Another Threat to Human Rights

 

 

Brunei is a tiny nation in South East Asia with a population of less than half a million people. The country is immensely wealthy, due to oil and gas reserves, and it describes itself as "the abode of peace." It's a lovely motto but far from the truth. Recently Brunei enacted strict new laws, supposedly as part of Islam, that make anal sex and adultery offenses punishable by stoning to death.Of course millions of Muslims live in countries where laws protect LGBTQ persons, the rights of women, and freedom of religion, and they support these laws. This is a sobering reminder of how draconian the laws of many countries are, and that we shouldn't take for granted the rights and freedoms of our own constitution. Religion should never be used as a justification for human rights abuses. Here is a portion of the BBC report on what became law in Brunei yesterday:

The new measures, that come into force on Wednesday, also cover a range of other crimes including punishment for theft by amputation. The move has sparked international condemnation. Brunei's gay community has expressed shock and fear at the "medieval punishments". "You wake up and realise that your neighbours, your family or even that nice old lady that sells prawn fritters by the side of the road doesn't think you're human, or is okay with stoning," one Bruneian gay man, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC.

The sultan of the small South-East Asian nation on Wednesday called for "stronger" Islamic teachings."I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger," Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in a public address, according to AFP news agency, without mentioning the strict new interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law.

Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 420,000. Brunei has retained the death penalty but has not carried out an execution since 1957.

It's interesting that here in Canada there has been very little reporting on this troubling development. We get so wound up in the political nonsense of the day that we fail to notice the threats to our brothers and sisters elsewhere.

Thoughts?