If someone raped your mother-daughter or sister-wife, and the punishment was either execution or a hefty fine, which punishment would you choose as a son, a father, a brother, or a husband? Every man, ignoring the lure of millions, would demand the death penalty for rapists. There is no room for mercy, leniency, or trivializing this crime. Rapists deserve no compassion—only eternal hatred. Everyone would demand the harshest punishment for them.
Exactly! Islam prescribes severe punishment for rapists. It commands stoning to death or public beheading. The necessity of Islam in ensuring justice and public welfare is undeniable.
No one enjoys hearing news of rape. If rapists were punished publicly, society would not have to worry about the safety of mothers and sisters. My daughter, your sister, would be able to stay outside without fear. If Islamic punishment for adultery were in place, there would be no question of household discord. People would not have to suffer in the flames of divorce or conflict. We selectively follow Islam for our convenience, leaving much of its beauty hidden. My sister will be raped, and I will not seek revenge? I never want to be part of such a hypocritical civilization. If I adhere to Islamic punishments, I cannot become a rapist; the beheading would be mine first—this is why I, above all, oppose religious penal laws. Unfortunately, at the state level in Bangladesh, that is exactly what is happening!
I saw in the news that a man lured his wife’s rapist and killed him. The law may hold him guilty, but in such crimes, many have resorted to this out of frustration from being denied justice. Trust in the state has been shaken. The “golden boys” have celebrated their century of rape! A father seeking justice for his raped daughter has been humiliated and insulted. A girl is raped, yet her family must endure threats from the rapists. Entire families have chosen suicide due to their inability to bear this torment. The legal system has failed to establish justice in many cases. Instead, victims are repeatedly humiliated while seeking justice. A rapist may assault once, but society, law, and courts rape the victim repeatedly! At the very least, Islamic hudud punishments for rapists must be enforced. If a group of rapists were publicly beheaded in the Baitul Mukarram courtyard, the country’s rape statistics would drop to zero.
The recent incident in Aleppo has left me speechless. Breaking a woman’s fast to rape her! A woman was forced to comply with whatever the rapist demanded in an attempt to save her husband. What other option did she have at that moment? If those responsible for capturing rapists and extracting confessions have such characters themselves, where can people turn? Who can they trust? Where is women’s security? This country does not need so many inhumane people. If the lives of a few hundred rapists are taken, the women and children of this land will be safe. There should be legal validity for killing a rapist in self-defense. Rape is one of the most barbaric crimes in the world. Not just rape, but adultery must also be punished with the strictest measures to preserve moral values. There is no alternative for the liberation of humanity. I no longer want to see rape news in newspapers in red-inked headlines. I do not want to hear about any woman committing suicide due to being raped in any part of the country.
If our daughters and sisters are not safe, the status and behavior of men come under question. With what face do we look at the women in our homes? Women’s safety must be ensured at any cost. Showing leniency towards those with bestial mentalities only allows crime to spread. The purpose of punishment is not just correction—it is also deterrence. There is no need to keep rapists alive in prisons, hoping to reform them for society’s benefit. A hypocrite may change his words, but his character does not change. The Creator knows best what benefits or harms humanity. The punishments prescribed by Islam have been proven beneficial for humanity in many cases. Rapists must be brought under religious justice. Ensuring women’s security is mandatory for societal transformation. Therefore, rape and rapists cannot be viewed casually. Society must collectively boycott rapists. They must be looked at in such a way that their destruction becomes inevitable. The lives of criminals in society must be made unbearable.
