---

Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza have approved a
new bill "to implement Koranic punishments," including hand amputation,
crucifixion, corporal punishment and execution. Drinking, owning or
producing wine is punished by 40 lashes, while drinking in public adds three
months' imprisonment. Several laws are directed against Hamas's Palestinian
rivals, including a law intended to inhibit non-Hamas negotiators by
sentencing to death anyone who was "appointed to negotiate with a foreign
government on a Palestinian issue and negotiated against Palestinians'
interest."

The following is the description as it appears today on the Al Arabiya
website:

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/24/62699.html

Headline: Hamas approves law of punishment by lashes, amputating hands,
crucifying, and execution -- in order to implement the Islamic Sharia law.

Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council approved in its meeting
in Gaza a new bill proposed by the Hamas who have a majority in the
Legislative Council, whose purpose is "to implement Koranic punishments."
The newspaper Al Hayat of London reported on Dec. 24, 2008, that this step
is seen as unprecedented, and has brought criticism and concern from human
rights organizations in the Gaza Strip, especially as this law includes
punishments by lashes, cutting off of hands, crucifixion, and execution...

The language of the law proposes "primary and secondary" laws. Primary laws
include: "Koranic laws, blood revenge, lashes, crucifixion, and execution
...."

The text stresses: "These punishments will not be canceled or pardoned ...
except if pardoned by the victim himself...

Section 59 of the law establishes that "punishment of death will be enacted
on any Palestinian who intentionally does one of the following: Raised a
weapon against Palestine on behalf of the enemy during war, was appointed to
negotiate with a foreign government on a Palestinian issue and negotiated
against Palestinians' interest, performed a hostile action against a foreign
country in a way that endangers Palestine in war or in harming political
relations, served a foreign army in time of war, advised or helped soldiers
to enlist in this army, weakened the spirit or the force of resistance of
the people, or spied against Palestine especially during war."

The punishment of lashes appears in many sections of the law. Section 84
states that: "Whoever drinks wine, owns or produces wine will be punished
with 40 lashes if he is Muslim, and anyone who drinks wine, or angers
another person [with wine], or causes him distress when drinking wine in a
public place, or goes to a public place while drunk, will be punished with
no less than 40 lashes and imprisonment for the minimum of three months."

[Al-Arabiya, Dec. 24, 2008]



s----------------------------

Og så benægtede de sagen da det viste sig at folk blev chokerede, - men løj
jo som de plejer:


However, PMW has found that contrary to today's denials, official Hamas
leaders have proudly announced in the Hamas-run media in the last two months
that this Islamic penal code was being prepared, had "14 chapters and 220
clauses" and was nearly ready. Indeed, senior Hamas leaders went as far as
to say that when these laws are implemented, they will have force not only
in Gaza but also in the West Bank. And according to the Hamas Minister of
Justice, the Palestinian laws will be similar to "Islamic states such as
Sudan, Yemen, the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia."

Examples of Hamas contradictions:

Today Hamas denied: "The [Legislative] Council did not discuss any article
of the Penal Code." [Al Ayyam, Dec. 25, 2008]

A month ago the Hamas Minister of Justice confirmed: "This (Islamic law
Penal) Code is being discussed at the sessions of the [Palestinian]
Legislative Council, for a second reading." [Al-Rissala (Hamas), Nov. 12,
2008]

Today Hamas denied: "The Hamas movement... hastened to deny the reports
about its approval of an Islamic Penal Code." [Al Ayyam, Dec. 25, 2008]

A month ago the Head of the Bureau of Islamic Law confirmed:

"The Bureau of Islamic Law is preparing a Penal Code in order to implement
Sharia - Islamic law ... Muhammad Abed, Head of the Bureau of Islamic Law
and legal advisor to the Prime Minister (Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas), said ...
that the code includes 14 chapters and 220 clauses, and includes in its
chapters the basis of the penal code." [Al-Rissala, (Hamas) Nov. 9, 2008.]

A month ago the Hamas Minister of Justice confirmed:

"Similar (Penal codes to the new Palestinian law) have already been
implemented in a number of Arabic and Islamic states such as Sudan, Yemen,
the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia... by Allah's will it will be published
soon."

[Al-Rissala (Hamas), Nov. 12, 2008]

The following are the full texts of the contradictory Hamas statements,
starting with the Hamas statements about the coming Islamic law in the
Palestinian Authority and followed by today's Hamas denial.

Muhammad Faraj Al-Ghoul, Justice Minister in Hamas Government of Gaza,

"This (Islamic law Penal) code is being discussed at the sessions of the
[Palestinian] Legislative Council, for a second reading [vote] ... and by
Allah's will, the Council will approve [the code] in accordance with the
general interest and the interest of the Palestinian People. The code is
highly important, and it's not the first of its kind... similar codes have
already been approved , and implemented in a number of Arabic and Islamic
states such as Sudan, Yemen, the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia... I believe
that this code is highly important, and by Allah's will it will be published
soon."

[Al-Rissala, Nov. 12, 2008]

Headline: The Bureau of Islamic Law is preparing a Penal Code in order to
implement Sharia - Islamic law

In an attempt by the Bureau of the Islamic Law [Fatwa] to unite Palestine
under one Penal Code, according to Islamic law (Sharia), the Bureau of
Islamic Law [Fatwa] has prepared a [penal] code, with the intention to
submit it to the [Palestinian] Legislative Council for its approval, and to
cancel previous legislation that is based on the laws of the British
mandate, and the neighboring countries.