Note that he ultimately blames the victim, he still blames Salman Rushdie, “The book itself destroyed the harmony between peoples and created an unnecessary international crisis.” The book destroyed harmony and created an international crisis? Rushdie destroyed harmony and created an international crisis?
Nay, the Ayatollah Khomeini, his fatwa and the particular Muslims who supported it destroyed harmony and created an international crisis.
Next, note that for some reason he decides to throw some raw meat at both, those who oppose and support him,
When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that – like both the Torah and the Gospel – the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them.
He is attempting to sidetrack the conversation by saying, “Hey, look over there instead, look at the Bible!” Indeed, such diversionary tactics may work on those who support him and would like nothing better than to turn from an evil perpetrated in the name of Islam to besmirching the Bible, Judaism and Christianity. Yet, in doing so we find that the raw meat is not kosher. Note the footnote that he attaches to this statement:
In Exodus 20:7 the Third Commandment openly states, “You shall not take the name of The Lord in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless”. It also says in Leviticus 24:16, “And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregations shall surely stone him.” Again, quoting Matthew, 12: 31-32, Jesus is reported to have said, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit, shall not be forgiven.”
In addition regarding other crimes it says in Leviticus 20: 14, “And if a man take a wife and her mother he shall be burnt with fire”; also in Leviticus 20: 15, “if a man lies with a beast, he shall surely be put to death,” and in Exodus 21:17, “Anyone who curses his father and mother must be put to death.”
The reason that Jews have not stoned anyone for millennia is that the Torah was agreed upon by the Jews/Israelites/Hebrews who agreed to live by it within the relevant time, place and government. The Torah was for those who lived millennia ago within YHVH’s theocratic kingdom within the Land.
From a Jewish perspective: the Torah still holds as a moral guide and as an elucidator of various rituals yet, since particularly the time of the Babylonian captivity Jews have congregated themselves into congregations: the era of the synagogue was born (I wrote about this history for the MCOI Journal: part 1, part 2, part 3). Thus, just as certain rituals, such as animal sacrifices, are impossible to carry out in a kosher manner without the priesthood and the Temple likewise, certain aspects of the legal aspect of the Torah cannot be carried out any longer. This is somewhat of an insider’s reference but sing the scepter has been taken away and Shilo has not come (according to Rabbinic Judaism) not only has the Messiah missed his due date but Jews have no right to carry out capital punishment as a Jewish religious judicial system sentence (what the secular Israeli government does is another issue). For insight into this insider’s reference see: When Was the Messiah Expected?
From a Christian perspective: the Torah is a moral guide and the entire—and here is the key term—“Old” Testament was written for our learning. The—and here is another key term—“New” Testament is now in place.
This is actually, somewhat, understood by Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam who stated,
However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole.
Thus, the difference is that while there is no Jewish context or setting (and certainly no Christian context or setting) in which capital punishment for blasphemy could be carried out, there are various places where it could be in an Islamic context.