Like these victims were able to argue against THEIR executions?
Posted on 10/20/2005 5:37:38 AM PDT by Calpernia
(Washington, DC 10/18/05) The Free Muslims Coalition, a national Muslim organization, argues against the execution of Saddam Hussein.
On October 18, Saddam Hussein will appear in an Iraqi court to answer criminal charges. Mr. Hussein will begin accounting for his past in a case centering on the execution of more than 140 men and teenage boys in Dujail, a mostly Shiite town north of Baghdad. The victims were apprehended after an assassination attempt against Mr. Hussein there in 1982.
The coming trial of Saddam Hussein has raised questions about the fairness of his trial and whether he should be executed. Many in the Kurdish and Shia communities would like to see a quick trial followed by an immediate execution. Last month, Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, told the state-run television network that tribunal officials had told him that Mr. Hussein had admitted to ordering the massacres of Kurds in a military offensive known as the Anfal campaign. "He confessed about the Anfal executions…," "Saddam should be executed 20 times." President Talabani said.
Should Saddam Hussein be given a fair trial? Should he be executed? The Free Muslims Coalition believes that the entire Middle East and the Muslim world can benefit by giving Saddam Hussein a fair trial and by NOT executing him.
Many of the countries in the Arab and Muslim world lack independent and or sophisticated courts. In many instances courts simply hand down judgments that are consistent with the wishes of the executive branch. This lack of autonomy and independence in the courts has retarded the development of a fair and partial judiciary.
For example, in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is not unusual for a criminal suspect to be accused, tried, convicted and executed in a matter of days. The people of the Arab and Muslim world deserve better than this. The fairness by which Saddam Hussein is treated should be used as an example of what every Iraqi, Arab and Muslim should expect in their countries.
Saddam Hussein should be given an OJ Simpson type trial. His trial should be made public, with rules of evidence that are fair and transparent. His attorneys must be given the opportunity to investigate and challenge the government's evidence. Saddam's trial is a great opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and justice for the average person in the entire Arab and Muslim world.
If after a fair trial, he is found guilty then he should NOT be executed. At this point in history, the legal systems of the Arab and Muslim countries are not sophisticated enough to allow for capital punishment. To illustrate this point, one needs to only consider the American legal system. The United States has one of the fairest and most sophisticated legal systems in the world. Those who are sentenced to capital punishment are allowed numerous opportunities to appeal and to provide evidence that they are innocent. Generally, it takes an average of 13 years to execute a defendant in the United States. Despite this level of caution in the United States, there have been many documented cases where innocent defendants were sentenced to death. If this is the case in the United States, one can only imagine how many innocent defendants are convicted in Arab and Muslim countries. For this reason, there must be a moratorium on capital punishment in the Arab and Muslim countries and Saddam's case can be the first example.
The United States must insist that the Iraqi government provide Saddam with a fair trial and if convicted to be sentenced to life in prison. Such a trial and verdict can create a higher level of expectation among Iraqis, Arabs, Middle Easterners and Muslims as to
the quality of justice and respect they deserve. The belief that one is entitled to a high level of individual justice and respect will make that person more resistant to authoritarian governments. History has shown that the more self worth, self respect and individual liberty that individuals have, the more likely they are to insist on establishing democratic societies.
Moreover, if Iraq is seeking to break a cycle of violence that has rotated for nearly a century; surely it makes no sense to mark this new dawn by shooting or beheading Saddam? If Iraq is to become a place where death is no longer part of the political currency, it makes sense to start here.
For more information, visit our website at www.freemuslims.org
What happens if someone gets power or authority to later issue a political pardon to him?
Citizens of a new free Iraq need to have insurance that this monster is never coming back. Please support death to Saddam. Don't spit on the 100s of 1000s that have died and have been tortured!
::and don't even let me start on the OJ trial comparison!::
Isn't Free Muslim an oxymoron?
No it is not.
ping
That statement made me nuts.
Defense:
I've got so many body doubles. It's true. No kidding.
I don't go to the streets. They all do my bidding.
there's a million of us just like me
Who dress like me, walk, talk, oppress like me
Mustache like me, a big piece of trash like me
And just might be a piece of sh1t, but not quite me!
I had to check because I couldn't understand why the Fox Movie Channel was against the execution of Saddam Hussein!
Like these victims were able to argue against THEIR executions?
I had to shorten the title to fit it for posting.
I forgot Fox had the same initials :P
I don't see why the court took a break for the next month so his lawyers could prepare. They have had two years to prepare.
I guess the life a murdering dictator is more importnat than the millions of lives lost toSaddam and his henchmen.
Hang the guilty bast$$d.
I don't think the Iraqis should convict Saddam for that one incident and then hang him, I think they should convict him of that one incident, then try him for the next incident, and then the next.
Hang him after he's been convicted of everything he's done. Let all the dirty laundry air.
Iraq - and the entire Arab world - would be better for it.
Iraq isn't putting Saddam on trial for the crimes against the US. He has his own mass graves to account for.
>>>>I don't see why the court took a break for the next month so his lawyers could prepare.
delays, delays, delays. It is just fancy dance from lawyers.
He should be on trial for every incident.
But I'm not against hanging him after each one either.
Just cut him down and prop him back up in court.
Yeah, sorry about that.
The irony here is that when Saddam seized power via coup, he frogmarched out random members of the Iraqi parliament and had them executed. Now he's screaming persecution.
This man is responsible for more Muslim deaths than any living being on earth. Yet these people want to spare him? Why don't they speak out for sparing the lives of hostages taken by Al Queda and Jamaah Islamiyah and Abu Saayef????
Get the trial over with, take him out and shoot him. Merciful treatment considering the torture he inflicted during his years in power.
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