An interesting development in the aftermath of the Mumbai Massacres:
A Muslim graveyard has refused to bury nine gunmen who terrorized Mumbai over three days last week, leaving at least 172 people dead and wreaking havoc at some of its most famous landmarks.The men are not true followers of the Islamic faith, according to the influential Muslim Jama Masjid Trust, which runs the 7.5-acre Badakabrastan graveyard in downtown Mumbai.
"People who committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslim," said Hanif Nalkhande, a trustee. "Islam does not permit this sort of barbaric crime."
Is this a condemnation of the attack, a denial that the attack has any connection to Islam, or both?
Not everybody got the "These are not Muslims" memo, of course:
Even militants must be given a proper burial, said scholar Maulauna Zubair Ahmed."As per the Shariah, the trust cannot say no," he said, referring to Islamic law. "The Shariah says whether a Muslim is a drunkard, rapist, criminal, you must offer him a place for burial."
So they're not Muslims for purposes of terrorism, but they are Muslims for purposes of burial?
Which is it?
I'm sure there's plenty of cemeteries in Gaza and the West Bank that would willingly accept these new residents for what they did. Probably name a few streets and UNRWA-funded soccer teams after them, too.
*shrug* I say chop 'em up and feed 'em to the elephants.