Many people are surprised that a group of men broke into another man's apartment - and delivered forty lashes as punishment for drinking alcohol. What really surprised them is that this happened here in Australia.
This was a case of religious punishment. Alcohol is forbidden for those who follow Islam, but that relates to religious law and has no place under civil laws that prevail in this country. The culprits have been arrested and charged - and may face gaol time as a result.
We are fighting a war in Afghanistan because when the Taliban were in control they ruled by way of religious law. Women were forbidden to either be educated or get a job. Television and all forms of music were banned. There were strict dress codes - and no intermingling of the sexes - and even flying kites was a punishable offence.
Religious law takes precedence in Iran as well. Religious police roam the streets and the law seems to concentrate on women. Those wearing lipstick - or showing too much hair can be publicly caned and humiliated.
Christianity also practised religious law. For centuries the " Spanish Inquisition " operated under the control of the Catholic church - and those convicted of heresy were burned at the stake. All it took was a hint of suspicion and the supposed offender was tried by the inquisition - and that routinely included torture.
This whipping case for alcohol consumption is probably more a matter of misguided religious zeal than an attempt to impose Sharia law on the country, but it needs to be heavily stamped out because every religion has a hard core of enthusiasts who would love to have the power to impose their basic religious beliefs on the public - by force !
We see that in the opposition to ethics classes to replace scripture in schools where children refuse religious instruction - and the almost hysterical denial of same sex unions by most of the churches.
Hopefully, this whipping will be seen as an isolated aberration - and religious sanity will prevail !
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