Sharia law implemented in Brunei

(UPI) -- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei announced Tuesday that the Islamic Sharia law will soon take effect in his country.

Bolkiah said the law should be considered a form of "special guidance" from Allah, and that it would be "part of the great history" of Brunei, a small country on Borneo Island.

The law will be enforced in six months and could include penalties like amputation for theft and stoning for adultery, Bolkiah said. The Sharia Penal Code will only be applied to Muslims.

Brunei's Mufti Awang Abdul Aziz, the country's top Islamic scholar, told Tuesday's conference that the Shariah law "guarantees justice for everyone and safeguards their well-being."

This comes in as part of the Sultan's attempt to push Islamic influence in Brunei, which has widespread minorities including Buddhists, Christians and people with indigenous beliefs.