sekir navdêr, mê Wate. maddeyê şirînkirinê
Sekir Bashka - means "сut the head" type of the execution.
sekir troste
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Alternative Name:
Sekir
Name Type:
Variant or alternate
Area / State:
Urfa
Coordinates & Location type
Area Type:
Populated place
Location Type:
Populated Place
Latitude:
36.98333
Longitude:
38.16667
Latitude (DMS):
36° 58' 60 N
Longitude (DMS):
38° 10' 0 E
Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the execution of a
convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes
or capital offences. Historically, the execution of criminals and political
opponents was used by nearly all societies—both to punish crime and to suppress
political dissent. Among countries around the world, almost all European and
many Pacific Area states (including Australia, New Zealand and Timor Leste), and
Canada have abolished capital punishment. In Latin America, most states have
completely abolished the use of capital punishment, while some countries,
however, like Brazil, allow for capital punishment only in exceptional
situations, such as treason committed during wartime. The United States,
Guatemala, most of the Caribbean and the majority of democracies in Asia (e.g.
Japan and India) and Africa (e.g. Botswana and Zambia) retain it.
In most places that practice capital punishment today, the death penalty is
reserved as punishment for premeditated murder, espionage, treason, or as part
of military justice. In some countries sexual crimes, such as rape, adultery and
sodomy, carry the death penalty, as do religious crimes such as apostasy (the
formal renunciation of one's religion). In many retentionist countries
(countries that use the death penalty), drug trafficking is also a capital
offense. In China human trafficking and serious cases of corruption are also
punished by the death penalty. In militaries around the world courts-martial
have imposed death sentences for offenses such as cowardice, desertion,
insubordination, and mutiny.
Capital punishment is a very contentious issue in some cultures. Supporters of
capital punishment argue that it deters crime, prevents recidivism, and is an
appropriate form of punishment for the crime of murder. Opponents of capital
punishment argue that it does not deter criminals more than life imprisonment,
violates human rights, leads to executions of some who are wrongfully convicted,
and discriminates against minorities and the poor.
The latest country to abolish the death penalty for all crimes was Rwanda in mid
2007 , until the government of Gabon announced on September 14, 2007 that it,
too, will no longer apply capital punishment.
The death penalty worldwide
Global distribution of death penalty
Enlarge picture
Use of the death penalty around the world (as of Sep. 2007).
Abolished for all offenses (90) Abolished for all offenses except under special
circumstances (11) Retains, though not used for at least 10 years (32) Retains
death penalty (64)*
* Note that, while laws vary between U.S. states, it is considered retentionist
because the federal death penalty is still in active use.
At least since World War II, there has been a consistent trend towards
abolishing the death penalty. In 1977, 16 countries were abolitionist, while the
figure has since now gone up to 133. Currently, 90 countries have abolished
capital punishment for all offences, 11 for all offences except under special
circumstances, and 32 others have not used it for at least 10 years. A total of
64 countries retain it. Among retentionist countries, several used capital
punishment on juveniles (under 18). In 2006 Iran executed four child offenders
and Pakistan one. The People's Republic of China performed more than 3,400
executions in 2004, amounting to more than 90% of executions worldwide. In
China, some inmates are executed by firing squad, but it has been decided that
all executions will be by lethal injection in the future. These lethal
injections are often performed via mobile Iveco execution vans. Iran performed
159 executions in 2004. In the United States, 12 states executed 59 prisoners in
2004 (Texas conducts more executions than any of the other U.S. states, with 400
executions between 1976 and 2007 and since the Death Penalty resumed in 1982).
Singapore has the highest execution rate per capita, with 70 hangings for a
population of about 4 million and it also (with Japan) has the lowest murder
rate.
Executions are known to have been carried out in the following 25 countries in
2006:
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Japan, Jordan, North Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, the United States of America,
Vietnam, Yemen.
In that year also, 91% of all known executions took place in six countries
listed below:
Most Executions carried out in 2006
1. China (at least 1,010 but sources suggest the real tally is between 7,500 and
8,000)
2. Iran (177)
3. Pakistan (82)
4. Iraq (at least 65)
5. Sudan (at least 65)
6. United States (53)
The use of the death penalty is becoming increasingly restrained in retentionist
countries. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and the U.S. are the only
fully developed countries that have retained the death penalty. The death
penalty was overwhelmingly practiced in poor and authoritarian states, which
often employed the death penalty as a tool of political oppression. During the
1980s, the democratisation of Latin America (with its long history of
progressive and Roman Catholic tradition) swelled the rank of abolitionist
countries. This was soon followed by the fall of communism in Central and
Eastern Europe, which then aspired to enter the EU. In these countries, the
public support for the death penalty varies but it is decreasing. The European
Union and the Council of Europe both strictly require member states not to
practice the death penalty (see Capital punishment in Europe). On the other
hand, rapid industrialisation in Asia has been increasing the number of
retentionist countries that are developed. In these countries, the death penalty
enjoys strong public support, and the matter receives little attention from the
government or the media. This trend has been followed by some African and Middle
Eastern countries where support for the death penalty is high.
Some countries have resumed practicing the death penalty after having suspended
executions for long periods. Notably, the United States had suspended executions
in 1973 but resumed them in 1977, there was no execution in India between 1995
and 2004, and Sri Lanka recently declared an end to its moratorium on the death
penalty but has not performed any executions. The Philippines had re-introduced
the death penalty in 1993 after abolishing it in 1987 but have abolished it
again in 2006.
Public opinion
Support for the death penalty varies widely. Both in abolitionist and
retentionist democracies, the government's stance often has wide public support
and receives little attention by politicians or the media. In some abolitionist
countries, the majority of the public supports or has supported the death
penalty. Abolition was often adopted due to political change, such as when
countries shifted from authoritarianism to democracy, or when it became an entry
condition for the European Union. The United States is a notable exception: some
states have had bans on capital punishment for decades (the earliest is
Michigan, where it was abolished in 1846), while others actively use it today.
The death penalty there remains a contentious issue which is hotly debated.
Elsewhere, however, it is rare for the death penalty to be abolished as a result
of an active public discussion of its merits.
Enlarge picture
Execution with a Garrote
In abolitionist countries, debate is sometimes revived by particularly brutal
murders, though few countries have brought it back after abolishing it. However,
a spike in serious, violent crimes, such as murders or terrorist attacks, has
prompted some countries (such as Sri Lanka and Jamaica) to effectively end the
moratorium on the death penalty. In retentionist countries, the debate is
sometimes revived when a miscarriage of justice has occurred, though this tends
to cause legislative efforts to improve the judicial process rather than to
abolish the death penalty.
A Gallup International poll from 2000 claimed that "Worldwide support was
expressed in favour of the death penalty, with just more than half (52%)
indicating that they were in favour of this form of punishment." A break down of
the numbers of support versus opposition: Worldwide 52%/39%, North America
66%/27%, Asia 63%/21%, Central and Eastern Europe 60%/29%, Africa 54%/43%, Latin
America 37%/55%, Western Europe 34%/60%.
In the U.S., surveys have long shown a majority in favor of capital punishment.
An ABC News survey in July 2006 found 65 percent in favor of capital punishment,
consistent with other polling since 2000. About half the American public says
the death penalty isn't imposed frequently enough and 60 percent believe it is
applied fairly, according to a Gallup poll from May 2006. Yet surveys also show
the public is more divided when asked to choose between the death penalty and
life without parole, or when dealing with juvenile offenders. Roughly six in 10
tell Gallup they don't believe capital punishment deters murder and majorities
believe at least one innocent person has been executed in the past five years.
International organisations
Criminal procedure
Criminal trials and convictions
Rights of the accused
Right to a fair trial · Speedy trial
Jury trial · Presumption of innocence
Exclusionary rule (U.S.)
Self-incrimination · Double jeopardy
Verdict
Acquittal · Conviction
Not proven (Scot.) · Directed verdict
Sentencing
Mandatory · Suspended · Custodial
Dangerous offender (Can.)
Capital punishment · Execution warrant
Cruel and unusual punishment
Post-conviction events
Parole · Probation
Tariff (UK) · Life licence (UK)
Miscarriage of justice
Exoneration · Pardon
Related areas of law
Criminal law · Evidence
Civil procedure
Portals: ·
The United Nations does not support or oppose the death penalty, although there
are plans to introduce a resolution during the General Assembly's 62nd session
calling for a universal ban. A number of regional conventions prohibit the death
penalty, most notably, the Sixth Protocol (abolition in time of peace) and the
Thirteenth Protocol (abolition in all circumstances) to the European Convention
on Human Rights. Most relevant operative international treaties do not require
its prohibition for cases of serious crime, most notably, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This instead has, in common with several
other treaties, an optional protocol prohibiting capital punishment and
promoting its wider abolition.
Several international organisations have made the abolition of the death penalty
(during time of peace) a requirement of membership, most notably the European
Union (EU) and the Council of Europe. The EU and the Council of Europe are
willing to accept a moratorium as an interim measure. Thus, while Russia is a
member of the Council of Europe, and practices the death penalty in law, it has
not made public use of it since becoming a member of the Council. Other states,
while having abolished de jure the death penalty in time of peace and de facto
in all circumstances, have not ratified Protocol no.13 yet and therefore have no
international obligation to refrain from using the death penalty in time of war
or imminent threat of war (Armenia, France, Italy, Latvia, Poland and Spain ).
Albania is the most recent to ratify it with the effective date of June 1st,
2007.
Turkey has recently, as a move towards EU membership, undergone a reform of its
legal system. Previously there was a de facto moratorium on death penalty in
Turkey as the last execution took place in 1984. The death penalty was removed
from peacetime law in August 2002, and in May 2004 Turkey amended its
constitution in order to remove capital punishment in all circumstances. It
ratified Protocol no. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights in February
2006. As a result, Europe is a continent free of the death penalty in practice
(all states but Russia, which has entered a moratorium, having ratified the
Sixth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights), with the sole
exception of Belarus, which is not a member of the Council of Europe. The
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has been lobbying for Council of
Europe observer states who practice the death penalty, namely the U.S. and
Japan, to abolish it or lose their observer status. In addition to banning
capital punishment for EU member states, the EU has also banned detainee
transfers in cases where the receiving party may seek the death penalty.
Among non-governmental organisations, Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch are noted for their opposition to capital punishment.
Juvenile capital punishment
The death penalty for juvenile offenders (criminals aged under 18 years at the
time of their crime) has become increasingly rare. The only countries still
officially supporting the practice are Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and
Saudi Arabia, . Since 1990, nine countries have executed offenders who were
juveniles at the time of their crimes; China, D.R. Congo, Iran, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the U.S. and Yemen. China, Pakistan, the United
States and Yemen have since raised the minimum age to 18. Amnesty International
has recorded 54 verified executions since then, in several countries, of both
juveniles and adults who had been convicted of committing their offenses as
juveniles. China does not allow for the execution of those under 18;
nevertheless, child executions have reportedly taken place. The United States
Supreme Court abolished capital punishment for offenders under the age of 16 in
Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988), and for all juveniles in Roper v. Simmons (2005).
Starting in 1642, an estimated 364 juvenile offenders were executed by the
states and federal government of the US. In 2002, the United States Supreme
Court declared unconstitutional the execution of individuals with mental
retardation.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which forbids capital
punishment for juveniles, has been signed and ratified by all countries except
for the USA and Somalia. The UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection
of Human Rights maintains that the death penalty for juveniles has become
contrary to a jus cogens of customary international law.
The death penalty in specific countries
See also:
Australia · Belarus · Canada · People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong
and Macau) · Denmark · Europe · France · India · Iraq · Japan · The Netherlands
· New Zealand ·Pakistan· Philippines · Russia · Singapore · Sweden · Taiwan ·
United Kingdom · United States
History
The use of formal execution extends at least to the beginning of recorded
history. Most historical records as well as various primitive tribal practices
indicate that the death penalty was a part of their justice system. Communal
punishment for wrongdoing generally included compensation by the wrongdoer,
corporal punishment, shunning, banishment and execution. However, within a small
community, crimes were rare and murder was almost always a crime of passion.
Moreover, most would hesitate to inflict death on a member of the community. For
this reason, execution and even banishment were extremely rare. Usually,
compensation and shunning were enough as a form of justice.
However, these are not effective responses to crimes committed by outsiders.
Consequently, even small crimes committed by outsiders were considered to be an
assault on the community and were severely punished. The methods varied from
beating and enslavement to executions. However, the response to crime committed
by neighbouring tribes or communities included formal apology, compensation or
blood feuds.
A blood feud or vendetta occurs when arbitration between families or tribes
fails or an arbitration system is non-existent. This form of justice was common
before the emergence of an arbitration system based on state or organised
religion. It may result from crime, land disputes or a code of honour. "Acts of
retaliation underscore the ability of the social collective to defend itself and
demonstrate to enemies (as well as potential allies) that injury to property,
rights, or the person will not go unpunished." However, in practice, it is often
difficult to distinguish between a war of vendetta and one of conquest.
For most of recorded history, capital punishments were often cruel and inhuman.
Severe historical penalties include breaking wheel, boiling to death, flaying,
slow slicing, disembowelment, crucifixion, impalement, crushing, stoning,
execution by burning, dismemberment, sawing, scaphism, or necklacing.
Elaborations of tribal arbitration of feuds included peace settlements often
done in a religious context and compensation system. Compensation was based on
the principle of substitution which might include material (e.g. cattle, slave)
compensation, exchange of brides or grooms, or payment of the blood debt.
Settlement rules could allow for animal blood to replace human blood, or
transfers of property or blood money or in some case an offer of a person for
execution. The person offered for execution did not have to be an original
perpetrator of the crime because the system was based on tribes, not
individuals. Blood feuds could be regulated at meetings, such as the Viking
things. Systems deriving from blood feuds may survive alongside more advanced
legal systems or be given recognition by courts (e.g. trial by combat). One of
the more modern refinements of the blood feud is the duel.
In certain parts of the world, nations in the form of ancient republics,
monarchies or tribal oligarchies emerged. These nations were often united by
common linguistic, religious or family ties. Moreover, expansion of these
nations often occurred by conquest of neighbouring tribes or nations.
Consequently, various classes of royalty, nobility, various commoners and slave
emerged. Accordingly, the systems of tribal arbitration were submerged into a
more unified system of justice which formalised the relation between the
different "classes" rather than "tribes". The earliest and most famous example
is Code of Hammurabi which set the different punishment and compensation
according to the different class/group of victims and perpetrators. The Torah
(Jewish Law), also known as the Pentateuch (the first five books of the
Christian Old Testament), lays down the death penalty for murder, kidnapping,
magic, violation of the Sabbath, blasphemy, and a wide range of sexual crimes,
although evidence suggests that actual executions were rare. A further example
comes from Ancient Greece, where the Athenian legal system was first written
down by Draco in about 621 BC: the death penalty was applied for a particularly
wide range of crimes. The word derives from Draco's laws.
Similarly, in medieval and early modern Europe, before the development of modern
prison systems, the death penalty was also used as a generalized form of
punishment. For example, in 1700s Britain, there were 222 crimes which were
punishable by death, including crimes such as cutting down a tree or stealing an
animal. Thanks to the notorious Bloody Code, life in 18th century (and early
19th century) Britain was a hazardous place. For example, Michael Hammond and
his sister, Ann, whose ages were given as 7 and 11, were reportedly hanged at
King's Lynn on Wednesday, the 28th of September 1708 for theft. The local press
did not, however, consider the executions of two children newsworthy.
Although many are executed in China each year in the modern age, there was a
time in Tang Dynasty China when the death penalty was actually abolished
altogether. This was in the year 747, enacted by Emperor Taizong of Tang (r.
712-756), who before was the only person in China with the authority to sentence
criminals to execution. Even then capital punishment was relatively infrequent,
with only 24 executions in the year 730 and 58 executions in the year 736. Two
hundred years later there was a form of execution called Ling Chi, slow slicing,
or death by/of a thousand cuts, used in China from roughly 900 CE to its
abolition in 1905.
Despite its wide use, calls for reform were not unknown. The 12th Century
Sephardic legal scholar, Moses Maimonides, wrote, "It is better and more
satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent
man to death." He argued that executing an accused criminal on anything less
than absolute certainty would lead to a slippery slope of decreasing burdens of
proof, until we would be convicting merely "according to the judge's caprice."
His concern was maintaining popular respect for law, and he saw errors of
commission as much more threatening than errors of omission.
The last several centuries have seen the emergence of modern nation-states.
Almost fundamental to the concept of nation state is the idea of citizenship.
This caused justice to be increasingly associated with equality and
universality, which in Europe saw an emergence of the concept of natural rights.
Another important aspect is that emergence of standing police forces and
permanent penitential institutions. The death penalty become an increasingly
unnecessary deterrent in prevention of minor crimes such as theft. Additionally,
in countries like Britain, law enforcement officials became alarmed when juries
tended to acquit non-violent felons rather than risk a conviction that could
result in execution. The 20th century was one of the bloodiest of the human
history. Massive killing occurred as the resolution of war between
nation-states. A large part of execution was summary execution of enemy
combatants. Also, modern military organisations employed capital punishment as a
means of maintaining military discipline. In the past, cowardice, absence
without leave, desertion, insubordination, looting, shirking under enemy fire
and disobeying orders were often crimes punishable by death. One method of
execution since firearms came into common use has almost invariably been firing
squad. Moreover, various authoritarian states—for example those with fascist or
communist governments—employed the death penalty as a potent means of political
oppression. Partly as a response to such excessive punishment, civil
organisations have started to place increasing emphasis on the concept of human
rights and abolition of the death penalty.
Movements towards "humane" execution
In early New England, public executions were a very solemn and sorrowful
occasion, sometimes attended by large crowds, who also listened to a Gospel
message and remarks by local preachers and politicians. The Connecticut Courant
records one such public execution on December 1, 1803, saying, "The assembly
conducted through the whole in a very orderly and solemn manner, so much so, as
to occasion an observing gentleman acquainted with other countries as well as
this, to say that such an assembly, so decent and solemn, could not be collected
anywhere but in New England."
Trends in most of the world have long been to move to less painful, or more
"humane", executions. France developed the guillotine for this reason in the
final years of the 18th century while Britain banned drawing and quartering in
the early 19th century. Hanging by turning the victim off a ladder or by
dangling him from the back of a moving cart, which causes death by suffocation,
was replaced by "hanging" where the subject is dropped a longer distance to
dislocate the neck and sever the spinal cord. In the U.S., the electric chair
and the gas chamber were introduced as more humane alternatives to hanging, but
have been almost entirely superseded by lethal injection, which in turn has been
criticized as being too painful. Nevertheless, some countries still employ slow
hanging methods, beheading by sword and even stoning, although the latter is
rarely employed.
Execution by nitrogen asphyxiation was proposed in 1995 and appears occasionally
in online discussions, but as of is not used by any nation.
See also: Cruel and unusual punishment
Abolitionism in different countries
Enlarge picture
Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria
The death penalty was briefly banned in China between 747 and 759. In England, a
public statement of opposition was included in The Twelve Conclusions of the
Lollards, written in 1395. More recent opposition to the death penalty stemmed
from the book of the Italian Cesare Beccaria Dei Delitti e Delle Pene ("On
Crimes and Punishments"), published in 1764. In this book, Beccaria aimed to
demonstrate not only the injustice, but even the futility from the point of view
of social welfare, of torture and the death penalty. Influenced by the book,
Grand Duke Leopold II of Habsburg, famous enlightened monarch and future Emperor
of Austria, abolished the death penalty in the then-independent Granducato di
Toscana (Tuscany), the first permanent abolition in modern times. On 30 November
1786, after having de facto blocked capital executions (the last was in 1769),
Leopold promulgated the reform of the penal code that abolished the death
penalty and ordered the destruction of all the instruments for capital execution
in his land. In 2000 Tuscany's regional authorities instituted an annual holiday
on 30 November to commemorate the event. The event is also commemorated on this
day by 300 cities around the world celebrating the Cities for Life Day.
Abolition of the death penalty was not common and was viewed as unnecessary. The
Roman Republic went out on a limb and banned capital punishment. In 1849, this
made the Roman Republic the first ever to ban capital punishment. However,
Venezuela followed suit and in 1863 abolished the death penalty and San Marino
did so in 1865. The last execution in San Marino had taken place in 1468.
In the United States, the state of Michigan was the first state to ban the death
penalty, on March 1, 1847. The 160-year ban on capital punishment has never been
repealed. Currently, 12 states of the U.S. and the District of Columbia ban
capital punishment.
Capital punishment debate
Capital punishment debate
Capital punishment is often the subject of controversy. Opponents of the death
penalty argue that it has led to irreversible miscarriages of justice, that life
imprisonment is an effective substitute, and that it violates the criminal's
right to life. Supporters believe that the penalty is justified for murderers by
the principle of retribution, that life imprisonment is not an equally effective
deterrent, and that the death penalty affirms the right to life by punishing
those who violate it in the most strict form. While some arguments are about
moral judgments, others are disagreements about empirical trends, such as
whether the death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment.
Religious views
Religion and capital punishment
Buddhism
There is disagreement among Buddhists as to whether or not Buddhism forbids the
death penalty. The first of the Five Precepts (Panca-sila) is to abstain from
destruction of life. Chapter 10 of the Dhammapada states:
Everyone fears punishment; everyone fears death, just as you do. Therefore do
not kill or cause to kill. Everyone fears punishment; everyone loves life, as
you do. Therefore do not kill or cause to kill.
Chapter 26, the final chapter of the Dhammapada, states, "Him I call a brahmin
who has put aside weapons and renounced violence toward all creatures. He
neither kills nor helps others to kill." These sentences are interpreted by many
Buddhists (especially in the West) as an injunction against supporting any legal
measure which might lead to the death penalty. However, as is often the case
with the interpretation of scripture, there is dispute on this matter. Thailand,
where Buddhism is the official religion, practices the death penalty, as do all
other countries where the majority of the population is Buddhist, i.e. Sri
Lanka, Mongolia, and Myanmar, although the last has had a moratorium on
executions since 1997. Moreover, throughout almost all history, countries where
Buddhism has been the official religion (which includes most of the Far East and
Indochina) have practiced the death penalty. One exception is the abolition of
the death penalty by the Emperor Saga of Japan in 818. This lasted until 1165,
although in private manors executions continued to be conducted as a form of
retaliation.
Judaism
The official teachings of Judaism approve the death penalty in principle but the
standard of proof required for application of death penalty is extremely
stringent, and in practice, it has been abolished by various Talmudic decisions,
making the situations in which a death sentence could be passed effectively
impossible and hypothetical. "Forty years before the destruction" of the Temple
in Jerusalem in 70 CE, i.e. in 30 CE, the Sanhedrin effectively abolished
capital punishment, making it a hypothetical upper limit on the severity of
punishment, fitting in finality for God alone to use, not fallible people.
In law schools everywhere, students read the famous quotation from the 12th
Century legal scholar, Maimonides,
"It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to
put a single innocent one to death."
Maimonides argued that executing a defendant on anything less than absolute
certainty would lead to a slippery slope of decreasing burdens of proof, until
we would be convicting merely "according to the judge's caprice." Maimonides was
concerned about the need for the law to guard itself in public perceptions, to
preserve its majesty and retain the people's respect.
See Religion and capital punishment#Judaism
Islam
Scholars of Islam hold it to be permissible but the victim or the family of the
victim has the right to pardon. In Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), to forbid what
is not forbidden is wrong. Consequently, it is impossible to make a case for
abolition of the death penalty which is explicitly endorsed.
Sharia Law or Islamic law may require capital punishment, there is great
variation within Islamic nations as to actual capital punishment. Apostasy in
Islam and Stoning to death in Islam are controversial topics. Furthermore, as
expressed in the Qur'an, capital punishment is condoned. Although the Qur'an
prescribes the death penalty for several hadd (fixed) crimes—including robbery,
adultery, and apostasy of Islam—murder is not among them. Instead, murder is
treated as a civil crime and is covered by the law of qisas (retaliation),
whereby the relatives of the victim decide whether the offender is punished with
death by the authorities or made to pay diyah (wergild) as compensation.
"If anyone kills a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in
the land - it would be as if he killed all people. And if anyone saves a life,
it would be as if he saved the life of all people" (Qur'an 5:32). "Spreading
mischief in the land" can mean many different things, but is generally
interpreted to mean those crimes that affect the community as a whole, and
destabilize the society. Crimes that have fallen under this description have
included: (1) Treason / Apostasy (when one leaves the faith and joins the enemy
in fighting against the Muslim community) (2) Terrorism - Land, sea, or air
piracy (3) Rape (4) Adultery (5) Homosexual behavior.
Christianity
Although some interpret that of the Bible condemns the death penalty, others
consider to support it; Christian positions on this, as on many social issues,
vary. The promulgator of Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth, was executed by
crucifixion, and that method of execution became a symbol for Christianity (see
Passion (Christianity)). Furthermore, numerous Catholic saints have been
martyred by usage of the death penalty.
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church traditionally accepted capital punishment as per the
theology of Thomas Aquinas (who accepted the death penalty as a necessary
deterrent and prevention method, but not as the means of vengeance; see also
Aquinas and the death penalty). Under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, this
position was refined. As stated in John Paul II's encyclical Evangelium Vitae,
the Roman Catholic Church holds that capital punishment should be avoided unless
it is the only way to defend society from the offender in question, and that
with today's penal system such a situation requiring an execution is either rare
or non-existent. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says "Assuming that the
guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the
traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death
penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives
against the unjust aggressor. If, however, nonlethal means are sufficient to
defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit
itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions
of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human
person."
Anglican & Episcopalian
The Lambeth Conference of Anglican and Episcopalian bishops condemned the death
penalty in 1988.
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church, along with other Methodist churches, also condemns
capital punishment, saying that it cannot accept retribution or social vengeance
as a reason for taking human life. The Church also holds that the death penalty
falls unfairly and unequally upon marginalized persons including the poor, the
uneducated, ethnic and religious minorities, and persons with mental and
emotional illnesses. The General Conference of the United Methodist Church calls
for its bishops to uphold opposition to capital punishment and for governments
to enact an immediate moratorium on carrying out the death penalty sentence.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In a 1991 social policy statement, the ELCA officially took a stand to oppose
the death penalty. It states that revenge is a primary motivation for capital
punishment policy and that true healing can only take place through repentance
and forgiveness.
Other Protestants
Several key leaders early in the Protestant Reformation, including Martin Luther
and John Calvin, followed the traditional reasoning in favor of capital
punishment, and the Lutheran Church's Augsburg Confession explicitly defended
it. Some Protestant groups have cited , , and as the basis for permitting the
death penalty.
On the other hand, the Mennonites and Friends have opposed the death penalty
since their founding, and continue to be strongly opposed to it today. These
groups, along with other Christians opposed to capital punishment, have cited
Christ's Sermon on the Mount (transcribed in ) and Sermon on the Plain
(transcribed in ). In both sermons, Christ tells his followers to turn the other
cheek and to love their enemies, which these groups believe mandates
nonviolence, including opposition to the death penalty.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (colloquially known as Mormons)
holds a neutral position on the death penalty.
Other
The Rosicrucian Fellowship and many other Christian esoteric schools condemn the
capital punishment in all circumstances. Among fundamentalist Christian
denominations in America which support the death penalty, deterrence and
incapacitation are cited as the main justification for the death penalty, as
forgiveness and redemption is a fundamental attribute of Christian theology.
Capital punishment in arts and media
As a capital punishment forms a more important thematic element. Many of these
works are abolitionist in nature, but sometimes capital punishment is used as a
metaphor for some other theme, such as sacrifice or mortality.
The Gospels describe the execution of Jesus Christ at length, and these accounts
form the central story of the Christian faith. Depictions of the crucifixion are
abundant in Christian art.
Valerius Maximus' story of Damon and Pythias was long a famous example of
fidelity. Damon was sentenced to death (the reader does not learn why) and his
friend Pythias offered to take his place.
Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities ends in a climactic execution, and the image of a
man going to the guillotine has become synonymous with the novel.
Victor Hugo's The Last Day of a Condemned Man (Le Dernier Jour d'un condamné)
describes the thoughts of a condemned man just before his execution; also
notable is its preface, in which Hugo argues at length against capital
punishment.
Ana?s Nin's anthology Little Birds included an erotic depiction of a public
execution.
William Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch also included erotic and surreal depictions
of capital punishment. In the obscenity trial against Burroughs, the defense
claimed successfully that the novel was a form of anti-death-penalty argument,
and therefore had redeeming political value.
In The Chamber by John Grisham, a young lawyer tries to save his Klansman
grandfather from being executed. The novel is noted for presentation of
anti-death penalty materials.
Capital punishment has been the basis of many motion pictures including Dead Man
Walking based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, The Green Mile, and The Life
of David Gale.
Prison Break is a 2005 television series, whose protagonist attempts to save his
brother from his execution by devising a plan that will help them escape from
prison.
The song "The Mercy Seat" by Nick Cave (also performed by Johnny Cash) describes
a man being executed via the electric chair who maintains his innocence until he
is about to die, when he admits to his guilt.
"Shock rock" star Alice Cooper will use three different methods of capital
punishment for his stage shows. The three are the guillotine, the electric chair
(retired) and hanging (first method/retired).
Are you interested in mult-player
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More IJFG.COM Jokes, Pranks, Runescape and other cool games at IJFG.COM.
RuneScape is set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest",
where players control character representations of themselves. As with most
massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG), there is no overall
objective or end to the game. Players explore, form alliances, perform optional
tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build character's skills.
RuneScape has often been one of
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unique game, comes unique players. Players get bored, and then try to develop
cheats....autos or bots that will help them achieve success in their beloved
games of Runescape 2.
RuneScape is a virtual world which
is divided into two part: Members Areas and Non-Members areas. People who pay to
play (p2p), receive access to the special areas. They also have access to the
free areas. The members' places are much larger, offer "better" items for the
gameplay of rs2, and much, much more. The character that you create when you
first start playing runescape, moves around the game on foot; either by running,
or walking. Players are challenged to their utmost skills by fighting new
monsters, completing difficult quests, and manipulating marketing. As Runescape
2 is an RPG (Role playing game), there is no set path a person must take to play
rs. They can choose what to do, and when, whether it be training their
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Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM IJFG.com was a
runescape 2 based site. They have now, however, taken another look....
Of course the king of all game
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trick
the trik (otherwise known as RPG Cheats Site), where you can find cheat
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The master of massive multiplayer
online role-playing games (MMORPG) cheats can be found at Trik.com
Trik.com; this site is one of the best today. The forum section,
Trik.com forum, originally came from IJFG.com (Internet Junction For
Gamers) , which was one of the best websites that discussed various gamers'
issues. The full name was Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and
More. This site had Jokes, Pranks, RuneScape and other cool games. RuneScape is
set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest," where
players control character representations of themselves. As with most MMORPG,
there is no overall objective or end to the game. Players explore, form
alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build
characters' skills.
Trik.com continues IJFG.com's
success, but Trik.com has more to offer. Trik Topsite can be found at
Trik Topsite; the TopSite is a great addition if you want to find the best
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Trik arcade. Trik.com ?Trik.com/topsite ?Trik.com/forum/arcade.php
With the rising popularity of
commercial MMORPG games came the desire from ardent players of these games to
run their own servers beside the ones run by the game's creator. Since the
original server software is not usually available, the behavior of the server
has to be re-engineered. This can be done by analyzing the data stream with the
original server, or by disassembling and analyzing the client which is
available.
Ultima Online was one of the first
large MMORPGs. Due to its openness in implementation, server emulators arose
very quickly, even during the beta stage of development. The destination to
which the client connects was changeable by simply editing a text file. In beta
stage the client-server data stream was not encrypted yet. The term server
emulator became known through Ultima Online server reimplementation such as UOX,
which was the pioneer. Many forks and reimplementations followed UOX, because
its source code was released under the GNU General Public License relatively
early. RunUO is today the most widely used UO-server emulator. After RuneScape
implemented anti-cheating measures, many gamers left and started their own
private servers. The best place to discuss the private server is at
Trik- The Master of Private Server.
Another useful site is
Rune
Web ruwb.com . This site is about more serious RuneScape gold trading,
account exchange, gold for real life cash and many services. It includes tips on
how to avoid getting lured/scammed while using the marketplace. For programming,
visual basics, java, C/C++, scar and all other languages such as PHP, HTML, ASP,
Delphi. There are also sections for graphics talents, plus many cool videos and
fun stuff.
A defining moment in internet
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EZud is another popular site.
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