Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'

troung · 02-15-2008, 00:46 AM

Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'
By Heba Saleh
BBC News
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'
Riyadh street scene
Many Saudi executions are beheadings by the sword in public places
Human Rights Watch has appealed to Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of a woman convicted of witchcraft.

In a letter to King Abdullah, the rights group described the trial and conviction of Fawza Falih as a miscarriage of justice.

The illiterate woman was detained by religious police in 2005 and allegedly beaten and forced to fingerprint a confession that she could not read.

Among her accusers was a man who alleged she made him impotent.

Human Rights Watch said that Ms Falih had exhausted all her chances of appealing against her death sentence and she could only now be saved if King Abdullah intervened.

'Undefined' crime

The US-based group is asking the Saudi ruler to void Ms Falih's conviction and to bring charges against the religious police who detained her and are alleged to have mistreated her.

Its letter to King Abdullah says the woman was tried for the undefined crime of witchcraft and that her conviction was on the basis of the written statements of witnesses who said that she had bewitched them.

Human Rights Watch says the trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system.

The confession which the defendant was forced to fingerprint was not even read out to her, the group says.

Also Ms Falih and her representatives were not allowed to attend most of the hearings.

When an appeal court decided she should not be executed, the law courts imposed the death sentence again, arguing that it would be in the public interest.

====
oh my ****ing god

Expat Canuck · 02-15-2008, 03:46 AM

oh my ****ing god

Yet people wonder why we think that the middle east is full of cavemen.........

Bigfella · 02-15-2008, 04:12 AM

Fortunately we wise & moral westerners would never give financial, political & military support to such an evil regime..would we?

dave lukins · 02-15-2008, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfella

Fortunately we wise & moral westerners would never give financial, political & military support to such an evil regime..would we?

Not a chance..we keep well away from despot Counties like that.

I did like this part of the report.."Human Rights Watch says the trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system." The best laugh of the day

Adux · 02-15-2008, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfella

Fortunately we wise & moral westerners would never give financial, political & military support to such an evil regime..would we?

Adux · 02-15-2008, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Expat Canuck

oh my ****ing god

Yet people wonder why we think that the middle east is full of cavemen.........

But the Sauds are our allies.

glyn · 02-15-2008, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfella

Fortunately we wise & moral westerners would never give financial, political & military support to such an evil regime..would we?

Surely not financial?

**Parihaka** · 02-15-2008, 16:21 PM

The Sauds ain't my ally.
What would people have us do? Personally I find this so offensive I would support a ground invasion and imposition of external control leading to some form of democratic rule, perhaps in 50 years or so when true separation of church and state has been achieved and a new generation comes through. After all, my ancestors had to deal with this fight only a few centuries ago, it seems only fair that we help these people to speed up their struggle against stupidity. BigFella? Adux? What do you think?

Kansas Bear · 02-15-2008, 16:33 PM

Quote:

....the woman was tried for the undefined crime of witchcraft and that her conviction was on the basis of the written statements of witnesses who said that she had bewitched them.

Classic!

Bigfella · 02-15-2008, 18:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parihaka

The Sauds ain't my ally.
What would people have us do? Personally I find this so offensive I would support a ground invasion and imposition of external control leading to some form of democratic rule, perhaps in 50 years or so when true separation of church and state has been achieved and a new generation comes through. After all, my ancestors had to deal with this fight only a few centuries ago, it seems only fair that we help these people to speed up their struggle against stupidity. BigFella? Adux? What do you think?

Pari, if I thought it would work I would be all for it. Unfortunately we all know what the reaction to invading the home of Mecca & Medina would be. The Iraq mess would look like a playground scuffle.

I have an alternative idea. Cut the pricks off from the world. Embargo their oil. Stop tankers from exporting it. As a longer term strategy wean ourselves in the West off the stuff.

Oil is all the Sauds have to keep themselves in power. When the oil is gone their own people will take care of them.

dave lukins · 02-15-2008, 19:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfella

Oil is all the Sauds have to keep themselves in power. When the oil is gone their own people will take care of them.

The West gave them the Technology and backing then the B******s kicked them all out. The first sign of aggro they're the first out and the last to return. They expect the rest to protect them as a privilege

Adux · 02-15-2008, 19:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parihaka

The Sauds ain't my ally.
What would people have us do? Personally I find this so offensive I would support a ground invasion and imposition of external control leading to some form of democratic rule, perhaps in 50 years or so when true separation of church and state has been achieved and a new generation comes through. After all, my ancestors had to deal with this fight only a few centuries ago, it seems only fair that we help these people to speed up their struggle against stupidity. BigFella? Adux? What do you think?

I have always said this, and I am no expert like the most posters here, just a fella trying to understand the world. I believe we are completely off-track on the WoT, its an important war and it needs more honesty than geo-politics will allow. Whaabism is the real threat, and I believe we are in the wrong countries.

Rant off///

Boots on the ground, conscript. If things are in the right direction, I sincerely hope 1 million of our boys get on the ground, stop this creeping menance forever

FlyingCaddy · 02-15-2008, 19:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Not a chance..we keep well away from despot Counties like that.

I did like this part of the report.."Human Rights Watch says the trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system." The best laugh of the day

Check the budget mate... you might be suprised.

T_igger_cs_30 · 02-15-2008, 19:51 PM

Adux

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adux

I have always said this, and I am no expert like the most posters here, just a fella trying to understand the world.

I think you will find the majority of genuine posters on WAB are honest and willing to listen to both sides of a story and debate possibilities.

I believe we are completely off-track on the WoT, its an important war and it needs more honesty than geo-politics will allow. Whaabism is the real threat, and I believe we are in the wrong countries.

Instead of talking in circles and not doing a good job of hiding what you really want to say, just say it have, as we say in the west "the courage of your convictions"

Rant off///

Boots on the ground, conscript. If things are in the right direction, I sincerely hope 1 million of our boys get on the ground, stop this creeping menance forever

Just exactly who are you refering to in this sentence?

dave lukins · 02-15-2008, 21:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingCaddy

Check the budget mate... you might be suprised.

FC, that was the point of the post..As long as we are getting hundreds of millions(£) we will turn a blind eye on what is going on in that Country.

02-15-2008, 00:46 AM	#1 (permalink)
troung A Self Important *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 08-03-03 Posts: 4,304 Country:	Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch' Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch' By Heba Saleh BBC News BBC NEWS \| Middle East \| Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch' Riyadh street scene Many Saudi executions are beheadings by the sword in public places Human Rights Watch has appealed to Saudi Arabia to halt the execution of a woman convicted of witchcraft. In a letter to King Abdullah, the rights group described the trial and conviction of Fawza Falih as a miscarriage of justice. The illiterate woman was detained by religious police in 2005 and allegedly beaten and forced to fingerprint a confession that she could not read. Among her accusers was a man who alleged she made him impotent. Human Rights Watch said that Ms Falih had exhausted all her chances of appealing against her death sentence and she could only now be saved if King Abdullah intervened. 'Undefined' crime The US-based group is asking the Saudi ruler to void Ms Falih's conviction and to bring charges against the religious police who detained her and are alleged to have mistreated her. Its letter to King Abdullah says the woman was tried for the undefined crime of witchcraft and that her conviction was on the basis of the written statements of witnesses who said that she had bewitched them. Human Rights Watch says the trial failed to meet the safeguards in the Saudi justice system. The confession which the defendant was forced to fingerprint was not even read out to her, the group says. Also Ms Falih and her representatives were not allowed to attend most of the hearings. When an appeal court decided she should not be executed, the law courts imposed the death sentence again, arguing that it would be in the public interest. ==== oh my ****ing god __________________ To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

02-15-2008, 04:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bigfella *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-12-07 Location: Melbourne Posts: 889 Country:	Fortunately we wise & moral westerners would never give financial, political & military support to such an evil regime..would we? __________________ Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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02-15-2008, 03:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
Expat Canuck Homesick Fool *Military Professional* Join Date: 05-17-05 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,020 Country:	oh my ****ing god Yet people wonder why we think that the middle east is full of cavemen.........

02-15-2008, 16:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
Parihaka Moderator Join Date: 11-10-04 Location: Te Ika a Maui Posts: 9,738 Country:	The Sauds ain't my ally. What would people have us do? Personally I find this so offensive I would support a ground invasion and imposition of external control leading to some form of democratic rule, perhaps in 50 years or so when true separation of church and state has been achieved and a new generation comes through. After all, my ancestors had to deal with this fight only a few centuries ago, it seems only fair that we help these people to speed up their struggle against stupidity. BigFella? Adux? What do you think?

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