Social Debate 101: The Death Penalty Debate

The Death (Capital) Penalty has been established among the first punishment for crimes commonly in response to a murder or treason (treason had different understandings among the different ages but was quite meant to those who go against own group mainstream). An Eye for Eye is the primitive rationale to this Penalty and has been ever sense used as a common sense punishment.

Worldwide the debate has verified from religious, philosophical, moral, political, and even economic aspects. However the debate in Jordan is taking a different dimension and this is what I intend to challenge in this post.

The general code in Capital Penalty is whether the murders (convicted) violation of others right to life justifies them (murders, convicted) loosing their own right to life. Is it right to execute such punishment!

Arguments stand for Capital Penalty consists of some of the below list:

- Death Penalty is right as those who don’t celebrate others right to life don’t deserve their own right (same as Eye for Eye)
- Some crimes need severe punishment so: It stands as a strong reminder of the consequences the Death Penalty has in reducing number of murders and relevant crimes (protects the society)
- Economically sounds (reduces cost of prisons and holding those convicted)

Arguments against Capital Penalty can be made of:

- Right to life is a basic human right that shall not be violated under any circumstance
- It does not help the community being secured, it add items of brutality and conduct of violence
- The Judicial System is being operated by Human Beings (no Aliens, no Hamzaists, no angles) so there is a great chance of wrong conviction, and it is worthy saving one innocent life to abandon Death Penalty
-Death Penalty has been usually a tool to take on Minorities (race: black), political opposition (review Arabia, and China)

Of course the debate is more in-depth and on philosophical and moral grounds, but lets’ see how it operates in Jordan (it, for the debate)

One head of the Lawyers bar in Jordan argued that the new developments in Jordan and discussion regarding the abolition of Death Penalty is due to Pressure from Foreign and International Human Rights Group (though he does not really mind using their reports, and email them when he thinks that he rising to power can be jeopardized for violations of different nature)!

So, what is wrong with Human Rights Groups: Their Double Standards of going after the US, and other forces operating in Iraq now, and of the Israeli Occupation in the West Bank! This can be very true, but what is wrong with the Principles; such informed opposition doesn’t have a clue! Or don’t want to shake the foundation of the Society and the religious laws (Jordan is a constitutional parliamentary monarchy)!

Well, the Lawyers Bar in Jordan is usually under the control of Pan-Arab groups (supported by the Islamists) and both groups never put human rights as a serious agenda, except when it fits them!

Islamists with so many people will say: You Can not contradict a God’ law, I would accept this if law and judicial practice has a share of this divine power, and of course if all argue this don’t submit to banking services, endorse slavery, and of course wish to abolish co-education.

What was a divine and sacred right to enslave people became rejected once the entire world stood up together and the practice became socially and humanely not accepted.

1400 years shall allow us to think and go beyond the exact text, and tries to develop new ideas that serve on a global human rights conduct code.

Now, for those state that Capital Punishment is a society protector and it is a necessary tool to address the society of not going beyond limits, my answer is this: Capital Punishment is not a sole act, it must become a part of a holistic human rights and ethics education that starts from the very early days (primary school, homes, why not!)

There are no statistics that support the argument of abolition capital punishment adds to crime counter, simply it might be irrelevant: Crime Prevention is far more complicated includes Education, Providing Basic Needs to Citizens, and wish for the best (Sounds Strategy ha!)

The 1-million argument is abolishing capital punishment would trigger an old act of revenge, and this brings us back to another debate of having a law of tribal, old traditions, scripts, religious, and civil as part of Jordan twenty first century. We do need to become courageous to reform the way we understand things!

Jordan did not report any execution of Capital Penalty in the years of 2007 and 2008, and I do believe we must carry on this practice. Now, this can represent a milestone to go forward with abolition of Death Penalty and here is a strategy:

- Hold to all verdicts that were stated earlier, and halt the practice for the next ten years
- Review all of the death sentences and ensure that the proceedings were sounds established
- Establish a national debate on the issue of Abolition of Death Penalty and allow for Awareness Campaigns to show that we don’t only feel EU are cool, but we do need this aspect of social justice, for us, the nation of Jordan, and not as a decoration on table.