The Islamic league of Kurdistan has issued a conditional fatwa to kill the Kurdish writer Mariwan Halabjayi, if he does not repent and apologise for writing his book, 'Sex, Sharia and Women in the History of Islam' (www.pukmedia.com/news-kurdish/14-2/news21.htm).

The same organisation has also issued a Fatwa to kill the Danish cartoonists who caricatured Mohammed.

Unfortunately though, the Kurdish authorities are completely silent. One cannot expect any thing better from the Islamists. But for the Kurdish authorities to remain silent and not to prosecute the Islamic clerical parasites and terrorists, means a dereliction of duty towards Kurdistanis and the civilised world. This Islamic fatwa is undermining the Kurdistani people, preventing them from progressing towards a secular, developed and free society. The Islamic fatwa also implies a clear disregard to the Kurdish authorities, since this organisation operates on their territories. Any exercise of power should go through the legitimate, democratic channels. Particularly so serious a matter as issuing death sentences against local or foreign citizens. These fatwas, if they succeeded in silencing critics, would result in the domination of Islamists world wide, by means of terror.

The majority of humanity has not accepted the legitimacy of Islamic Sharia laws or the authority of Muslims. Accordingly, they should not be judged or ruled by Islamic authorities. Doing so is a clear violation of their dignity as beings who are entitled to participate, through liberal democratic means, in deciding the moral rules which they are to be judged by.

Killing critics cannot make Islam right and just, it will only make Muslims into criminals and terrorists. It is not the fault of the critics that they see wrongs in Islam. Muslims, it seems, demand the world to go blindly and not see their shortcomings. Can it be proved that the Koran does not contain verses demanding the killing of unbelievers and apostates? In fact, the fatwas they issue would not have been possible were it not for those Koranic verses. Can Muslims deny that Islam and the Koran accord inferior status to women, or that they are to be used as sex objects? The Koran explicitly sanctions the beating of women. How could equality be asserted when one man is allowed to marry and have concubines, but women are not permitted to have more than one husband, and no additional male lovers? Most importantly, can Muslims ignore that they have no institution for resolving power struggles? Had they had such an institution, Mohammed's companions would not have needed to war against each other, and Muslims would not have killed Mohammed's grandchildren. Muslims need to reconsider their religion, and their own beliefs. Concern with morality requires people leaving erroneous beliefs and attitudes. 

Perhaps, Islamists justify their policies in the name of entitlement to respect for their religious feeling. But should they be entitled to such unqualified respect? One might have agreed to accord them that respect, had the Koran not been full of condemnation for infidels, and full of disparagement for all non-Muslims. Demand for respect, if not reciprocated, is only a demand to dominate. If Muslims ask for respect, they should accord others equal respect. To issue death warrants so easily against people who've done nothing more serious than write a book or draw a picture is disproportionate, clear fascism, and no decent human being should accept it. If they think that they have been slighted unjustly, they should raise their grievances to independent and authorised courts. Issuing fatwas to kill, without giving a chance to the condemned to defend themselves, without appointing impartial and knowledgeable judges, and in total disregard to the laws of the countries in which they reside, is a clear manifestation of backward thinking, that has not moved away from the mentality of the Arab nomads of 14 centuries past. We should draw their attention to the fact that in a civilised world, they can call for solicitors, set up impartial courts, and hear the defendants' opinions. A defendant may then be acquitted and indemnified if proved not guilty.

In this context, we should appeal to all human rights activists and freedom loving people around the world, to put pressure both on the Kurdish administrations and these Kurdish Islamic organisations, to rescind and apologise.