Sisters in Islam denounce 'cruel' public caning at mosque

 

Without mincing words, Sisters in Islam (SIS) has described the scheduled public canning of Mohd Affendi Awang in Terengganu as a “barbaric” act.

“What has become of our nation? How did we descend to a point where cruelty is glorified under the guise of ‘morality’?

“Have we grown so desperate to enforce this notion that we abandon the very foundations of human decency and respect? This is a grave injustice that demands our unwavering condemnation,” it added in a statement this afternoon.

SIS was responding to a Malaysiakini report on Wednesday that the 42-year-old widower would be the first offender to be caned in public at a mosque in Terengganu after being caught three times for close proximity with a woman.

The offender would receive six strokes of the rotan after Friday prayers on Dec 6. The punishment would be carried out at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah mosque in Kuala Terengganu.

The accused was charged under Section 31(a) of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment (Terengganu) Amendment 2022.

SIS also criticised the selection of the mosque as a venue to mete out the punishment, noting that it should serve as a place of worship and reflection.

“To use a house of ibadah for such a dehumanising act is a profound violation of its sanctity. This is not justice. It is a degrading spectacle that strips an individual of their dignity in full view of an audience. It is a violent, shameful act designed to humiliate, not educate,” it added.

SIS also dismissed the justification that the punishment would serve as a form of “education” as hollow.

“It is nothing more than a tactic of humiliation for the individual and a morbid display for spectators.

“This stands in stark contradiction to Islam’s core principles of justice, compassion, mercy, and the preservation of human dignity,” it added.

Shift toward extremism

Furthermore, SIS argued that the Terengganu Syariah Court’s decision also violated Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The irony is glaring - Malaysia, currently a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2022–2024), is failing to uphold the very principles it pledged to protect.

“By allowing such actions, the federal government appears to have abandoned its fundamental duty to safeguard human rights and dignity,” it added.

Article 5 reads: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”

SIS cautioned that punishments like public caning do not promote justice or moral values, but represent a dangerous shift toward extremism, where punitive measures overshadow compassion and fairness.

“The Malaysian government and state authorities must act immediately to end all forms of corporal punishment, including public caning.

“Malaysia must decide its path forward. Let us choose one rooted in justice, compassion, and progress - not in violence, shame, and regression. The time to act is now before the damage becomes irreparable,” it added. - Mkini