The death threats that a Christian asylum seeker in Canada continues to receive from Muslims recall the statements of a Muslim cleric who claimed that Muslims who kill Infidels deserve some punishment, but never the death penalty:

During a January 7, 2017 address at the Al-Khulafa Al-Rashideen Mosque in Sixth of October City near Cairo, Egyptian cleric Samir Hashish referred to a hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari that says that Muslims should not be put to death for killing infidels, and he said that some people use this hadith to justify killing non-Muslims. He explained that this is a distortion of the hadith, which actually only means that the death penalty may not be applied in such cases, while other punishments should still be applied. He added that Muslims are not put to death for killing infidels because their blood is worth more. The video was recently posted online. Following are excerpts: Samir Hashish: ‘There is a hadith that says: “No Muslim may be killed for killing an infidel.” Some people say that a Muslim who perpetrates a crime in a house of worship of non-Muslims has nothing to worry about, because a hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari exempts him from punishment and justifies his deed. In other words, he perpetrates this act because he believes that it is permitted by the Hadith that says: “No Muslim may be killed for killing an infidel.” Obviously, this is a deception.”

This is meant, believe it or not, to be a reading of the Hadith of Bukhari that should please non-Muslims. For that Hadith does not mean, Samir Hashish contends, that you are permitted to go out and kill Infidels with impunity, as apparently a number of Muslims have believed. Those Muslims who claim that they can kill Infidels and have “nothing to worry about” are reading the Hadith wrongly. No, claims Samir Hashish — that Muslim will be punished. It’s just that he won’t be put to death for killing an Infidel. That would be wrong. For the blood of a Muslim is worth more than the blood of an Infidel.

Hashish repeats his single point, many times over, and hardly varying the language:

“So what’s the story behind this hadith? It doesn’t mean that if someone kills a person from the People of the Book unjustly, he is committing a legitimate act. The hadith does not say that this is a legitimate act. The hadith merely excludes the death penalty from the possible punishments. If a Muslim kills a non-Muslim without a legitimate reason… Is he wrong to do so? Yes. Should he be punished? Yes. However, he should not be given the death penalty. The judge may give him any deterring punishment in his case, with the exception of the death penalty. Why? Because of the hadith that says that no Muslim may be killed for killing an infidel. Why is that? Because their lives are not worth the same. The blood of Muslims is more important. If you want to call this “racism,”fine. Of course the blood of Muslims is more important.”

Hashish is what you could call a “moderate” cleric. He actually believes it is wrong to kill a non-Muslim without a legitimate reason. Imagine that. And not only is it wrong, but a Muslim should even be punished for killing a non-Muslim. That’s a truly “moderate” view. He should be given a “deterring punishment” — one likely to keep him from killing a non-Muslim again. What might such a punishment be like? Hashish doesn’t say. Possibly a few years in jail? Yes, that might be just the sort of deterrence called for. A Muslim judge would no doubt agree. Muslim mobs, outside the courthouse, and always determined to see justice done, would not accept anything more.

The less moderate view is the one that says Muslims are not only allowed but commanded to kill Muslims — to “fight them” and “to strike at their necks” in many Qur’anic verses (e.g. 2:191-194, 4:89, 8:12, 8:60, 9:5, 9:29, 47:4). If you are commanded to kill Infidels in the Qur’an, goes the thinking, then surely you should not be punished for following the express dictates of Allah. After all, Allah Knows Best.

Samir Hashish does not agree. That’s what makes him a “moderate.” He thinks Muslims should be punished if they kill non-Muslims. Not, of course, with their own lives, because — as he says many times in two paragraphs — Muslim blood is worth more than the blood of a non-Muslim. Why it it worth more, again? Just because. Oh, well, that’s all the proof any Muslim needs. Also sprach Hashish. But some punishment, not too harsh, mind you, just enough to deter.

And what happens when, in a trial of a Muslim for killing a non-Muslim, the defense introduces the Qur’anic verses commanding the fighting against — and killing — of Infidels? Samir Hashish doesn’t say.