Israel endured one of the most severe attacks in recent memory when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. This attack, along with a barrage of rocket fire at southern and central Israel, prompted the country to declare a ‘state of war.’
History Of Hamas
Hamas, short for “Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya” or the “Islamic Resistance Movement”. It was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian cleric. Sheikh Yassin, affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, established Hamas in December 1987. It served as the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza. This emergence followed the first intifada. It was a Palestinian uprising against alleged Israeli atrocities in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
Hamas published its charter in 1988, a document advocating for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic society in historic Palestine. The organization gained notoriety for its use of suicide bombings, which began in April 1993, months before the signing of the Oslo Accords, leading to an increased cycle of violence in the region.
Parading The Corpse Of Shani Louk
The streets of Sderot and several border towns witnessed deeply unsettling scenes on October 7th. Among these disturbing visuals was the image of an unidentified woman’s lifeless and brutally battered body. The Hamas terrorists paraded in a pickup truck.
The terrorists shouted the Islamic slogan ‘Allah Hu Akbar’ in the gruesome videos of the incident. Some social media footage that emerged showed a menacing crowd of Hamas militants surrounding the vehicle, vociferously chanting slogans. They even desecrated the woman’s remains.
Information obtained from a social media account believed to belong to her identified the victim as Shani Louk, a tattoo artist and hair stylist. The tattoos on her legs matched those seen in photographs she had shared on her Instagram account.
In addition to the German tourist Shani Louk, Hamas also took several other foreign individuals into captivity. They include 17 Nepali citizens.
Necrophilia In Islam
The heart of the controversy surrounding necrophilia in Islam is a specific hadith. A recorded tradition concerning the sayings and actions of the Islamic founder. This hadith describes an incident in which he is said to have placed his shirt on a deceased woman and lay with her in her grave.
The interpretation of this incident is far from clear-cut. While some argue that it can be understood differently, without implying sexual activity with the corpse.
Others point out that the Arabic words used in the hadith can be translated to mean “intercourse,” adding to the ambiguity.
Islamic Jurisprudence and Implicit References
The text goes on to explore the stance of various Islamic jurisprudential schools – the Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki, and Shafi’i schools – on the issue of necrophilia. Remarkably, these schools do not explicitly address necrophilia as a standalone topic.
Contemporary Perspectives and Fatwas
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the discussion is the contemporary perspective on necrophilia within the Islamic context. The article cites examples where prominent Islamic scholars and clerics have issued fatwas or statements that suggest necrophilia might be considered permissible in Islam. These instances, such as a Moroccan cleric in 2011 and a professor at Egypt’s Al Azhar in 2017, have ignited controversy and raised questions about the compatibility of such views with modern moral standards.
Why Hindu Women Chose Jauhar
Jauhar, a term deeply ingrained in the annals of Indian history, represents a practice that evokes mixed emotions of awe, admiration and sorrow. It originated during the tumultuous times of medieval India.
Jauhar is a custom that involved women performing mass self-immolation to avoid capture, dishonor, and enslavement by invading forces. It stands as a symbol of valor and sacrifice.
The Historical Context
Jauhar primarily emerged during the medieval period of Indian history. It spanned from the 8th to the 18th century. This was the time where a series of invasions and conquests by various foreign rulers.
The custom of jauhar was closely associated with the Rajput warrior clans, particularly in the western regions of India. They faced constant threats from invading Islamic forces.
In times of impending defeat, women from these clans would opt for jauhar. It is an act of self-immolation, to protect their honour and avoid capture by the enemy. They believed that death by self-immolation was preferable to the dishonor and likely abuse they would face if taken captive. Even their corpses faced the danger of being defiled by the necrophiliacs.
Jauhar was often accompanied by “saka”. In it the men of the clan engaged in a final battle, knowing that their fate was likely to be a grisly one.
The Act Of Jauhar
The act of jauhar was not undertaken lightly. It was a decision made under extreme duress and with deep emotional conflict. Women, children, and sometimes even the elderly would gather in a designated area within the fort or palace. They would then set themselves on fire, choosing to die together rather than face a fate they considered worse than death.