I agree with all the previous posts.
They are, I suppose, most infamous for their treatment of women. An example is not allowing girls to pursue education when science and education are highly valued in Islam, regardless of gender.
Another example is not allowing male doctors to treat women, which means many diseases are left untreated. Of course it is preferable for a woman to have a female doctor, but if none are available
you need to get yourself treated. In Islam
preventing harm comes first, before doing good. In this case, preventing serious harm, injury or death to your body definitely comes before male/female etiquette.
Then there are other things they enforce, which
do have a ground in Islam, but they're doing something fundamentally wrong. By the authorities deciding to such a degree on what's lawful or not, and dealing severe punishment,
they are removing any autonomy of the person themselves. This is a major issue.
What is one of the most fundamental aspects of islam?
Intention. It should be there before every single action on the believer.
Quote:
"For Allah knoweth well the secrets of your hearts" Surah Al-Imran, 003:154
Who is more likely to have the right intention? A girl who is free to wear hijab or not and chooses to wear it for the sake of Allah, or a girl who has no choice either way because she faces severe punishment if she doesn't?
The one who leaves smoking, drinking, music or television even though it's all around him, for the sake of Allah, or the one who can't have these things either way because they're not there, or again, he faces severe punishment.
When intention and sincerity of action are such a fundamental part of Islam, you *need* to have this sort of freedom, you need to have the choice, to even be able to cultivate that intention in your heart. Otherwise this is a moot point.
And this is not even the individuals who randomly throw battery acid at girls for going to school. This is just them as a governing body. Theoretically, preventing your citizens from what you perceive as harmful effects could be a lofty ideal, but this is just atrocious.
Ugh.