Tears As 42-year-old Man Flogged In Mosque For Spending Time Alone With Woman
A 42-year-old construction worker in Malaysia’s conservative state of Terengganu was publicly flogged inside a mosque on Friday after being convicted by a Sharia court for the Islamic offence of spending time alone with a woman who was neither his wife nor relative.
The man, clad in an orange inmate’s jumpsuit, was transported to the mosque in a prison van following Friday prayers.
He received six lashes before an audience of about 90 people, marking the first time a Sharia court-ordered caning was carried out in a mosque, according to Malaysia’s official Bernama news agency.
The offence, known as khalwat, is considered a breach of Islamic law. While Sharia court-ordered canings are rare, this public execution of the punishment underscores the strict enforcement of Islamic laws in Terengganu.
Earlier in the week, the Malaysian Bar expressed “profound concern” over the punishment. “Such punishments strip individuals of their dignity,” the association said in a statement.
However, some spectators defended the act, viewing it as a moral deterrent. “Valentine’s Day, New Year’s, there are many opportunities for young people to engage in inappropriate behaviour,” said 37-year-old Mohd Sabri Muhammad.
Malaysia, a multi-ethnic nation, operates a dual legal system where Islamic courts handle specific matters for Muslim citizens. Critics argue that caning, typically conducted over clothing, serves not only to physically punish but also to humiliate recipients.
Human rights groups have condemned such practices. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia stated last week, “Punishments that inflict physical violence and public humiliation have no place in a modern justice system.”
Notably, a similar punishment was carried out in 2018 when two women convicted of violating religious laws by having sexual relations were caned in front of more than 100 spectators in an Islamic court.
