Saudi Arabia, Sharia court sentenced a woman accused of engaging in witchcraft to beheading by a sword. She became the 73rd person executed this year in the country living under Sharia.
Sharia lawis supposedly a moral code and religious law of Islam. Muslims believe sharia is God's law, but they differ as to what exactly it entails.
Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries, societies and cultures have varying interpretations of Sharia as well.
In Saudi kingdom death sentence is given to murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers.
The execution is usually carried out through severing off the heads of the victim with a sword. Pretty gruesome stuff - as you can imagine. This is an acceptable standard in that country. "That awful" said Mary Moore of Charlotte, N.C. when I told her what happens to people in Saudi Arabia. "I can't believe that still goes on. Why are we friends with that nation if that is the case", she said. Actually Mary brings up a good point.
Yes the United States considers Saudi Arabia a very close friend and ally? Why I’m not exactly sure, but I think oil has a lot to do with it. The U.S. also sells weapons and arms to Saudi Arabia as well…but that another issue.
Human rights organization "Amnesty International" calls on Saudi Arabia to stop beheading people. It also points to a host of other violations of human rights (especially in relation to women), but these calls are not heard in the kingdom, which ignore human rights complaints.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia is not the only example of so called Muslim countries with strict adherents to Sharia laws. Each country should be regarded specifically.
If you take Syria, such laws do not exist there since it is a secular country.
For example, in Oman for the abuse of alcohol one can be not only thrown to jail, but be beaten with a stick on the soles of their feet. This would be considered torture in many Western countries. Even in the most liberal of all the Gulf countries, Kuwait, one can be arrested for kissing in public, which is totally outrageous when you think about it. Any civilized nation would never stand for such a thing.
Robert Tilford
Charlotte, N.C.
