Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from IslamismVarious
Islamic
Correspondence Relating to Executions in Turkey for Apostacy from Islamism
Various
Apostasy -- Islam; Executions (Islamic law)
Mais Rifaat Pacha m'a paru convaincu qu'après le bruit que l'Europe
a fait, une scène semblable à celle de l'Arménien ne se renouvellera
point. Les mesures que le Gouvernement se propose de prendre ont
pour but d'éviter un jugement; et sans jugement on ne peut condamner
personne à mort. L'Arménien avait été jugé au Mehkemé dit du Stambol
Effendi, avant d'être envoyé à la Porte. Le Kiatib qui est en prison
pour avoir dit des injures contre Mahomet, a été jugé au Mehkemé de
Salonique, avant d'être envoyé à Constantinople; et le Conseil
suprême l'a déclaré digne de mort, quoiqu'il n'ait pas été
juridiquement et formellement condamné ici encore. La circonstance
que le Kiatib a été jugé déjà et convaincu d'avoir blasphémé le nom
de Mahomet, expose ses jours au plus grand danger.
J'ai l'honneur, &c.,
(Signé) FREDERIC PISANI.
(Translation.)
Excellency, _Pera, November_ 3, 1843.
In conformity with your orders, I placed in the hands of Rifaat
Pasha the Turkish translation of Lord Aberdeen's instructions and of
your Excellency's letter, with a copy of your letter.
Rifaat Pasha read the translation of the two documents which he
considered to be of great importance. He told me that he will lay
Lord Aberdeen's instructions before the Grand Vizier and the Sultan.
Rifaat Pasha told me confidentially that the measures which it is
proposed to take, are to order all the authorities at Constantinople
and and [sic] in the provinces henceforth to take care that when a
Turk who was a Christian, becomes again a Christian, and when a Turk
speaks insultingly of Mahomet or the Prophets, or utters other
blasphemies, he shall not be allowed to be given up to, and judged
by, any Mehkemé whatever; but if the case occurs at Constantinople,
the accused shall be sent to the Porte, or if it occurs in a
district beyond Constantinople, he shall be sent to the Pasha of the
province without any previous judgment. In this manner, said Rifaat
Pasha, the Porte and the provincial Pashas will devise means for
terminating affairs of this kind without noise, and (I venture to
infer from his Excellency's words) without having recourse to
capital punishment.
Rifaat Pasha added, that the Porte can give no written answer
respecting this affair without compromising itself either as regards
the Christian Powers, by stating that it is forced to execute the
law regarding Christians who, after having of their own accord
embraced Islamism, renounce it and become Christians again, and thus
incur capital punishment,--or as regards the law, by declaring that
it will not for the future be executed in cases similar to that of
the Armenian.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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