Reply #8: Well, like anything else, Sharia law can be subject to interpretation

[MADem]

It is derived from, but is not a word-for-word implementation of the Quran, but the people who have interest in this issue sort of muddle that aspect. The degree to which Sharia is implemented depends on the country--some do "Sharia Lite" and others, like Saudi Arabia, use the heavy version.

For the life of me, I don't understand why this guy's lawyers don't advance the argument that, since the guy is no longer a Muslim, but a Christian (a person of the book, as it were), that Sharia doesn't apply to him. It's a winning argument, and avoids the pesky requirement that he be declared insane to keep living.

Old article here, but a pretty good primer on Sharia: http://www.guardian.co.uk/theissues/article/0,6512,777972,00.html

What is sharia?
The word sharia means "the path to a watering hole". It denotes an Islamic way of life that is more than a system of criminal justice. Sharia is a religious code for living, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians.

It is adopted by most Muslims to a greater or lesser degree as a matter of personal conscience, but it can also be formally instituted as law by certain states and enforced by the courts. Many Islamic countries have adopted elements of sharia law, governing areas such as inheritance, banking and contract law.

What does sharia decree?

Sharia offers a code for living governing all elements of life, from prayers to fasting to donations to the poor. It decrees that men and women should dress modestly, which in some countries is interpreted as women taking the veil and the sexes being segregated.

"Sharia governs the lives of people in ways which are not governed by the law," says Lynn Welchman, director of the Centre for Islamic and Middle Eastern Law. "Over 50 countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, and you can expect there will be some form of compliance with sharia - either in people's personal lives or enforced through the courts by the state. A lot of states in the Middle East are taking more elements of sharia into their state laws."

What are Hadd offences?

Within sharia law, there is a specific set of offences known as the Hadd offences. These are crimes punished by specific penalties, such as stoning, lashes or the severing of a hand. The penalties for Hadd offences are not universally adopted as law in Islamic countries. ...