud surgeries" would be disqualified.