Posted on 10/31/2011 8:31:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway
FACING world outrage for their barbaric practice of beheading prisoners, Saudi Arabia’s rulers responded in ruthless fashion.
A man accused of sorcery was hauled to a public car park, where his head was chopped off in front of dozens of onlookers.
Gruesome footage of the execution soon appeared on the internet.
It shows the executioner lining his sword up on the back of the accused, on his knees and blindfolded, before one swift stroke decapitates him.
Human rights groups yesterday branded the execution in Medina “appalling” and called on the Saudis to abolish the death penalty.
The Sudanese victim – Abdul Hamid Bin Hussain Bin Moustafa al-Fakki – is believed to be the 44th person executed there this year, and the 11th foreign national.
Saudi Arabia last year rejected a United Nations plea for a worldwide temporary ban on executions – and this year’s grim tally there is 17 more than for the whole of 2010.
Abdul Hamid is understood to have been arrested after he was entrapped by the Mutawa’een (religious police). He was asked to concoct a spell to cause an officer’s father to leave his second wife.
The officer says the “sorcerer” agreed to carry out the curse for £1,000 and he was sentenced to death by a secret court without being allowed a lawyer.
Amnesty International, which had urged King Abdullah to call off the beheading, said yesterday: “Abdul Hamid’s execution is appalling, as is Saudi Arabia’s continuing use of this most cruel and extreme penalty.
It’s nice to know that Amnesty International found the murder “appalling”. Working yourself into being “appalled” is really hard but somebody’s got to do it.
No more for you!
If one is going to support the death penalty (I do), then one is compelled to have a suitably speedy and relatively painless way to administer it. Objectively speaking, from a strictly technical viewpoint, a well-executed beheading with a sharp, heavy sword is probably less cruel (though no less extreme) than, say, hanging.
(Note: I also think there are some crimes for which a certain amount of pain and suffering during death is warranted, based on the crime being particularly heinous and there being absolutely no doubt as to guilt. And understand that the horrible Islamist beheadings with a knife are not in this discussion; those are heinous crimes. I'm speaking of an executioner who is professionally trained, as is a hangman or death-row doctor. I do not know whether the swordsman in this article was a pro.)
A.I. is against the death penalty, which is their right. But those of us who support it must, I believe, consider a proper, professional beheading by sword to be no less humane than guillotining, hanging, electrocution, or chemical injection.
Messier, though. Not much you can do about that.
BTW, I don’t think this particular beheading was justified, even if the law says “sorcery” is illegal. Accepting a fee and promising to produce some supernatural result is simply fraud. Might be a crime, and prohibited, like telling fortunes for real money. It shouldn’t be a capital crime.
Facinating...advocating torture.
Torture? A single stroke of the sword? I doubt there was much pain or suffering.
I am for death penalty in case of all 1st degree pre-meditated murders. However I prefer how they put my very sick dog to sleep. The vet administered a pain killer & relaxer first. That is the first time in weeks it was obvious she was feeling no pain. The vet gave us a few minutes to say good bye to our pet of 14 years. The dog looked at us with soulful eyes. My wife and were both holding her and bawling. We stroked her face, said good byes. Then the vet gave her another shot and she passed very quickly. I do not think any humans deserve anything more cruel, even if they showed no such mercy on their victim. Let God administer the final verdict for them.
Amazing what a good Muslim spring will do. Not to say if it was torture when Sharia law is going on.
There are some horrific crimes where going out of one's way to be kind to the convicted perp seems unjustifiable. As a society, we try not to give in to those feelings. But as individuals, we sometimes would like to give the perp a taste of suffering and pain.
Better?
It's "he".
Apparently if one is to practice sorcery in Saudi Arabia, one best be a most formidable sorcerer indeed...enough to repel the authorities or at the least teleport to safety.
Well we are certainly agreed it should NOT have been a capital crime. However, it may well be the man was not trying to commit fraud, but was convinced that he had power. Although since it was a “curse” it seems less innocent to me than a fortune teller who was convinced of their own mystic power.
I wonder if being a sorcerer in Saudi Arabia pays well?
It’s probably a good way to meet superstitious older women with a lot of money...
Gimme that “old time religion.”
They should form an invading army headed by Allen Iverson.
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