Death Sentence for Sorcery

[Kael]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/...ex.html?hpt=T2

(CNN) -- Amnesty International is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to stop the execution of a Lebanese man sentenced to death for "sorcery."

In a statement released Thursday, the international rights group condemned the verdict and demanded the immediate release of Ali Hussain Sibat, former host of a popular call-in show that aired on Sheherazade, a Beirut based satellite TV channel.

According to his lawyer, Sibat, who is 48 and has five children, would predict the future on his show and give out advice to his audience.

The attorney, May El Khansa, who is in Lebanon, tells CNN her client was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police (known as the Mutawa'een) and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008. Sibat was in Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic religious pilgrimage known as Umra.

Sibat was then put on trial. In November 2009, a court in the Saudi city of Medina found Sibat guilty and sentenced him to death.

According to El Khansa, Sibat appealed the verdict. The case was taken up by the Court of Appeal in the Saudi city of Mecca on the grounds that the initial verdict was "premature."

El Khansa tells CNN that the Mecca appeals court then sent the case back to the original court for reconsideration, stipulating that all charges made against Sibat needed to be verified and that he should be given a chance to repent.

On March 10, judges in Medina upheld their initial verdict, meaning Sibat is once again sentenced to be executed.

"The Medina court refused the sentence of the appeals court," said El Khansa, adding her client will appeal the verdict once more.

The case has been covered extensively by local media. According to Arab News, an English language Saudi daily newspaper, after the most recent verdict was issued, the judges in Medina issued a statement expressing that Sibat deserved to be executed for having continually practiced black magic on his show, adding that this sentence would deter others from practicing sorcery. Arab News reports that the case will now return to the appeals court in Mecca.

CNN has not been able to reach Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Justice for comment.

Wow just wow. I mean we have like a million psychics and fortune tellers all trying to sell us on their 'powers'. This guy goes on a pilgrimage and gets arrested for Sorcery? lol I wonder if he even actually believes himself a psychic or if it was just a setup for his job?

He needs to cast Warp. lol

[TacoTaru]

I bet he was on his way to the Congo to steal some dicks.

[Effluo]

At least Christians don't execute you for sorcery while on Pilgrimage.

Sorcery is evil yo

[Pirian]

coughsalemwitchtrialscough

this is why the middle east can't have nice things, etc.

[Olo401]

Doesn't King Abdullah know his opponent can only cast sorceries on his own turn (and never on the prophet Mohammed's turn)

[Lucavi]

So, what spec was this guy? Frost? Fire? Arcane?

[Ksandra]

What is the international laws in that area anyways? Technically he wasn't even using sorcery in Saudi Arabia, so not sure if they'd be even allowed to execute him.

[kuronosan]

What a primitive world we live in.

But hey, at least Christians know that sorcery isn't real.

[Acturus]

Sounds like some king read one too many Harry Potter novels.

[Melena]

coughsalemwitchtrialscough

this is why the middle east can't have nice things, etc.

I thought I read that it was more of a social class rebellion using witchcraft as an excuse.

Here are some things from wiki on that. Spoilerd due to size

Spoiler: show

Economic context
Increasing family size fueled disputes over land between neighbors and within families, especially on the frontier where the economy was based on farming. Changes in the weather or blights could easily wipe out a year's crop. A farm that could support an average-sized family could not support the many families of the next generation, prompting farmers to push farther into the wilderness to find land, encroaching upon the indigenous people. Due to the strongly religious nature of the Puritans, religious fervor added tension to the mix. Loss of crops, livestock, and children, as well as earthquakes and bad weather, were typically attributed to the wrath of God.

Social context

The patriarchal beliefs that Puritans held in the community added further stresses. Women, they believed, should be totally subservient to men. By nature, a woman was more likely to enlist in the Devil's service than was a man, and women were considered lustful by nature. In addition, the small-town atmosphere made secrets difficult to keep and people's opinions about their neighbors were generally accepted as fact. In an age where the philosophy "children should be seen and not heard" was taken at face value, children were at the bottom of the social ladder. Toys and games were seen as idle and playing was discouraged. Girls had additional restrictions placed upon them and were trained from a young age to spin yarn, cook, sew, weave, serve their husbands and bear their children, while boys were able to go hunting, fishing, exploring in the forest, and often became apprentices to carpenters and smiths.
In accordance with Puritan beliefs, the majority of accused 'witches' were unmarried or recently widowed land-owning women; according to the law if no legal heir existed upon the owner's death, title to the land would revert to the previous owner, or (if no previous owner could be determined) to the colony.[citation needed] This made witch-hunting a possible method of acquiring a profitable piece of property.

Religious context

The Puritans were a number of religious groups that sprang up during the 17th century as opposition to the Church of England. Puritans opposed many of the traditions of the Church of England, notably the Book of Common Prayer, but also ceremonial rituals such as the use of priestly vestments (cap and gown) during services, the use of the Holy Cross during baptism and kneeling during the sacrament. The colony of Massachusetts at the time was heavily influenced by Puritan thought, but was not a theocracy.[11][12] A few Protestants (such as Roger Williams) prior to this period had contended that this level of religious involvement in the State was contrary to the pure teachings of the New Testament, in which the church was separate from the state (Mt. 22:21; 1Cor. 5:12, 13 1 Pet. 2:13, 14), and unrepentant sinful behavior that merited serious spiritual discipline was administered by supernatural means (Acts 5:1–10; 1 Cor. 5:1–4; 1 Tim. 1:20).
The Puritans believed in the existence of an invisible world inhabited by God and the angels including the Devil (who was seen as a fallen angel) and his fellow demons. To Puritans, this invisible world was as real as the visible one around them.[citation needed]
In his book Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions (1689), Cotton Mather describes strange behavior exhibited by the four children of Boston mason John Goodwin and attributed it to witchcraft practiced upon them by an Irish washerwoman, Mary Glover. Mather, a minister of Boston's North Church (not to be confused with the Episcopal Old North Church of Paul Revere fame), was a prolific publisher of pamphlets and a firm believer in witchcraft.

[Pirian]

I thought I read that it was more of a social class rebellion using witchcraft as an excuse.

Here are some things from wiki on that. Spoilerd due to size

Spoiler: show

Economic context
Increasing family size fueled disputes over land between neighbors and within families, especially on the frontier where the economy was based on farming. Changes in the weather or blights could easily wipe out a year's crop. A farm that could support an average-sized family could not support the many families of the next generation, prompting farmers to push farther into the wilderness to find land, encroaching upon the indigenous people. Due to the strongly religious nature of the Puritans, religious fervor added tension to the mix. Loss of crops, livestock, and children, as well as earthquakes and bad weather, were typically attributed to the wrath of God.

Social context

The patriarchal beliefs that Puritans held in the community added further stresses. Women, they believed, should be totally subservient to men. By nature, a woman was more likely to enlist in the Devil's service than was a man, and women were considered lustful by nature. In addition, the small-town atmosphere made secrets difficult to keep and people's opinions about their neighbors were generally accepted as fact. In an age where the philosophy "children should be seen and not heard" was taken at face value, children were at the bottom of the social ladder. Toys and games were seen as idle and playing was discouraged. Girls had additional restrictions placed upon them and were trained from a young age to spin yarn, cook, sew, weave, serve their husbands and bear their children, while boys were able to go hunting, fishing, exploring in the forest, and often became apprentices to carpenters and smiths.
In accordance with Puritan beliefs, the majority of accused 'witches' were unmarried or recently widowed land-owning women; according to the law if no legal heir existed upon the owner's death, title to the land would revert to the previous owner, or (if no previous owner could be determined) to the colony.[citation needed] This made witch-hunting a possible method of acquiring a profitable piece of property.

Religious context

The Puritans were a number of religious groups that sprang up during the 17th century as opposition to the Church of England. Puritans opposed many of the traditions of the Church of England, notably the Book of Common Prayer, but also ceremonial rituals such as the use of priestly vestments (cap and gown) during services, the use of the Holy Cross during baptism and kneeling during the sacrament. The colony of Massachusetts at the time was heavily influenced by Puritan thought, but was not a theocracy.[11][12] A few Protestants (such as Roger Williams) prior to this period had contended that this level of religious involvement in the State was contrary to the pure teachings of the New Testament, in which the church was separate from the state (Mt. 22:21; 1Cor. 5:12, 13 1 Pet. 2:13, 14), and unrepentant sinful behavior that merited serious spiritual discipline was administered by supernatural means (Acts 5:1–10; 1 Cor. 5:1–4; 1 Tim. 1:20).
The Puritans believed in the existence of an invisible world inhabited by God and the angels including the Devil (who was seen as a fallen angel) and his fellow demons. To Puritans, this invisible world was as real as the visible one around them.[citation needed]
In his book Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions (1689), Cotton Mather describes strange behavior exhibited by the four children of Boston mason John Goodwin and attributed it to witchcraft practiced upon them by an Irish washerwoman, Mary Glover. Mather, a minister of Boston's North Church (not to be confused with the Episcopal Old North Church of Paul Revere fame), was a prolific publisher of pamphlets and a firm believer in witchcraft.

Different story to the same ending.

[Nightplague]

Thank goodness for religious/superstitious fanboys

[Sepukku]

What is the international laws in that area anyways? Technically he wasn't even using sorcery in Saudi Arabia, so not sure if they'd be even allowed to execute him.

Besides the fact that we all know the conservative, extreme Muslims all have their turban tied too tight, and have ZERO disregard for ANYTHING sensical, like legal boundries, they first, and on this first stipulation I'm only presuming, would see it as a crime against nature/Mohammad.

Now what I KNOW is that the territory of Sharia law is known as the Dar Al-Islam and the territory not [yet] under Islam is the Dar Al-Harb and the entire world is fundamentally those 2 "countries," so this surely helps them see through that discrepancy somewhat.

Plus, they're just fucking nutjobs.

[Melena]

Hey, in those ages, if you could get free land by saying your dead neighbor's wife was a practicing witch and the cause of your buddy's death, you'd be doing it. This was more of a case of religion used for self gain instead of omg this guy casted magic missile at the darkness! He must die before he brings us to ruin.

[Ksandra]

Besides the fact that we all know the conservative, extreme Muslims all have their turban tied too tight, and have ZERO disregard for ANYTHING sensical, like legal boundries, they first, and on this first stipulation I'm only presuming, would see it as a crime against nature/Mohammad.

Now what I KNOW is that the territory of Sharia law is known as the Dar Al-Islam and the territory not [yet] under Islam is the Dar Al-Harb and the entire world is fundamentally those 2 "countries," so this surely helps them see through that discrepancy somewhat.

Plus, they're just fucking nutjobs.

ya I understand that was mostly thinking on the UN being able to take action against it if necessary.

[Melena]

The UN won't outside of strong condeming. Ten bucks says the Saudi's exile him to and everything goes back to normal. The US won't want too much to happen to them behind the scenes due to money/military strategy/ego etc and for the most part it's the same for the rest of the world.

[Kael]

I don't know if they would even exile him though. Sometimes they just go through with their sentences without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Not like we can do anything about it.

[Marcicus]

How did he not see this coming?

[Sepukku]

How did he not see this coming?

Ohhohohoho well played!

[Kael]

How did he not see this coming?

LOL Bravo sir, Bravo.