Raped Victim Dies After Lashes

Feb. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- After being raped by her 40 year-old married cousin, 14 year-old Hena Begum, of Bangladesh was beaten up by his family, then accused of adultery.

The next day a fatwa was issued and Hena received 80 lashes, before losing consciousness. Her family rushed her to hospital, but she died 6 days later.

Hena was sentenced by a village council made up of elders and Muslim clerics, under Islamic Shariah law to receive 100 lashes.

Dorbesh Khan, the girl’s father asked “What sort of justice is this? My daughter has been beaten to death in the name of justice. If it had been a proper court then my daughter would not have died.”

A fatwa, which can cover every aspect of life, is a legal decree by made by someone who has extensive knowledge of Islamic law. The fatwa must not be political, or personal in nature and must come from a place of concern and sincerity and be applicable to the modern world. Fatwa however, is not understood to be legally binding, though many Muslim countries have appointed a mufti, acting as a religious authority, to issue fataawa, (the plural).

The issuer of the fatwa must be able to provide a precedent from the extensive body of Islamic jurisprudence. Islamic jurisprudence includes the ijma, or the consensus of the Islamic community, along with the quiyas, reasonings by analogy which are used by Islamic scholars and periodic fatwas made to address a changing world.

Including a Moslem cleric, four people have been arrested, in connection with Hena’s death.

Eight months ago the court ruled that Shariah punishment was illegal. Bangladesh’s high court has ordered district officials in Shariatpur to explain why they did not protect the girl.

For more information about "Raped Victim Dies After Lashes", visit website http://www.tropicpost.com/14-year-rape-victim-dies-from-l...

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