The Treatment of P.O.W.s

This article in today's Washington Times is not encouraging.  Earlier this week, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Ahmad al-Hadithi was quoted as saying that the already brutalized U.S. POWs captured in southern Iraq would, "be treated according to the principles of Islam". . . . Andrew Bostom in his article analyzes what this might mean.

"As for the captives, the amir [ruler] has the choice of taking the most beneficial action of four possibilities: the first to put them to death by cutting their necks; the second, to enslave them and apply the laws of slavery regarding their sale and manumission; the third, to ransom them in exchange for goods or prisoners; and fourth, to show favor to them and pardon them."....Abu'l-Hasan al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah. The Laws of Islamic Governance, trans. by Dr. Asadullah Yate, (London), Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd., 1996, p. 192

The rest of the article can be found here.

(Thanks to John Lacroix and CDLeo for the reference.)