According to several media reports, the Islamic State has beheaded a convert to Islam, Abdul-Rahman Kassig. The 26-year-old victim of ISIS justice had been in Syria on a humanitarian aid project. He was formerly known as Peter Kassig. A video purporting to show his grisly execution emerged on November 16.

The Islamic State or Caliphate carried out the death sentence of Kassig just weeks after it had promised to do so in retribution for US and allied air raids.   »»» Spero

Even if ISIS had the right to claim that it is conducting jihad to restore the Caliphate (which it does NOT), its killing of prisoners of war who are Muslims is forbidden. This is covered in the classic manual of Islamic law written by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri as a recension of Imam Nawawi’s great 13th century (C.E.) work, which specificall covers the punishment for three categories of prisoners.

He says:

1. “Whoever enters Islam BEFORE being captured may not be killed or his property confiscated or his young children taken captive.”

2. “When a [non-Muslim] adult male is taken captive [during warfare in a Muslim land]…the Caliph determines the prisoner’s sentence: release, death, hard labour or ransom.”

In the case of Mr. Kassig, the third rule apples:

3. “IF A PRISONER BECOMES A MUSLIM WHILE IN CAPTIVITY…HE MAY NOT BE KILLED AND ONE OF THE OTHER THREE ALTERNATIVES IS APPLIED.”

ISIS routinely commits other atrocities that are prohibited in Islam, but its summary execution of innocent people is a striking reminder that psychopaths and sociopaths can be very clever in using (i.e. misusing) religion to draw people into their web.

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