By Elaine Ellinger from Perspectives on Islam; November 26, 2024.
In recent years, public discourse surrounding Sharia law has become increasingly critical as non-Muslims around the globe experience the impacts of Sharia-based actions firsthand. Islamic doctrine, cited as justification for punitive and restrictive measures, plays a central role in both Islamic and non-Islamic states. Below, are ten examples where Sharia law is used against non-Muslims, with Islamic doctrine guiding both policy and behaviour globally.
1. Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan [1, 2]
In Pakistan, blasphemy is treated as a capital offense under its Sharia-based laws. In August 2023, a Christian woman, Shagufta Kiran, faced the death penalty for allegedly forwarding a blasphemous message on WhatsApp. Her lawyer argued she wasn’t aware of the content. This is an example of how accusations of blasphemy can be weaponized against minorities, stemming from Islamic doctrine that mandates severe punishments for those who insult Islam or Mohammed.
Koran 33:57 states: "Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and prepared for them a humiliating punishment."
2. Forced Conversions in Egypt [3]
In Egypt, forced conversions of Christian women remains a serious problem. In January 2024, Irene Ibrahim Shehata, a young Christian student, was allegedly kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam. Her family states authorities were complicit in her abduction.
Islamic law has provisions that encourage the spread of Islam and suggest that those who convert are afforded protection. This incident reflects the reality of forced conversions under the guise of 'religious' duty to help those who are abducted by converting them. This is supported by doctrines found in Koran 9:29, which directs Muslims to fight those who do not accept Islam until they pay the jizya (a tax) in acknowledgment of Islamic rule.
3. Church Demolitions in Indonesia [4]
In Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest Muslim population, non-Muslim places of worship are targeted under Sharia-aligned building regulations. Congregations must occupy illegal buildings as discrimination prevents them from obtaining permits to repair or build new ones. There are frequent attacks on churches and congregations resulting in deaths and In West Java all 29 of it’s churches have been shut down. This aligns with Islamic doctrine, which historically limits the building of new churches in Muslim-majority areas. Koran 9:28 describes non-Muslims as "unclean," establishing a precedent that supports exclusionary practices toward non-Muslim institutions.
4. Persecution of Baha'is in Iran [5]
The Baha’i community in Iran has long been persecuted under Sharia law, which does not recognize the Baha’i faith. Throughout 2024, there have been reports of increased arrests and confiscation of Baha’i property. Sharia law identifies Baha'is as apostates since their beliefs are seen as contradicting the teachings of Islam. According to Bukhari 88:5, “Whoever changes his Islamic religion, then kill him,” a principle often used to justify actions against Baha’is and other non-conforming groups.
5. Restrictions on Hindu Festivals in Bangladesh [6]
In Bangladesh, tensions between Muslim-majority communities and Hindu minorities have intensified. In October 2024, Hindu festivals were disrupted by local Islamic groups, resulting in clashes and property damage. Islamic doctrine, repeatedly advises Muslims to avoid forming alliances with non-believers. This doctrine has been interpreted by some to justify suppressing public expressions of non-Muslim faith, including violent intervention.
Koran 3:28 'Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah , except when taking precaution against them in prudence...'
6. Attacks on Yazidis in Iraq [7, 8]
Yazidi communities in Iraq continue to face persecution from Islamic groups seeking to impose Sharia. Yazidis in northern Iraq have suffered attacks resulting in death, captivity, slavery and displacement. Koran 9:5 commands, "When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them," a verse interpreted to justify actions against Yazidis, whom they label as "polytheists" or "devil worshipers."
7. Sexual Assaults in Europe Linked to Non-Adherence to Islamic Dress Codes [9, 10, 11]
In 2016, during New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne, Germany, numerous women reported sexual assaults by groups of men, many identified as migrants from Muslim-majority countries. Some perpetrators justified their actions by claiming that women dressed in Western attire were inviting such behaviour.
Grooming gangs in the U.K. have targeted young white girls famously including decades of abuse in Rochdale and Rotherham over the course of two decades as well as individual cases. This aligns with Islamic teachings that demand modesty for women and teach that the unbelievers are ‘the worst of creatures’ Koran 98:6, even worse than ‘cattle’ Koran 24:2.
Koran 33:59 "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused."
Koran 25:44 Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way.
8. Suppression of Sikh and Hindu Practices in Afghanistan [12]
The Indian community in Afghanistan has also been targeted under Islamic rule, which enforces Sharia. In early 2024, authorities closed Gurdwaras and restricted Sikh and Hindu practices. Sharia considers Islam as the only acceptable faith, aligning with Koran 9:33, which mandates Islam’s supremacy over other religions. This has led to the systematic suppression of Indian and other non-Islamic religious practices in Afghanistan. The last Jew fled in 2021.
9. Christian Persecution in Nigeria [13, 14, 15, 16]
In Nigeria’s northern states, Christian communities are subjected to violent attacks by jihadis following Sharia law. In April 2024, several Christian villages were destroyed, resulting in deaths and displacement. Jihadis justify this by citing Koran 47:4, which calls for the killing of "those who disbelieve".
Northern Nigeria’s Sharia courts continue to impose harsh punishments on both Muslims and non-Muslims. Reports indicate that non-Muslims face amputations, floggings, and other penalties under Sharia’s mandate. The legal system follows Koran 5:38, which prescribes hand amputation for theft, and Koran 24:2, mandating flogging for adultery.
10. Countless Random and Targeted Attacks against non-Muslims in non-Islamic Countries [17, 18, 19]
France: In 2012, a school teacher and three children were attacked and killed at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France. The assailant cited the plight of Palestinian children as justification. Both the Koran and Hadith promote hostility towards Jews
The 2015 Charlie Hebdo magazine killings continued over a period of 3 days with 17 dead. Then in October 2020, a French schoolteacher was beheaded for discussing Charlie Hebdo cartoons in class after advising that those who thought they might be offended did not have to stay.
Resistance to Islam justifies what is then considered ‘defensive’ jihad. There are already ‘No Go’ zones in many European countries.
"The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. 'O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.'” (Bukhari 56: 138-139)
Koran 33:57 "Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and prepared for them a humiliating punishment."
Ali asked – “On what issue should I fight with the people? Thereupon he [Mohammed] said: Fight with them until they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger…”(Muslim 44:52)
Conclusion
Wherever it goes, Islam carries with it a system of law, governance, taxation and enforcement (Imams, Mullahs, Jihadis) that believes itself to be superior and ultimately replaces that of the host.
Hardly multi-cultural, these ten examples show the profound impact of Sharia law on non-Muslim communities worldwide. From violent attacks to systemic suppression, the application of Sharia continues to impose significant hardship on minorities in Islamic states and defenseless individuals. The Islamic doctrine that supports these actions persists as a core driver of conflict and raises serious questions about the place of such doctrine in globalized, tolerant and multicultural societies.
Human rights as defined by Sharia, differ significantly from those set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – a critical issue that, despite escalating tensions and numerous warning signs, remains unacknowledged and unaddressed within non-Islamic nations and on the world stage, leaving the vulnerable to pay the cost. [20]
Sources:
- News https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/18/all-you-need-to-know-about-pakistans-blasphemy-law
- News https://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/head-line-news-details/8057
- News https://archons.org/persecution/aclj-urges-un-to-rescue-abducted-egyptian-christian-woman-forced-to-convert-to-islam/
- News https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/10/21/sharia-law-islamic-authorities-destroy-three-christian-churches-indonesia/
- News https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/01/iran-persecution-bahais
- News https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/no-durga-puja-holidays-no-idol-immersion-islamists-in-bangladesh-warn-hindus-2606912-2024-09-26
- BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31962755
- U.N. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/05/1091662
- News https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3445065/Twelve-rapists-13-year-old-girl-terrifying-truth-Britain-won-t-face.html
- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_child_sex_abuse_ring
- News https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2016/01/19/salafist-cologne-imam-at-terror-mosque-girls-were-raped-because-they-were-half-naked-and-wore-perfume/
- Radio Free Europe https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-sikh-hindu-muslim-taliban-restrictions/32559175.html
- USCIRF https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/USCIRF_ShariahLawinNigeria_report_112019%20v3R.pdf
- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_in_Nigeria
- Human Rights Watch: https://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/nigeria0904/nigeria0904.pdf
- U.S. State Dept: https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/nigeria/
- BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-17426313]
- BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2nd5d51rxo
- BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54081642