The Scope of the Death Penalty under the Sharia Law

The death penalty is one of the core issues which have been widely discussed around the world. As capital punishment has been the part of the Islamic legal system, the Quran and hadith explicitly established the penalties in various serious crimes. A majority of the world‟s nations has abolished the death penalties from their constitutions, but most of the Islamic countries firmly believe in this system. One root cause of it is that the Holy Quran and hadith provide the justification for capital punishment. Further, several Islamic countries where Islam has the status of the state religion, allow the application of the death penalty. This work has prompted us to expose that the Islamic penal code is well-established in the legal and political systems of Islamic countries and the impact of religious traditions have an indirect impact on the implication of the death sentence. Since the death penalty is even now broadly established in Muslim countries, there is also increasing support in several of these states to abolish of the death penalty. Some secular activists have distorted the Quranic verses dealing with the death penalty to support their instance. For different reasons, they claim that political governments may use the death penalty as cover to suppress their political rivals. Our findings reveal that secular propaganda against the Islamic penal system is based on wrong assumptions and a result of Islamophobia. This research article can provide a logical discussion on the issue of capital punishment, rooted in the true spirit of the Islamic punishment system.

A Randomized Control Trial Comparing Train of Four Ratio ≥0. 9 to Clinical Assessment of Return of Neuromuscular Function Before Endotracheal Extubation on Critical Respiratory Events in Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi

Background: There is increasing evidence that the incidence of postoperative residual paresis after using neuromuscular blockers ranges from 24 to 50% in post anaesthesia care unit and is associated with postoperative complications such as critical respiratory events as evidenced by hypoxia, hypoventilation and upper airway obstruction. Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring (such as the assessment of Train of four (TOF) ratio) and reversal of neuromuscular blockers has been shown to reduce postoperative residual paresis. There are very few outcome studies on effect of residual paresis in Post anaesthesia care unit (PACU). There are no published randomised control trials investigating whether using a TOF ratio ≥0.9 before endotracheal extubation compared to clinical assessment of return of neuromuscular function reduces the incidence of critical respiratory events in PACU. Primary Objective: To determine whether using TOF ratio ≥0.9 compared to clinical assessment of return of neuromuscular function before endotracheal extubation reduces the incidence of critical respiratory events in PACU Secondary objectives: To determine incidence and severity of hypoxia in PACU. To determine incidence of upper airway obstruction in PACU Study Design: Randomised, prospective, double blinded control trial Setting: Operating theatres of the Aga Khan University hospital Nairobi Population: Adults, aged 18-65 years ASA physical status I and II undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia. Sample size: 168 patients randomised to TOF ratio group and clinical assessment group, 84 per group. Methods: Patients requiring general anaesthesia for elective surgery with cisatracurium as the muscle relaxant were randomised into 2 groups using computer generated numbers. Group 1 were patients who required a TOF ratio of ≥0.9 before extubation. Group 2 patients were extubated based on clinical assessment of return of adequate neuromuscular function by the anaesthetist as is the standard of practice at the Aga Khan University hospital Nairobi. General anaesthesia was standardised in both groups. Both the investigators and patients were blinded during the study. Once the patient was transferred to PACU, oxygen saturation (SP02), respiratory rate and any signs of upper airway obstruction as demonstrated by stridor, laryngospasms or requirement of any airway manipulation was recorded for the first 30 minutes. Duration of anaesthesia and surgery was also recorded. Patient demographics were recorded and analysed. vii Results: There was no statistical difference between the 2 groups in terms of patient demographics, duration of surgery and anaesthesia and duration since last muscle relaxant was given. In terms of hypoxia on arrival in PACU, the incidence of