Human Rights Watch, an international watchdog group, yesterday sent a letter to the Saudi Arabian court of review, asking them to overturn a lower court's death sentence for a Lebanese national. The man, Ali Sibat, was arrested last year by religious police while on pilgrimage to Mecca. His alleged crime? Witchcraft.Sibat is a television personality who often gave advice on general life problems and made future predictions on the Lebanese satellite TV station, Sheherezade. Apparently, that was the basis for the charge against him. According to May al-Khansa, his attorney in Lebanon, Sibat was not allowed to have a lawyer at the trial and was coerced into making a confession with interrogators promising that he would be released if he did so.
He was convicted of witchcraft on Nov. 9th and is currently in jail awaiting execution by beheading.
He is also not alone. Human Rights Watch says two other people were arrested on similar charges in just the last month.
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said, "Saudi courts are sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious police. The crime of ‘witchcraft' is being used against all sorts of behavior, with the cruel threat of state-sanctioned executions."
Others have been executed for this type of crime before. In 2007, Saudi Arabia beheaded a pharmacist, Mustapha Ibrihim, for having tried to separate a married couple "through sorcery" according to the Ministry of Interior.
"Saudi judges have harshly punished confessed 'witches' for what at worst appears to be fraud, but may well be harmless acts," Whitson said. "Saudi judges should not have the power to end lives of persons at all, let alone those who have not physically harmed others."
Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to codify it's criminal laws and bring them in line with international human rights standards. Currently the Kingdom has no penal code and judges have almost complete discretion to define criminal acts and set punishments for them.
Photo Credit:
1) Public beheading in Jedda in 2006 (source NCIN)
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Comments
Sheesh! What's the world coming to? Imagine killing people for practising "witchcraft"!!
Oh look! That one with the beard! Why he looks just like my great-grandfather!
Nah, couldn't be. When great grand-dad took care of witches he burned them. None of this namby-pamby instant death by beheading stuff. These Arabs are soooo uncivilized.......
The Saudis are trying to modernize. When they finally get around to burning witches instead of beheading them, they'll have caught up with where the West was in the 17th century...
He deserves it! And I wish Human Rights Watch would understand this Sharia Law is mandated by Islam and the Holy Qur'an. I wish they would stop interfering with Saudi internal affairs! This is the law at work here. The judges that passed the ruling are not dummies... They are established scholars who spent years studying this. Just because the west sees it one way doesn't make it the right way! What arrogance!
'Truth', noone deserves death for something that is absolutely impossible by human ability. From a Christian perspective, I must confess, witchcraft is not possible by anyone persons power. If anything that person did resembled 'actual' witchcraft, having an effect, it was not the person, it was spiritual.
What 'Truth' says should be taken as a warning to us all...this is islam at work, friends. Beware of islam and its 'religion of peace'. No where is safe from them. We must be vigilant
Thisiscrzy,
I have been interviewing a muslim and posting a Q&A series. He has begun by answering a question of Jihad. His beliefs are specific to his sect. Islamic sects have differences. All believe in Jihad, however, they define Jihad differently. So, there is peace in Islam.
You are not very active today, Hugh. Are you busy observing Thanksgiving?
Truth:
Are you serious? really?
Can you quote your sources where witchcraft has been made punishable in Islam?
Is Saudi Arab the spokesperson for Islam? If your brother or father were the subject of this beheading, would you still support it?
Punishing witches requires belief in the supernatural, whether that be Islam, Christianity, etc., that have been used a basis for mislabeling humans as witches and then killing them.
The best protection against these kinds of clearly crazy killings is a world that embraces reason and humanism rather than supernatural myths (whether those myths be Islamic, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, etc).
Qamar,
The name 'Truth' sounds like a name given by the Five Percent Nation of Islam. Isn't interesting that this guy is not aware that possibly a real Muslim such as yourself may read his supposed intelect?
For those of you who are not aware, Qamar is doing the question answer series on the Islamic faith on my page.
Hey Hugh,
It suddenly occurred to me, why are you writing off topic? I guess being an A-theist (believer in God) gives you free passage into what ever religion you wish to write about. I should have applied to be the Richmond A-Theist Examiner.
...and what "Thisiscrzy" is saying is a great sign of religious intolerance! Just because a certain religion incriminates an individual act makes it a threat to you? How is that? Are you a witch by any chance? Sheesh! Talk about being off topic all to gether. But it is a certain prejudice that's waiting to show its head at the earliest chance!
"Qamar"... Read your Qur'an (1:102) and related sayings of the prophet before commenting.
"Richmond, etc."... "supposed intellect"?! Very classy! I see there are people here who take things as if I'm cursing them for some reason.
Islam IS a religion of peace. Islam incriminates terrorism and violence... 9/11 was an atrocity that should NEVER happen again. I dare anyone to say otherwise!
I was pointing out an Islamic ruling regarding witchcraft that I did not make up! Research it folks... but please don't comment on what I say if you cannot respect my right to say it.
Here you go Qamar... enjoy!
www.islamawareness.net/BlackMagic/fortune.html
I must reiterate, though... I did not participate in this thread to be personally ridiculed! If that's what the thread is about, please folks just tell me now and I will find better ways to spend my time. You don't like the ideas I'm discussing here? Fine! You have the right to reject them... But things like what "Richmond" said are personally offensive and I cannot accept them!
Truth,
You are right about my attitued. For my attitude and how I phrased ideas in my comments directed at you, I apologize.
As I think about how I felt to think you are a Five Percenter, I became angry. I have had negative experiences with Five percenters and was the subject of racism. Noone likes to be treated unfairly, especially when it is unprovoked. I was. And, I still get angry, thinking about it.
The other thing I just could not tolerate about Five Percenters is that they strive for knowledge. That is fine. However, it was the incesant ignorants that always accompanied seudo knowledge. That is what I was reflecting on when I said, "supposed knowledge". That should remain directed at those who I recall. Not you.
Richmond,
Your position is clear now, and thanks!
WOW! I just had an epiphany! I my new religion, the posters known as "Richmond Evangelical Examiner" and "Truth" are actually witches. God just told me so.
Now let's ask if they both would like to go to Saudi Arabia and ask for a fair trial to sort out whether my labeling them as witches/warlocks is correct or not. It will give the poster named "Truth" to see first-hand if Islam is a religion of peace, as he/she says it is.
Regarding the last poster...
I really can't find the reason why some people would morph any specific topic into a way to vent their prejudice against Islam! It is a religion of peace weather you understand that or not! In case you don't know, we are technically limited to 1000 words or less per post. So, again, go research things adequately BEFORE venting. I can't possibly start to explain things here.
Dear "Truth": My 'venting' is not limited to Islam. You are correct that I have a prejudice. Specifically, my 'prejudice' is against any group (society, government, religion, etc.) that would label someone with a silly supernatural term such as "witch" and then use that as an excuse to cut off a person's head (or burn someone to death, or drown them, etc.).
If I did not have this "prejudice", there would be something wrong with my morality.
I'm glad you called it "my morality" rather that just "morality".
Still, you didn't explain enlarging the scope of your "prejudice" to cover a whole belief based on your disagreement with ONE of its rulings.
Dear 'Truth': my disagreement with ONE of Islam's rulings is that it happens to be a ruling that chops off someone's head due to a silly superstitious belief that the person is a witch. To me, that's not a minor thing (it's probably also a pretty big deal to the person whose head gets chopped off).
I readily admit that all religions, including Islam, probably have very positive aspects to them. But many religions try to say that theirs (or their ancient book on which they're based) is some kind of "PERFECT" word of god.
Examples like beheadings done in the name of a "religion of peace" just show an obvious crack in the illusion of "perfection". It's hypocrisy.
Similarly, the Catholic church with it's very long history of institutional support of child molestation/rape is a huge crack in that religion's ability to hold itself up as the goalpost for human morality.
So my criticism of hypocritical immorality is not limited to any one religion, nor one nation, etc
Truth,
Peace be upon you!
Thanks for reminding me to read my Quran.
I looked up the reference you posted. In the 1st chapter of Quran, there are only 6 verses.
And I am still waiting for response to my other question, namely: Is Saudi Arab the spokesperson for Islam?
'Islam stands for peace' is a claim NOT the proof. In order to prove it, Islam's teachings have to be proven peaceful. Furthermore, Muslims have to embody its teachings and live by them. Then everyone will be able to see and no arguments will be required.
Regarding witches, witchcraft, sorcery etc. they are all illusions of one form or another. Everything has to be looked at in its proper context. Most people like watching David Copperfield, David Blaine, etc (no different than other performers) and the entertainment they provide. However, if such magicians abused their skills to the detriment of others, then we can agree that such behavior will have to be checked.
---continued---
I salute Hugh Kramer for raising concern over this blatant human rights violation by Saudi Arabia.
Some parting thoughts:
"A word of Truth to the wrongdoing ruler is the best form of jihad"
saying of Muhammad pbuh, taken from Nasai
"There will come a time upon the people when nothing will remain of Islam except its name and nothing will remain of the Quran except its inscription. Their mosques will be splendidly furnished but destitute of guidance. Their divines will be the worst people under the heaven and strife will issue from and avert to them."
saying of Muhammad pbuh, taken from Mishkat ul Masabih, Kitab ul Ilm
How prophetic!
Dear Qamar,
And peace be upon you too, my friend.
In regards to Saudi Arabia being the spokesperson for Islam, I really don't recall ever saying that or suggesting it. Just scroll down to all my comments and check. The article itself never suggested that either.
I still say that many posts here mix notions of punishment for wrong doing with the GENERAL notion of peace.
In any case, I see that this discussion needs so much background info than we can delve into. Look up the prophets sayings regarding sorcery and black magic practices. You will find them stating precisely what the rulings are. And those sayings come from prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I'd say he is a TRUE spokes person for Islam.
Before closing, it is heartwarming to say that personal attacks in this thread were replaced by mutual respect. Thank you all!
I must withdraw now from this thread as my annual break is over tomorrow and I won't have as much time as I did for the past few days... alas! :(
Peace to y
Whenever I read posts like that saying "prophet Muhammad (pbuh)", I can't help it but the phrase "pbuh" makes me think of the Grand Poobah, from the Flintstones.
So I did a google search for "Grand Poobah" and I will leave it to the readers to decide if the phrase seems to fit Muhammad, pbuh.
Grand Poobah, pbuh:
It is an interesting connection you have made. It is up to our imagination to make more connections like this between non-related terms.
pbuh = peace be upon him.
Not only does a Muslim use this term after Muhammad but also after Jesus, Moses, Abraham and other Biblical prophets. Furthermore, the same is true with Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, Krishna and Socrates (in the case of Muslims who believe them to be prophets of God). A person who brought honor to these personalities amongst billions of his followers, naturally deserves to be honored.
I take this issue to be a bit bigger than even this report. If they are doing a witch hunt, it means they are out for blood against a specific set of religions - Paganism. Sure, allot of people disagree, but if Christians were murdered like this you'd have politicians making a fuss. But pagans? Nope. Don't matter to anyone. *sigh*
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