Jakarta, NU Online
The country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has expressed disagreement to proposals to abolish the death sentence as the capital punishment  would basically guarantee a more extensive life.

"In the philosophy of law, there is no need to eliminate the death sentence, as capital punishment will  protect human life in a broader sense," General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi at the PBNU building, Jalan Kramar Raya 164 Jakarta, Thursday (24/8).

<>And in fact, countries where the death sentence still prevails in their  criminal code, had proven that crime, like murder, has declined, he said, taking Malaysia as a good  example.

Hasyim Muzadi presented his opinion amidst rising demands for the abolition of the death sentence from some circles, on the grounds that capital punishment is a violation of human rights as it deprived of an individual’s right to live.

"But in this case, we should not only consider the human rights of a murderer. How about the rights of the people they had killed, and why should we ignore their rights," Hasyim said.

As a matter of fact, the essence of a death sentence is to  uphold justice, rather than the execution itself.

"For example, fights by using sickles are still rampant in Madura, because the killers knew they would be jailed for their crime  for only a comple of years. Practically, such relatively short sentences have not deterred people from committing the same crime again, not to mention discrimination in the application of justice," he said.

Asked on the planned execution of Tibo and associates, and Amrozi, he said the government had the authority to consider  and take a decision on who is liable to the death sentence through the legal process. (rif)