Saudi Arabian man sentenced to death after rebelliously tearing up copy of Koran

Saudi Arabian man sentenced to death after rebelliously tearing up copy of Koran

Feb. 26, 2015

اقتباس :

Saudi Arabian man sentenced to death after rebelliously tearing up copy of Koran

Protesters simulate a flogging in front of the Saudi embassy in Washington DC in protest against the 10-year prison sentence given to a blogger.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online): Saudi newspapers reported this week that the death sentence had been handed down in the town of Hafr al-Batin for a man who had "denounced his faith."

The man in question was not named, but was said to have uploaded a video of him tearing up a copy of the Koran and hitting it with his shoe. "In the video he cursed God, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), and his daughter Fatimah and ripped a copy of the Holy Qur'an and hit it with a shoe," an official was quoted as saying. "The death sentence was issued after his apostasy was proved."

اقتباس :: A whip, a leather strap or a long cane may be used to carry out floggings in Saudi Arabia.

The man in this case has the right to appeal, and can avoid the penalty by repenting. The death penalty is the standard penalty for apostasy in the Muslim world. However, it is rarely carried out, even in Saudi Arabia, where executions remain quite common.

Human rights groups have previously called the Saudi Arabian government on such violations, such as the case of the blogger Raif Badawi who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes for criticizing the country's religious establishment.

Complicating matters, human rights groups fear that Saudi's Prince Mohammed bin Nayef's rise to power - he is now likely to be the first of his generation to become king - will herald a hardening of Saudi Arabia's position on internal reform.

As interior minister, the prince has overseen a wide Saudi Arabian man sentenced to death after rebelliously tearing up copy of Koran Sport

Saudi Arabian man sentenced to death after rebelliously tearing up copy of Koran Sport

ead crackdown not only on jihadis, but also on liberal activists and campaigners for political and women's rights reforms.

The prince is due to have dinner with Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary this week. He will also meet Michael Fallon, the Defense Secretary, on Wednesday and then the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary, Theresa May.

The Prince of Wales raised the Badawi case with the new King Salman, an intervention that may have had some effect. Badawi received the first 50 of his lashes last month, to worldwide outcry, but has yet to receive any more, with Saudi officials hinting it had been put on permanent hold.

Amnesty International accused the British government of "wearing a muzzle" when it came to dealing with Saudi Arabia.

"With the deputy crown prince's visit, U.K. officials should try to exert some real pressure on him over Saudi Arabia's disgraceful human rights record," Allan Hogarth, its head of policy and government affairs said.

"Under the new ruler King Salman, public executions have continued apace, while the free speech activist Raif Badawi remains in jail and is still at risk of being flogged."