This is a sub-article of fiqh and criminal law.

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Islamic criminal law (Arabic: فقه العقوبات‎) is criminal law in accordance with Islamic law. Strictly speaking, Islamic law does not have a distinct corpus of "criminal law," as sharia courts do not have prosecutors, and all matters, even criminal ones, are in principle handled as disputes between individuals.^[1]

As opposed to other legal systems, in which crimes are generally considered violations of the rights of the state, Islamic law divides crimes into four different categories depending on the nature of the right violated:^[2]

• Hadd: violation of a right of God.
• Ta'zir: violation of the right of an individual.
• Qisas: violation of the mixed right of God and of an individual in which the right of the individual is deemed to predominate.
• Siyasah: violation of the right of the state.

Hudud[link]

Hudud, meaning "limits", is the most serious category and includes crimes specified in the Quran.

These are:^[3]

1. Drinking alcohol (sharb al-khamr, شرب الخمر)
2. Theft (as-sariqah, السرقة)
3. Highway robbery (qat`a at-tariyq, قطع الطريق)
4. Illegal sexual intercourse (az-zinā', الزناء)
5. False accusation of illegal sexual intercourse (qadhf, القذف) [1]
6. Apostasy (irtidād or ridda, ارتداد) - includes blasphemy.

The Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence does not include highway robbery. The Hanafi school does not include rebellion and heresy.

Except for drinking alcohol, punishments for all hudud crimes are specified in the Quran or Hadith: stoning-Hadith, amputation and flogging.

Amputation[link]

The punishment for stealing is the amputation of the hand and after repeated offense, the foot (Quran 5:38). This controversial practice is still in practice today in countries like Iran^[4], Saudi Arabia^[5], and Northern Nigeria^[6]. In Iran, amputation as punishment has been described as "uncommon", but "not unheard of, and has already been carried out at least once" during 2010.^[7]

Qisas[link]

Qisas is the Islamic principle of an eye for an eye. This category includes the crimes of murder and battery.

Punishment is either exact retribution or compensation (Diyya).

The issue of qisas gained considerable attention in the Western media in 2009 when Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman blinded in an acid attack, demanded that her attacker be blinded as well.^[8][9]

Diyya[link]

Diyya is compensation paid to the heirs of a victim. In Arabic the word means both blood money and ransom.

The Quran specifies the principle of Qisas (ie, retaliation), but prescribes that one should seek compensation (Diyya) and not demand retribution.

We have prescribed for thee therein ‘a life for a life, and an eye for an eye, and a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds retaliation;’ but whoso remits it, it is an expiation for him, but he whoso will not judge by what God has revealed, these be the unjust.^[10]

Tazir[link]

Tazir includes any crime that does not fit into Hudud or Qisas and which therefore has no punishment specified in the Quran. These types of crimes range from homosexuality to perjury to treason.

References[link]

Zulfiqar Ahmad (born 28 February, 1979) is a PhD scholar (Islamic Studies) at Minhaj University in Lahore, Pakistan. He has authored several books on social, religious, socio-political and economic aspects. As a student of human studies he rubbed shoulders with those who are at the forefront of propagating and spoiling the humanities. He is a renowned teacher of O-Level Islamiat in Lahore. compiled 2 books for O-Level students as a co-author. He teaches CIE classes in different institutions in Lahore. PhD Islamic studies is in progress from Minhaj University, Lahore. He has worked on different social and International topics and his books are published from LAP academic publishing, Germany.

Bibliography[link]

• Globalization: Social, political and Economic challenges and responsibilities of Muslim Ummah (2010) ISBN 978-3-8383-6937-2^[1]
• Terrorism in Context: Fact, Causes and Solutions (Islamic Guideline to solve the issue)(2010) ISBN 978-3-8383-7001-9^[2]
• Love Encyclopedia: every thing is fair in Love & war ...? (2011) ISBN 978-3-8383-9953-9^[3]

References[link]

Joshua Houston (1822–1902) was born into slavery in 1822 on the Perry County, Alabama plantation owned by Temple Lea and Nancy Moffette Lea, parents of Margaret Lea Houston. When Margaret married Sam Houston, Joshua moved to Texas with the newlyweds. Joshua traveled with Sam Houston and worked on the construction of Raven Hill in Huntsville, Texas. He became educated and was elected to local public offices. He had four wives, and was the father of eight children, including Samuel Walker Houston.^[1] Joshua was a Texas delegate at the 1884 Republican National Convention.^[2] He helped establish the Bishop Ward Normal and Collegiate Institute.^[3]

Sam Houston slaves[link]

The story of Sam Houston freeing his slaves before his 1863 death, in particular Joshua, has been passed down through history, and is recounted in various books. In From Slave To Statesman, author Patricia Smith Prather depicts Houston reading a newspaper story to his slaves in the fall of 1862, about Abraham Lincoln's September 1862 Emancipation Proclamation, telling them they would all be free as of January 1, 1863.^[4] The Emancipation Proclamation was not announced in Texas until June 1865, Juneteenth,^[5] two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox. In 1861, the Texas legislature amended its Constitution of 1845, making it illegal to free slaves in the state.^[6]

No citizen, or other person residing in this State, shall have power by deed, or will, to take effect in this State, or out of it, in any manner whatsoever, directly or indirectly, to emancipate his slave or slaves.

—Texas Constitution, amended 1861, Article VIII, Section 2

When Houston died in 1863, his slaves were part of the inventory of his estate and valued at $10,530.^[7][8] Joshua's son Samuel Walker Houston was born in February 1864, seven months after Sam Houston's death, and is always referred to as having been born into slavery.^[9]

Death[link]

Joshua Houston died in 1902 and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, the same cemetery where Sam Houston is buried.^[10]

Further reading[link]

• Prather, Patricia Smith; Rather, Dan; Monday, Jame Clements (1995). From Slave to Statesman: The Legacy of Joshua Houston, Servant to Sam Houston. University of North Texas Pres. ISBN 978-0929398877. 

References[link]

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Danish Wikipedia. (September 2011) Don't speak Danish? Click here to read a machine-translated version of the Danish article. Click [show] on the right to review important translation instructions before translating. Google's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. After translating, {{Translated|da|Bilal Philips}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Philips in August 2010
Born	Dennis Bradley Philips (1946-01-06) 6 January 1946 (age 66) Kingston, Jamaica
Education	B.A. Islamic Studies, M.A. Aqeedah, & PhD Islamic Theology
Alma mater	B.A. - Islamic University of Medina, M.A. - King Saud University, & PhD - University of Wales
Occupation	Islamic preacher
Years active	1971-present
Religion	Islam
Website
www.bilalphilips.com

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (born Dennis Bradley Philips on 6 January 1946 in Jamaica) is a contemporary Islamic scholar, teacher, speaker, and author, resident in Qatar.^[1][2] He appears on Peace TV, which is a 24-hour Islamic satellite TV channel broadcasting to many countries around the world.

Biography[link]

Education[link]

Philips was born on 6 January 1946^[3] in Jamaica, but grew up in Canada, where he converted to Islam in 1972. He received his B.A. degree from the Islamic University of Medina and his M.A. in Aqeedah (Islamic Theology) from the King Saud University in Riyadh, then to the University of Wales, where he completed a PhD in Islamic Theology in the early 1990s.^[4] Philips comes from a family of educators, as both his parents were teachers and his grandfather was a Christian minister and Bible scholar.^[5]

Islamic Information Center[link]

In 1994 he founded (and continues to direct) an Islamic Information Center, now known as Discover Islam, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.^[5]

Islamic Online University[link]

The Islamic Online University has been founded by Dr. Bilal Philips as a completely tuition-free institution that is offering an online intensive, undergraduate, and graduate courses in Islamic Studies. The university offers a four year bachelor of arts degree in Islamic studies program.^[6]

The IOU was initially launched in 2001 from UAE with an offering of a few short courses. After a five year interlude, it was restarted in 2007 from Qatar with a greater offering of completely free short courses.^[7]

Controversies[link]

According to Steven Emerson, Executive Director of Investigative Project on Terrorism, he follows a strong anti-Western agenda and is connected to radical and terrorist Islamists.^[8] Bilal has made statements against suicide bombing and other terrorist tactics as un-Islamic. He has also suggested that once violent conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims can be better solved with education.^[9]

Bilal Philips (left) and Pierre Vogel speaking on a rally in Frankfurt in 2003.

In an interview given, Philips accused the Australian authorities of "blindly following American allegations and unsubstantiated false accusations" claiming that investigations in the UK, Canada and Australia had found no evidence that he was in any way connected with terrorism.^[2] In this interview, he also pointed out that he had not entered the USA since 1995, characterizing media claims that he had been deported in 2004 as an "outright lie". Philips also called the statement that he was an "unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing "really a joke", claiming that it was based on a "supposedly leaked report" of over 100 prominent Muslims who were never charged. In April 2011 he has been banned from re-entering Germany as persona non grata.^[10]

At a conference in Toronto during the city's Pride Parade on July 3, 2011, Philips briefly reiterated his view that homosexuals caught in the act should be executed in countries governed by Islamic law.^[11]

Publications[link]

Books[link]

• Fundamentals of TAWHEED (Islamic Monotheism) International Islamic Publishing House; ISBN 9960-9648-0-9^[12]
• The Evolution of Fiqh (Islamic Law & The Madh-habs) International Islamic Publishing House (Edited by Bradley Philips); ISBN 9960-672-86-7^[13]
• True Message of Jesus Christ Islamic Book Services 2006; ISBN 81-7231-360-8^[14]
• Purpose of Creation 84pp, Islamic Book Services 2002; ISBN 81-7231-358-6^[15]
• Funeral Rites International Islamic Publishing House; ASIN 9960850846^[16]
• Polygamy in Islam Islamic Book Services; ISBN 81-7231-715-8^[17]
• Islamic Studies Al-Basheer 2002; ISBN 1-898649-19-7^[18]

Videos[link]

• Sundry videos at LightUponLight.com

See also[link]

• List of Da'ees
• Dawah
• Islam in Canada
• Zakir Naik
• Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo
• Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bilal Philips' official website
• Bilal Philips' Blog
• Bilal Philips audio and video lectures
• Interview with Bilal Philips on Famous Muslims
• Lecture: Hardening of the Heart
• Bilal Philips' Islamic Online University

Fathima Rifqa Bary, born on August 10, 1992,^[1] is a U.S. resident of Sri Lankan origin who drew international attention in 2009 when she ran away from her Ohio home at age 16 saying that her Muslim parents were going to kill her for becoming a Christian.^[2] Her story was broadcast on TV and discussed on partisan blogs.^[3] It became a focal point in a culture clash between Evangelical Christians and Muslims.^[4]

History[link]

Rifqa Bary, is the daughter of Mohamed and Aysha Bary. Her parents initially came to the U.S. to seek medical care for Rifqa after she became blind in her right eye.^[3] She grew up in the Columbus suburb of New Albany with her older brother Rilvan and her little brother Rajaa.^[5] She and Rilvan attended New Albany High School. At the school Rifqa was a Straight A Student, a Cheerleader, and a member of the Track and field team. During her spare time she wrote poetry and took guitar lessons.^[6] Bary's parents have said that they are Muslims and pray five times a day.^[3] Her attorney, John Stemberger, who is the leader of a Christian advocacy group,^[7] claimed that the Bary family were members of the Noor Islamic Cultural Center (NICC), near Columbus.^[5] In an official statement, NICC denied it was familiar with Rifqa Bary or her family and stated that their records showed she attended the cultural center's Sunday School only three times in 2007.^[8]

Rifqa became a Christian in 2005 when she was 13. In July 2009, Bary was secretly baptized in Big Walnut Creek, at Hoover Dam Park by her mentor and friend Brian Michael Williams, an aspiring pastor and college student while her family wasn't at home. Rifqa eventually became a member of Columbus Korean United Methodist Church.^[3]

In July 2009 she ran away from her parents' home to the home of Orlando, Florida Christian pastor Blake Lorenz and his wife, Beverly with whom Rifqa had communicated on Facebook. Rifqa had told Beverly Lorenz that her parents would kill her for converting to Christianity.^[4] Williams drove her to a bus station where a ticket was purchased under an assumed name for her bus ride to Orlando, Florida.^[3] Bary lived with the Lorenzes for 10 to 21 days (reports vary)^[4] before they contacted child welfare authorities, though Florida law required that they contact authorities within 24 hours of receiving Rifqa into their home.^[9]

Her case drew attention when she appeared on television and declared that her father said, "He would kill me or send me back to Sri Lanka," describing herself as the intended victim of an honor killing.^[4]

Her parents said they never threatened to harm her.^[10] Her father, a jewelry salesman who travels to weekend trade shows in the south and midwest,^[3] told a reporter that, "Honestly, we didn't know why she left." Regarding the death threat described by his daughter, he said, "She doesn't know what she's talking about," and, "I want her to come back home. I love my daughter whether she's Christian, or anything else. I want my daughter back." ^[11]

Law enforcement investigations[link]

Rifqa Bary was taken into custody by Florida child welfare authorities while an investigation was conducted. The court appointed attorneys for her parents: private practitioner Craig McCarthy for the mother, and a lawyer from the state Florida Regional Council for the father.^[12] The Florida Department of Law Enforcement report states that they found no credible evidence of physical or verbal abuse.^[2] In the report, Bary's father states that he did pick up his daughter's laptop to throw it, but did not throw it due to the cost of the laptop.^[2] The FDLE report also listed several statements by Rifqa Bary which were not supported by evidence.^[2] Rifqa Bary stated to them that her father did not know that she was a cheerleader, but the FDLE report states that pictures of her in uniform were prominently displayed in the family's home three days later when the police visited and interviewed them. Furthermore, Mr. Bary signed the permission slip for her to be a cheerleader when Mrs. Bary would not.^[2] Rifqa Bary stated that a teacher offered her refuge due to the abuse she suffered. The FDLE report states that the teacher was unaware of any abuse and was concerned about parties with alcohol consumption that Rilvan was having when their parents were away.^[2] The FDLE report also stated that they did not investigate anyone in the larger Ohio Muslim community and that Florida authorities relied in part on the investigation done by authorities in Ohio.^[2] The FDLE report has been criticized by John Guandolo, a former FBI agent writing for the Center for Security Policy who said that under Islamic law apostasy is a capital offense.^[2][13] The FDLE responded that it had conducted a "thorough investigation."^[2]

On October 13, 2009, Orange County (Florida) Judge Daniel P. Dawson ruled that he would return Bary to Ohio pending a settlement of her immigration status.^[11] Emergency custody continues in Ohio.^[7]

Return to Ohio[link]

On October 27, 2009, Bary was returned to Ohio and temporarily placed in the custody of Franklin County Children Services.^[14] The public agency was to monitor her internet and phone use.^[15] and hoped to reunite the family before August 10, 2010, when Bary would turn 18-years-old.^[1] A case-management plan was filed on December 1, 2009, stating that Bary and her family needed to have face-to-face talks about their understanding of Christianity and Islam as one step toward reunification.^[1]

On December 22, 2009, a magistrate of the Franklin county juvenile court denied Bary's parents' request for forced mediation and set the date for the dependency hearing for the end of January.^[16][17] The hearing was canceled on January 19, 2010, when a deal between the parties was reached with Bary becoming a dependent of the State of Ohio in exchange for admitting that she broke the rules when she ran away. On January 29, 2010, once it was learned that Bary would be allowed to contact Reverend Lorenz and his wife, Bary's parents, on the strict advice of their lawyer, requested to back out of the deal.^{[citation needed]} On March 2, 2010, Judge Elizabeth Gill denied their request and ordered them to continue their counseling sessions so that Rifqa could return home to her family before she turned 18.^[18]

In June 2010 Rifqa graduated from Focus Learning Academy. Rifqa was diagnosed with advanced Uterine cancer.

On August 10, 2010, Bary turned 18 years old and Franklin County Children Services' custody of her ended.^[19][20]

After the gag order was lifted on her hearings, her father and mother alleged that Bary had sent them a video two weeks prior, along with candy and music, saying she loved them. They also stated that Bary sent them letters including one where she thanked them for helping her be a successful student. Despite these alleged communications, the parents' Ohio attorney, Omar Tarazi, indicated that Barys have not had a private face-to-face conversation with their daughter, even in the presence a family counselor, since she ran away. In September 2010, Rifqa received permanent residence status and can apply for United States citizenship once she turns 23.^{[citation needed]} In February 2011 Rifqa spoke to the public 7 months after winning her freedom.^[21] Omar dropped his law suit against Rifqa's lawyer, but he's continuing to sue Pamela Geller.^[22]

Public debate[link]

The situation drew international attention^[11] and became a cause célèbre^[4] and point of "hostility between some Christians and Muslims."^[23] Ms. Bary's case has become a focal point in a culture clash between Evangelical Christians and Muslims, worldwide.

Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida claimed that the controversy was caused "by far-right religious groups" portraying Islam and Muslims as extreme fundamentalists who might kill a child.^[23] Harry Coverston, a professor of religion, theorized that some individuals must have an enemy.^[23] Writing in FrontPage Magazine, Robert Spencer described the whole incident as a "slow-motion honor killing"^[24] while Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio made statements in support of Bary. Mathew Staver, president of the Liberty University School of Law and lawyer for the Lorenzes said, "Lorenz had a legitimate reason to believe Rifqa Bary was in fear of her life because she'd converted to Christianity.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Stemberger, John (November 10, 2009). "Paper biased in Bary case". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-11-10/news/0911090083_1_rifqa-bary-rifqa-s-parents-sri-lanka. Retrieved March 11, 2010.  Opinion article written by Rifqa Bary's attorney
• Elahi, Shayan (December 1, 2009). "Muslims: Living with honor". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-12-01/news/0911300071_1_fathima-rifqa-bary-mohamed-bary-muslims. Retrieved March 11, 2010.  Opinion article written by Mohamed Bary's (Rifqa's father's) attorney
• Rifqa Graduates!
• "Blogger cites free speech in Ohio convert lawsuit". Associated Press. Central Florida News 13. October 13, 2010. http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/october/161229/Blogger-cites-free-speech-in-Ohio-convert-lawsuit. 
• Pavuk, Amy (January 4, 2011). "Florida Bar asks state Supreme Court to discipline Orlando lawyer for conduct in Rifqa Bary case". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-01-04/news/os-rifqa-bary-stemberger-trouble-20110104_1_omar-tarazi-rifqa-bary-john-stemberger. 
• Welsh-Huggins, Andrew (January 4, 2011). "Muslim girl's lawyer: Fla. bar complaint meritless". WFLX. http://www.wflx.com/Global/story.asp?S=13780771. 
• Longo, Adam (January 5, 2011). "Former lawyer for Rifqa Bary could face sanctions". Central Florida News 13. http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/january/190139/Orlando-lawyer-faulted-in-case-of-runaway-convert-Rifqa-Bary?cid=rss. 
• Muslim Convert, Rifqa Bary, Makes Her First Public Comments Since Turning 18
• Police say Ohio runaway's helpers broke laws
• Christian Convert's Helpers Won't Be Charged, Prosecutors Say

External links[link]

• Rifqa Bary
• The Rifqa Bary Story
• Columbus Korean United Methodist Church
• Focus Learning Academy
• The Stemberger Legal Defense Fund
• The Global Harvest