What makes a Law Unjust? *part 1*

So I recently read this blog: http://www.datingish.com/738133691/mother-gives-birth-at-the-airport-strangles-the-child-to-death-dumps-it--proceeds-to-catch-flight/

Super interesting and well written, and of course, it got me thinking. First thing off the bat: the mother's actions were horrific. Being the person I am, I cant even begin to understand how a mother could even conjure such a horrible death for her own child that she carried to term for a full 9 months.

She could have had an abortion.

I know what you're thinking and I'm going to counter you real quick:

I don't know what the laws on abortion are in the UAE but I'm sure they're not lenient. With that said, when I say an abortion I don't mean a nice clean procedure in the clinic, at least not in this woman's case.

I mean straight-up old fashioned wire hanger up the vagina abortion. And that just sounds awful. But the fact remains that she gave birth in an airport bathroom, ripped the umbilical cord out of her and strangled her own baby with it, before dumping it in the garbage can.

With these options laid before us, I think it would have been much more efficient to take option number one. I would much rather deal with an early homemade abortion, than actually giving birth to my baby and then literally strangling it. -the vomit is getting harder to suppress-

Now after revealing to you my twisted mind, we're going to put that option aside and explore another idea this story presents - the law in the UAE.

If you clicked on the link above and read through some of the comments as well, you'll see that quite a number of people believe that the law is wrong and drove the woman to her actions.I disagree. the UAE is an Islamic nation. There is no separation between church and state, church is state. Thus, Sex, i.e. a baby out of wedlock is against the law and is punishable by jail time.

Do I agree with this? Quite frankly, considering the nation, yes. Well, yes to some extent.

Again I feel that rape cases are an exception. If a woman becomes pregnant due to rape, then she is the victim and has no reason to be punished. The offender should be found, locked up, and made to pay child support as well as get served with a restraining order.

Aside from that, having a law like this in a Muslim nation makes sense to me.

In America the laws change according to society. What we deem to be progressive in one generation may be denounced by the next generation. Laws change according to majority opinion - what the majority of the people think is right for the nation is voted on and thus society creates its own laws, changes those laws, and destroys those laws for new ones that we think are right.

In a nation where church and state are separate, that's completely fine.

But Muslim nations do not run on majority opinion because opinions and society change all the time. And not necessarily in a good way.

Example related to this case: PlanB. It's affordable and available for those emergencies you weren't expecting. But instead of dealing with the consequences, well now you have a permanent hall pass to walk down that aisle as much as you like because you know, you've got a back-up.

But PlanB is perfectly accepted in our society. It's helpful and saves people from trouble. (...)

Anyways, my point is that the Quran came down as a permanent foundation for us to have. Because God knew societies, cultures, views, etc. etc. all change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes not. Society is not always right. And so we have this permanent unchanging text to go back to when the things around us are changing and we begin to wonder what is right and what is wrong. Our foundation is strong and always there to guide us to what God wants, regardless of what society claims God wants from/for us.

According to all this, I don't think the law in the UAE is wrong. I think it's actually abiding to Islamic law in a just manner.

If a man or woman has sex out of wedlock by choice, then I don't think it's necessarily unfair to serve jail time, although I'm more partial to sewing a red A on their garments.

Anyhow, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you are surprised over my thoughts on this. I think I should clarify one more point before ending part 1, and that is that I personally feel the law is created for Muslims and that is why I have no qualms with it -because everyone knows I have a completely different rating system for Muslims-. Of course it applies to every citizen of the land which means non-Muslims there may feel it is unfair. But at the same time, you are choosing to live in that nation, and thus should respect it's laws. The law was made as a means of following Islamic law and preventing Muslims from committing a sin against themselves and God, not necessarily to just punish.

After all, isn't that how laws work here as well? If you do this crime you serve this consequence. It is a means of punishing, but also a means of preventing others from committing that crime.

Just because we don't like a law, or disagree with it, doesn't mean that its wrong.

TBC in part 2 tomorrow Inshallah

This was my final essay for my Xan Justice class

Before you read this paper I feel I should warn you that it is completely, possibly brutally, honest. I considered this question very seriously and with a personal perspective. I am sure that my peers will explain their answer according to Christian values and while I understand that this is a Christian Justice class, the only way I can answer this question is from an Islamic perspective. My answer is completely honest and though I’ve never been in this situation, I feel I have accurately predicted what my reaction would be if I ever found myself in this position.

The final question Wiesenthal asks his readers to ask of themselves at the end of The Sunflower is “What would I have done?” He is asking his readers, if a dying SS solider asked them, on his death bed, to forgive him for the people he has killed, what would their response be? As a reader/listener, I felt empathy but also detachment. To really ask myself this question I had to think of this from a more personal perspective - if a dying U.S. solider from Iraq asked me to forgive him on behalf of all the innocent Muslims he killed, what would my answer be? The truth is, I’m not sure.

This question brings up so many other questions that need to be answered, but cannot be answered. Do you have the right to forgive if you were not the direct victim of this individual’s crimes? And do you have the right to not answer a dying man’s wish on his death bed? How do you answer these questions? If the crime of this individual did not directly affect me, I feel like I do not have the right to forgive him for the people he killed. They suffered for his actions, in a way that I have not and never hope to. Having not suffered at this man’s hands, I feel like I do not have the right to pardon him either.

At the same time, my natural human instincts cause me to feel pity for him. He is dying. He has committed crimes, yes, but he is clearly repenting. He wants to be forgiven by someone he feels is close, in some way, to the ones who suffered at his hands. Do I have the right to not console a dying man? Do I have the right to not fulfill a dying man’s wish? Again, I have no idea. Because even though he has realized his crimes and is apologizing for them now, he still committed those crimes. An apology should always count for something, but the fact also remains that regretful words will not undo the past. A remorseful heart will not undo the harm and pain that was caused. It all still happened. People still died.

I considered, when considering this question, lying. Telling a dying man he is forgiven but not meaning it, if only to console a dying man. It is lying, but would count as a horrible sin if it was done with good intention? But, this alternative grated against my nerves far too fiercely. Even though it would give him peace, and no one else would know, just thinking about this alternative made me cringe. I know I would feel as if all the people who suffered at this man’s hands were now shifting their accusing gazes at me. Besides that, lying to a dying man just seems awful. I cannot give a philosophical answer for any of this, it’s all human instinct. So this alternative is out of the question, which brings me back to square one.

I really do not know what my reaction will be if an actual event like this took place in my life. But, knowing myself, knowing my personality and personal convictions, here is the response I think I would most likely have: If a dying U.S. solider from Iraq asked me to forgive him for all the innocent Muslims he killed, I think my final response would be just this. I would tell him I don’t know. I would tell him that I can see he is sincerely sorry, and that I want to forgive him. But I can’t because I do not have the right to do so on behalf of all those who died. I would tell him I’m sorry his life took the course it did, and that I would pray for him. As a Muslims, I would call him to Islam and whether he converted or not, I would tell him that the God I believe in, and the God his victim’s believed in is just and merciful. And I would hope that the little I could offer would serve as some purpose to console him while he passed on.

-------What would your response have been?

Oh Finals, How I Run From You

So I’m supposed to be studying for my finals, which naturally means that it’s the perfect time for a new post to distract me! At the moment I have nothing frustrating or controversial to rant about (besides finals but we’re just going to avoid that topic for now), so what can I possibly write about?

Well I was reviewing the past few days in my head and I remembered this conversation:

Andrea: I’m sorry, I’m going to finish your jam. I’ll pay for it.

Me: you don’t have to pay for it, I don’t mind.

Andrea: no I’ll pay for it. How much was it, $8?

Me: 8 dollars! Do I really look like I would pay $8 for jam?

Andrea and Nickkie: Yes.

Me……

Which got me thinking, according to Russell Peter’s definition, I’m more Jewish than Indian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqdIDxoWBE

I love a good deal. 2 for 3, buy one get one free, free shipping and samples for spending x amount - you get the idea. I swear my browny sense starts tingling whenever I pass a dollar or goodwill store.

Off brand make-up doesn’t bother me. Neither does dollar store lotion, and $5 shoes. For most things my motto is: if it works as well, it works for me.

But there are some things I’m always willing to spend money for, and some things I insist have to be brand name (it’s weird typing this down, I never realized it before).

Here is a short list of some of the things I insist on having a brand name:

-pads. It’s already the most uncomfortable time of the month, why make it worse? It has to be either Kotex or Always, no drug store brands please!

-toilet paper. I hate thin, single layered toilet paper. That stuff dissolves in the frikin package. Charmin please!

-deodorant. I’m brown. ‘nuff said.

-cameras. Why spend half the money for half the quality and ¼ of the life expectancy? If you have to make a technology investment, might as well make it a good one that will last long from the get go. Nikon has proven itself to me. And this goes for computers and phones too.

I honestly think that’s about it…

Things I don’t mind shelling money out for if I have it:

-make-up! If I can get it for a dollar great! But if I have to pay a bit more Revlon or Sephora, I won’t hesitate.

-books! Especially classics. Before I got the Kindle I spent about all my birthday, Eid and Graduation money in Half-price bookstore (just because I’m willing to spend the money doesn’t mean I cant be smart ;) for things like Edgar Allan Poe’s whole collection, Moby Dick, and Homer’s works.

-food I.e. company. I don’t mind snack food and taco bell. but if company is involved, depending on who you are, I have no qualms with going to a fast-food joint as well as a fancy restaurant. Friends and food = an amazing time out and money worth spending. If I don’t like you, I wont want to spend money with you.

Things I have bought off-brand and would buy again:

- clothes. I don’t buy clothes to look good, I buy clothes to feel comfortable in something that will cover me at the same time. If my memory serves me well, I have never spent more than $13 on pants. Most of my pants are $6 or less. Most expensive shirt I own was $20 but it was a gift. Most expensive shirts I’ve bought were the school shirts they sold for $10. Other wise my shirts are $6 and bellow.

- shoes and bags. Most expensive pair of shoes = $33, purchase made due to Nichole’s evil coaxing ways. With that exception all of my shoes are $20 and under. As for bags, well I rarely buy bags so I don’t remember the most I’ve spent on them. But the cheapest bags I ever bought were $1 each at a garage sale! -still so proud of myself for that! XD

- food. Why hallo there Great Value.

So I guess I can see why Nickkie and Andrea would say ‘yes’ so quickly to me spending 8 bucks on jam. Because even though I love being cheap, I love giving into my fancies even more. And if I have the money for it, I do it. Because I don’t consider enjoyment a waste of money =)

What about you? What are some things you insist on having name brand, wouldn’t mind shelling out money for, and things you would take a trip to the dollar store for again? Leave your comments here or tell me on face book!

On a positive ending note: my playlist right now is amazing! Starts with (Shake up Christmas - Train) (Magic - B.o.B.) (Letting Go - Sean Kingston) (I see the light - Tangled Soundtrack) (Your love - Nicki Minaj) (Check It Out - Will I. Am. & Nicki Minaj) (Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter) (Kids- MGMT) (Love Today - MIKA) (Chasing Pavement - Adele) (Rehab - Amy Winehouse) ( Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj) (Love Like Woah - The Ready Set)

My my, my entry is just full of lists today!

Good luck on finals all =)