Riyadh: man to be decapitated for witchcraft

[struggle4progress]

Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Saudi Arabia should overturn a death sentence imposed on a Lebanese national convicted of practicing witchcraft during a visit to the conservative kingdom, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report. The international human rights group also complained about the increasing use of charges of 'witchcraft,' crimes that are vaguely defined and arbitrarily used, to arbitrarily arrest and detain people across the kingdom ...

Ali Sibat, a Lebanese psychic who made predictions on a satellite TV channel from his home in Beirut, was arrested by religious police in the holy city of Madinah during a pilgrimage in May 2008 and then sentenced to death by decapitation on 9 November this year.

“He was the most popular psychic on the channel,” said May al-Khansa, Sibat’s lawyer. “The number of callers, including from all over the Gulf, spiked in number when he appeared,” she added. “He was told if he confessed to witchcraft, he will be released and allowed to return to Lebanon” ...

HRW’s report also mentioned the case of Mustafa Ibrahim, an Egyptian pharmacist who was executed on 2 November 2007 for sorcery, which he allegedly used to break up a married couple ...

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=16970&size=A

[DrDan]

1. I have attended 2 beheadings in Riyadh

the first involved 3 individuals, the second had 2.

It was an amazing experience - a trip back in time.

After the first time - all I could think about is what the executioner did afterward. Both occurred at noon - so did he go have lunch, take his family to the desert? I wondered about it all afternoon.

[marshall]

2. Europe 400 years ago

Or a Wild West hanging a couple of hundred years ago.

One day we'll all be living in the present.

[struggle4progress]

4. The public execution, of people sentenced at the complete discretion of the judge, in a country

that has no written penal code, does not seem to me an enjoyable and harmless entertainment -- but I suppose there were always be some people that find sport in cruel novelties

[DrDan]

8. sport? who said it was sport?

You seem to be making quite a few assumptions.

But I guess your point is that they should be more like us. No discretionary interpretations of the law here, is there. No questionable actions taken by judges. Nope - we pretty much have it figured out and they should look to us as a model.

[Lyric]

12. Compared to what they do now? Hell yes.

I'd rather live with OUR imperfect justice system than theirs. At least I won't be executed by the government for witchcraft or flogged to death for showing an ankle in public.

:eyes:

[struggle4progress]

13. "I had attended two beheadings ... an amazing experience - a trip." Fun enough for you to repeat

it seems

[Contrary1]

17. An "error" worthy of Faux Nooz there: "It was an amazing experience - a trip back in time." n/t

[DrDan]

21. so exactly what does that mean

you have no clue as to why I was there - and it was amazing to view - whether you agree with it or not

[Contrary1]

31. It was in reference to post #13...

That the quote they used was not complete. Made it sound like you enjoyed yourself, which I did not pick up from your original post.

That's all I meant.

[DrDan]

32. got it - understand now

[struggle4progress]

34. Wow, yeah, man, amazing, it's like time travel. eom

[dems_rightnow]

19. Intentional misquote

I'm amazed.

[struggle4progress]

35. Wow, yeah, man, amazing, it's like time travel. eom

[DrDan]

20. you have absolutely no clue as to why I was there - you are just assuming you know

and why did you alter a quote????? Do you think that is a kosher thing to do? Just make up quotes?

[struggle4progress]

43. Wow, yeah, man, amazing, it's like time travel:

"I have attended 2 beheadings in Riyadh. The first involved 3 individuals, the second had 2. It was an amazing experience - a trip back in time."

I didn't misrepresent what you said

[cali]

15. why yes, yes they should look to a secular system as a model.

Flawed as our system is, it's concept is a pretty good one.

[DrDan]

24. there may be better models - however they remain a sovereign nation

with the freedom to enact laws as they wish . . . even if that means to allow judges more discretion than we do

[cali]

29. you asked. I responded. this has jackshit to do with their being a sovereign nation

I didn't suggest that it wasn't. And their system of "justice" is an obscenity.

[HughMoran]

25. barbarian

:yoiks:

[UndertheOcean]

41. Wait , why did you even attend ? Either attend to intevene , or don't attend

Attending and watching is condoning of such a barbaric act .

You better have a mighty good explanation.

[DrDan]

44. exactly why need I explain anything to you

who elevated your station in life

[UndertheOcean]

46. You don't , and I don't have to feel bad about judging you either ,

which I guess is not important since we don't know each other on a personal level. But if you were my friend I would require an explanation for such an act , or I might reconsider the friendship.

[panzerfaust]

3. Just Doing the Will of Allah (and The Lord): "Suffer not ..."

Exodus 22:18 "Suffer not a witch to live"

This comes straight from GOD, and affirms not only the reality of witches, but of your duty to kill them.

Praise God!

Oh, and He was not just having an off-day. He really hates witches:

Leviticus 19:31 'Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:6 'As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 20:27 'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'"

Deuteronomy 18:10 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

Deuteronomy 18:11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

1 Samuel 28:3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

Jeremiah 27:9 "But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'

Jeremiah 27:10 "For they prophesy a lie to you in order to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out and you will perish

Praise God in His Mercy!
Oh, and Allah Too.

[enid602]

5. ¨. . .do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcere

This could easily apply to all of the televangelists.

[panzerfaust]

7. God says ...

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall recompense thee."
Matthew 6:6

The TV preachers, they like their recompense now - cash preferred.

As taught by Christ, Christianity (for the most part - though he has lapses too: the pigs and demons, the incident of the fruit out of season and so on) is really not entirely offensive.

One of my favorite teachings of Christ is found in Matthew (which after an awkward start involving virgins and bridegrooms) addresses the Soul of Charity:

34 Then shall the King say unto them {all Nations being Judged} on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The Buddha put it more succinctly: "True charity occurs only when beyond the ideas of giving, of giver, or of gift."

Doubt that many TV preachers will make the cut.

[struggle4progress]

6. Saudi Arabia has no written penal code: judges get to decide what is a crime and what

punishment will follow

If you could actually quote the judge's reasoning in this case, that might be of some interest: but your present comments shed little light

[DrDan]

10. did you know that in North Carolina

"No one may be a professional fortune-teller, and if one wishes to pursue the practice as an amateur, it must be practiced in a school or church."

and

"While having sex, you must stay in the missionary position and have the shades pulled."

and

"The mere possession of a lottery ticket is illegal in North Carolina and may result in a $2,000 fine"

and

"Oral sex is considered a crime against nature."


Do you think your own North Carolina judges should have some discretion when it comes to punishment for any of the above?

Do you think that laws are more just if "written"?

[struggle4progress]

11. When laws are written, one has a better chance of knowing whether one has violated them.

The OP concerns a man who went on pilgrimage and was sentenced to death by a Saudi judge for his prior TV broadcasts in another country

The rest of your post is irrelevant (and also probably largely inaccurate: your first item, for example, apparently refers to NCGS 14‑401.5, which has been repealed)

[DrDan]

27. but it was a law in writing at one time in NC history

my point is to show that even written laws can be flawed

[struggle4progress]

36. A law codified in writing can be examined, criticized, and removed from the book of statutes

[cali]

16. when was the last time someone in NC got the dp for fortune telling?

when was the last time anyone was prosecuted for any of the things you list? Oh, and where's your source?

[DrDan]

18. .

http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/north-carolina

[HughMoran]

23. We know they exist, but were they ever implemented

We can prove that the bloodthirsty murderers that you support "make it up as they go".

Barbarians!!

If you support that, you are :crazy:

[DrDan]

26. the OP faults Saudi for not having a written set of laws

I only posted those to show that even when written, laws can be flawed

[HughMoran]

28. Well, yeah, but not one of us has gone to a beheading - twice.

Seriously - I'd be too traumatized if I had to see that - yikes!

[DrDan]

30. we have witnesses to all executions . . . .

[HughMoran]

33. Welcome to the dark ages

:wow:

[struggle4progress]

37. That's a bullshit site. Most of the claims are unreferenced. I've already pointed out that

at least one of the referenced claims is obsolete: NCGS 14-401.5 has been repealed. Other claims are misleading: for example, NCGS 14-290 distinguishes lawful from unlawful raffles and lotteries. In some cases, it appears that the compiler (who sneers "A three dollar tax must be paid on all white goods sold") simply does not understand the terminology: the NCGS 105-187.21 imposition of a tax on "white goods" (defined in NCGS 130A-290) reflects a prepaid disposal fee on "refrigerators, ranges, water heaters, freezers, unit air conditioners, washing machines, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and other similar domestic and commercial large appliances"

[struggle4progress]

40. I notice that site also thinks NC's anti-klan laws are dumb:

from your link: "Organizations may not hold their meetings while the members present are in costume."

See NCGS Chapter 14 Article 4A - Prohibited Secret Societies and Activities
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/Statutes/StatutesTOC.pl?Chapter=0014

This collection of laws, which includes prohibitions on parading with a mask or hood covering the face, reduced klan activity in NC

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

22. Nobody gets beheaded in North Carolina for having oral sex.

Even if they're doing it with a lottery ticket in their pocket.

[PSUDem]

38. Illegal to have a lottery ticket?

Then how does this work?

http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/

[SidDithers]

9. I don't like the charlatans that call themselves psychics...

but I think beheading might be a bit stiff, as far as penalties go.

Sid

[mitchum]

14. Savages

[UndertheOcean]

39. Barbaric ANIMALS ...... and the US is still dealing with them ?

Oh this makes me so angry , they were pissing on their oil a mere 100 years ago , and now they continue this sick charade of being a modern state.

[Stevenmarc]

42. Maybe Palin can send Thomas Muthee to remove the witchcraft

[BlooInBloo]

45. Gasp. Religious folks are barbaric - BREAKING!

The catholic church and their 50 years of child molesting, these guys and their beheading, pretty much all of them and their women-enslavement. (shrug) Same as it ever was, with religion.