section 2

• justice-being fair

  • each person getting what they deserve and maintaining what's right
  • punishing the guilty and protecting the innocent
  • athiests and humanists:
  • sort of behaviour to expect from each other
  • would be chaos
  • modern day society could not operate
  • protect the weak from the strong
  • organised
• punishment and treatment of criminals

  • get back
  • prevent crime in the future
• criminals have the right to be treated fairly

  • carried out publicly in an unbiased court, and the accused has the opportunity to present their version of events
  • tried before a jury
  • community service
  • corporal punishment and torture illegal- goes against the sanctity of life
  • situation ethics and utilitarianism
• islamic law is different to uk law

  • shari'ah courts- only judge decides, no solicitors or juries, accused represents themselves
  • punishment should fit the crime- compensation
  • reformation
  • prisoners should be treated fairly
• treating prisoners and criminals, islamic law

  • harsh- more effective
  • against community service
  • allow corporal punishment- allows deterrence, reform offenders and offers retribution
  • too severe- don't respect the offender's human rights
  • some allow torture if it prevents greater suffering
• the death penalty

  • killed for a crime
  • capital punishment
• the death penalty

  • capital punishment- illegal, but in some places it can be used for very serious crimes
  • religious and non-religious are for and against it
• for the death penalty

  • better deterrent
  • impossible to kill again or to reoffend
  • suffering of the criminal protects others
  • utilitarianism- better for the major of society
• against the death penalty

  • religious and humanist people- murder
  • no chance to reform
  • innocence
  • sanctity of life
  • God's decision
• some people might use situation ethics to decide on a case-by-case basis if the death penalty should be applied
• islamic law allows the death penalty

  • the crimes are outlined in the qur'an
  • encourages compensation
  • shari'ah law and muhammad- adulterer, life for life and deserter of his Din (Islam)
  • allah, not humans, should decide when life ends
• why may some people still argue that we don't need laws

  • laws restrict human freedom and individuals should be free to do as they wish
  • getting rid of traffic laws leads to fewer accidents
• why does there need to be a connection between the law and justice

  • if a law is unjust, people will feel that it is right to break the law and will campaign against the causing trouble in society
  • unjust laws- not fulfilling purpose of making sure people are rewarded for their work
  • a just society may start a civil war
• religious people believe that god/ allah is just -fair

  • islam teaches muslims to work for justice and to treat others justly and equally- do good and avoid doing bad
  • muslims believe that they should always strive for justice to take place- always stand up for what is right
  • many believe that those who fight for justice will be rewarded in the afterlife- jannah, but those who don't will be sent to jannaham- hell
• people should do good and avoid evil

  • islam teaches people to live good lives and help other people
  • good things will please god/ allah
  • they believe they should avoid sin and evil, as their actions will be judged when they die
• moral evil

  when suffering occurs because of human actions- murder
• natural evil

  suffering caused by the world- floods
• both crime and punishment are connected to suffering

  • religious people are normally against most crimes because of the suffering they cause
  • suffering is described as a punishment for the sins people have committed or as a test from god- in special books like quran and bible
• people should do good and avoid evil

  • allah is merciful
  • good deeds- rewarded and bad deeds- suffering
  • if people intend to do something good, that will help them on the day of judgement, but if they intend to do something bad, it won't count against them
  • many believe that the devil, iblis, tries to make humans turn to evil
• non-religious people reject the idea that god causes suffering

  • they might feel religion isn't worth the suffering it can cause sometimes
  • ,e.g. as an excuse for terrorism, or through persecution of believers
• different types of crime

  • murder
  • theft
  • hate crimes
• hate crimes

  any type of crime committed against someone because of their ethnicity, religion, etc
• islam is against crimes

  as they break religious moral laws
• the quran

  condemns murder and theft
• murder

  • often seen as the worst crime
  • goes against the idea of sanctity of life- the belief that life is sacred and belongs to allah
• crime- many crimes break religious laws and teachings

  • crimes such as theft and hate crimes disregard religious teachings that people should be treated equally
  • as the offender shows no concern for the victim
• crime is caused by lots of different factors

  • done something illegal
  • deserve to be punished
  • isn't as simple as someone just being bad
• there are many different reasons why a person might commit a crime

  • poverty- turn to crime out of desperation- theft
  • upbringing- troubled childhood
  • mental illness- easily persuaded
  • addiction- dependent on drugs or alcohol
  • greed- steal or earn money illegally
  • hate- driven by prejudice- sexism
  • opposition to unjust law- a law might be broken as a protest if it's seen as unfair- important that laws are fair
• many feel that the reason behind the crime should be taken into consideration

  • religious people might want to help the individual as well as tackle the bigger issues that cause the crime- right thing to do
  • certain causes would be more likely to get sympathy- poverty more reasonable than greed
  • many think breaking a law that is unfair or that goes against religious law is acceptable
• muslims believe crime interrupts the relationship with allah

  • yawm ad-din (day of judgement)- if you have committed crimes you might not be sent to jannah- paradise
  • a life of crime doesn't allow believers to focus on what really matters- their faith and connection with allah
  • murder- one of the worst crimes
  • theft and hate crimes- defy islamic teachings about people being equal
  • key elements of religion help to reduce the likelihood of crime- compulsory charitable donations (zakah) help to tackle poverty and alcohol, drugs and gambling are banned, reducing the chance of addiction
• muslims believe crime interrupts the relationship with allah

  • parents are taught by the quran to give their child the best possible upbringing- prevent them from turning to crime
  • mosques offer help for families too
  • islam teaches muslims to speak out against unjust laws that go against allah's teachings, so many would understand someone breaking an unjust law in protest against it
  • in shari'ah courts, the circumstances surrounding the crime are looked into thoroughly, so the defendant is punished accordingly
• muslims work to reduce crime by helping prisoners and ex-offenders

  • muslim chaplains association:
  • reform prisoners- help them change
  • help them to reintegrate into society again
  • keep ex-offenders connection to chaplaincies in their local community so they continue to receive support after prison
  • mosaic:
  • pairs young people with a mentor
  • helps them to adjust to life outside of prison
  • helps them to find a job and somewhere to live
  • aim to prevent them from returning to a life of crime
• forgiveness

  • forgiveness is important: seeking god/ allah's forgiveness, and forgiving others
  • forgive others to be forgiven
• forgiveness

  stopping being angry with someone who's done something wrong
• forgiveness can reunite people and prevent reoffending

  • forgiveness is important for many religious believers
  • god is merciful towards people who genuinely (all-knowing) seek his mercy
  • they should reflect god's forgiving nature in their own behaviour
• important to forgive criminals so they can be reconciled (brought back to the community) with the community

  • leave prison isolated from others, with no job and little prospects- reoffending might seem like the only option
  • forgiveness allows both victims and perpetrators to move on
  • however, most religious people believe that criminals should still be punished for what they've done
• forgiveness can be shown in many ways

  • lesser offences no longer stay on people's records
  • there are schemes that give ex-offenders skills and a job when they're released
• restorative justice

  an offender might meet people who've suffered because of the crime they committed
• restorative justice

  • can help offenders to realise the extent of the damage they've done, try to make up for their actions and discourage them from reoffending
  • helps victim to work towards forgiving the offender
• islam teaches that allah is forgiving

  • muslims can seek retribution for injuries, but they're encouraged to forgive instead
  • whenever the qur'an describes punishment, it talks about forgiveness too
  • muslims believe that they must be merciful so that allah will do the same to them on yawm ad-din (the day of judgement)
  • believe that wrongdoing should be forgiven if the offender is sorry and tries to make amends
  • prophet muhammad was forgiving- hadith- follow his example
  • but some crimes are seen as so awful that forgiveness isn't an option, e.g. shirk