The pursuit of justice must take precedence over laws and punishment in the implementation of the Shariah, renowned international Muslim scholar Dr Tariq Ramadan said today.
Speaking at the sidelines of an international conference on Islam, the Swiss academic was also critical of discussions on Shariah — which means Islamic laws and moral code — that centred on the execution of its laws.
“Shariah is the path towards peacefulness and Islamic principles. So in any country, our faithfulness towards Shariah is to start with justice, transparency, no corruption. This is what it means to be faithful to Shariah,” Ramadan told a press conference
“It’s not to start with punishing people; it starts with giving the rights of every single human being with dignity and justice.”
Ramadan’s view was shared by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was also present at the press conference and said justice is a more important goal of Shariah rather than to implement the controversial hudud penal code.
