Sanna Trad | November 10, 2008
THE majority of Muslim leaders across Australia have supported the executions of the Bali bombers over the weekend.
Influential Sydney imam Abdul Salam Mohammed Zoud said his only criticism of the executions was they did not happen sooner. "They did the crime and they had to be punished.
"They killed 200 innocent people over nothing - executing them was the right thing to do," he said.
"If you don't agree with a government's policy or people's ideology you talk to them about it - you do not kill innocent people. This should have been done as soon as they were found guilty. They should not have been given time to lodge appeals; their crime was just against humanity." Sheik Zoud said the death penalty was the only adequate punishment for the bombers under Islamic law.
"It doesn't matter what religion they claimed to follow; as a Muslim and as an Australian I support this punishment," he said.
Sydney's Indonesian Community Council head Amin Hady said many in the community were relieved the bombers had finally been executed.
"Most of the community have been waiting for this to happen for a long time and are very relieved that it's finally over," Imam Hady said. "In Islamic teaching ... they say if you kill one innocent person it is as if you have killed all of humanity ... this was the only punishment that could be handed out." However, not all Muslim community leaders agreed with the executions. The former chairman of John Howard's Muslim community reference group, Ameer Ali, said members of the Australian Government were hypocrites for not protesting against the execution.
"What have we achieved by executing these people?" Dr Ali said.
"We have just made it easierfor them to execute the Bali Nine. Australia should have taken the opportunity to try to put an end to this barbaric penalty known as capital punishment."
THE majority of Muslim leaders across Australia have supported the executions of the Bali bombers over the weekend.
Influential Sydney imam Abdul Salam Mohammed Zoud said his only criticism of the executions was they did not happen sooner. "They did the crime and they had to be punished.
"They killed 200 innocent people over nothing - executing them was the right thing to do," he said.
"If you don't agree with a government's policy or people's ideology you talk to them about it - you do not kill innocent people. This should have been done as soon as they were found guilty. They should not have been given time to lodge appeals; their crime was just against humanity." Sheik Zoud said the death penalty was the only adequate punishment for the bombers under Islamic law.
"It doesn't matter what religion they claimed to follow; as a Muslim and as an Australian I support this punishment," he said.
Sydney's Indonesian Community Council head Amin Hady said many in the community were relieved the bombers had finally been executed.
"Most of the community have been waiting for this to happen for a long time and are very relieved that it's finally over," Imam Hady said. "In Islamic teaching ... they say if you kill one innocent person it is as if you have killed all of humanity ... this was the only punishment that could be handed out." However, not all Muslim community leaders agreed with the executions. The former chairman of John Howard's Muslim community reference group, Ameer Ali, said members of the Australian Government were hypocrites for not protesting against the execution.
"What have we achieved by executing these people?" Dr Ali said.
"We have just made it easierfor them to execute the Bali Nine. Australia should have taken the opportunity to try to put an end to this barbaric penalty known as capital punishment."
Source: The Australian
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