The Harvard professor said that Sharia was, on paper, more advanced then western law through the Middle Ages, but that Sharia had no mechanism for disciplining the ruler. He was incorrect.
I think it was with the third Caliph that the tradition arose, when a new Caliph was elected he would ask that, if he did not rule in accordance with Sharia, that he would be corrected, to which the crowd replies, “We will correct you at the edge of the sword.”
Assassination is the manner in which rulers are disciplined. This system of disciplining the ruler is so bad that it makes the entirety of Sharia problematic.
In our country, we have periodic elections, in which the standard usually is merely has the incumbent done a good job, augmented by impeachment and removal where the executive is guilty of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. We also have term limits on the executive.
The next fundamental problem with Sharia is the view that the Koran is the literal word of God, and that Islam’s other holy books and traditions are the equivalent. This makes it nearly impossible for Islam to escape the 7th or 9th Century. It is trapped in a time and place that is long outmoded, and is ill-suited for conditions in other parts of the world. Obviously, God who is omniscient would not be so stupid.
In contrast, we recognize that the Bible was written by men whom we say were inspired by God, in now long dead languages. Therefore, the Bible has to be translated and contextuallized to inform us today. The criticism by Muslims of Christianity for having hundreds of “different” Bibles in contrast to Islam having one official Koran (with the canonization of the Egyptian compilation of 1924) is actually our strength. We look to the eternal truths in the Bible as we are informed both by it (special revelation) and by natural revelation (which always continues to expand).
Finally, I will say that the Harvard professor also says that Sharia requires a higher level of proof than western law; e.g., two eye-witnesses. But, we haven’t yet had one eye-witness to the supposed crimes of quid pro pro and/or bribery and/or abuse of office. So, the professor is playing the rules he prefers, not by the rules he says are the best.
Er, uhm, ah ... Check that.
FOR MALES ONLY.
Sharia Law requires the raped female be represented by “her male”, cannot even be a witness to her own rape without additional restriction, cann ot bring charges against the male who raped her ...