Man to be Executed in Saudi Arabia for Sorcery

[Logik]

Ali Hussain Sibat pictured with two of his five children.








STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Wife of Lebanese man facing death in Saudi Arabia for "sorcery" begs for mercy
• Ali Hussain Sibat faces execution by beheading on Friday
• Sibat convicted after claiming to predict future on TV show
• Sibat arrested, tried and sentenced during pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

RELATED TOPICS

• Saudi Arabia
• Lebanon

(CNN) -- The wife of a Lebanese man facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia for "sorcery" pleaded for mercy Thursday as Lebanon's justice minister asked the kingdom's rulers to halt his beheading.
Family members have been told that Ali Hussain Sibat, who used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network, is scheduled to be put to death Friday. His wife made an emotional plea for his release during a CNN interview Thursday.
"All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy -- let him come back to his country and his family," Samira Rahmoon said.
Sibat was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police and charged with sorcery while visiting the country for an Islamic pilgrimage in May 2008, according to May El Khansa, his attorney in Lebanon. Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for which Sibat has been condemned and have not responded to requests for comment on the case.
"We can't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him to death," Rahmoon said. "It doesn't make any sense."
El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings. Lebanon's government says it has no confirmation that his execution has been set. But Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said he has asked the Saudis to halt any scheduled execution and release Sibat, calling the punishment "disproportionate."



Video: Man awaits death sentence for 'sorcery'



Video: Man gets death for sorcery
"I have asked them not to implement any execution in this case," he said. "As far as I know, such an act doesn't deserve such a punishment, unless there is something else -- something that I have not had the possibility to study or to examine myself."
Rahmoon said the family has been unable to contact Sibat "for a long time" and has received no official notification that her husband's execution date has been set.
"We don't understand how he could be executed without us getting any notification first," Rahmoon said. "How could they decide to execute him and not inform us?"
A law against witchcraft remains on the books in Lebanon, but is the equivalent of a misdemeanor, Najjar said.
"I respect the law of Saudi Arabia, which is based on Sharia law," he said. "But at the same time, I'm very concerned about such a sentence."
Sibat was convicted by a court in Medina and sentenced to death in November, El Khansa said. He appealed, and his case was sent back to the trial court for reconsideration. But the judges in Medina upheld their original verdict in March, she said.
The human rights group Amnesty International has called for Sibat's release. His case drew a small knot of protesters from a Lebanese youth group to the Saudi Embassy in Beirut on Thursday, and Najjar said he told his Saudi counterpart that beheading Sibat "would not be productive" to Lebanese-Saudi relations.
"I have done what I thought was responsible for the justice minister in Lebanon to do, and I said to my colleague in Saudi Arabia that such an act in Lebanon would not be sanctioned by more than two months of imprisonment," Najjar said.






Now i know that every religion is different but come on are they serious.You going to execute a man for sorcery if you can call it that. i say again





Sorcery??? SORCERY????

The man was there on an ISLAMIC PILGRIMAGE!!! Who is this? Joan of Arc?

I have heard it all now apparently they don't believe in the separation of church and state over there. I am glad i live here in the u.s.

Damn i hate to see what would happen if the whole cast of harry potter ended up visiting over there. I wonder what the'll get charged with. I tell you the world is a very strange place indeed.

[The Fishman]

Usually when they execute somebody for witchcraft it's about Sufism.

Cases like these are an example of why we shouldn't cooperate with this evil country. We buy their oil, their only asset, and in return they send their dangerous wahhabi doctrine to radicalise British Muslims into supporting cases like this.

[Sher Khan]

Executions in Saudi Arabia are mostly reserved for foreigners to make a point - either to keep the illegals and guest-workers docile and curbed or to cull any foreign influence deemed a threat to Saudi society - such as satellite television shows based in other countries which the religious can do little about besides tear down satellite dishes or complain to royals who may set up broadcasting networks within the kingdom.

Hopefully this gets the attention of the Saudi king or eldest royal family, who'll have the ability if not always the will to tell the courts and morality police where to stuff it.

[Copperknickers II]

People are ostracised for witchcraft all over the world, from Sudan to the Middle East to Indonesia and New Guinea to the Amazon.

[athanaric]

People are ostracised for witchcraft all over the world, from Sudan to the Middle East to Indonesia and New Guinea to the Amazon.

So what? Are Sudan or some Amazonian Indians wealthy regional powers under the de facto protection of the US? Important trade partners of Europe? Do they lay a claim to being a civilized society, morally superior to others?

We are not in the 19th Century any more, dismount from your high horse and stop polluting the world with your racist apathies.

That's just the asinine mantra of cultural relativism and its equally ugly brother, Political Correctness. Not an argument in any way.

edit: Middle East, this is the 21st century, not the 12th century.

The real tragedy is that the Middle East was a good deal more civilized back then.
I cannot think of a contemporary country that is more disgusting than Saudi-Arabia. Only North Korea comes close, but there at least it's a case of the people plainly being suppressed, not ignorant people following a supremacist ideology.

[Last Roman]

People are ostracised for witchcraft all over the world, from Sudan to the Middle East to Indonesia and New Guinea to the Amazon.

and that excuses this...how?

America still executes people

ya, but for people who have been proven to do something wrong, not some outdated accusation like sorcery.

[Adrian]

Barbarians in a barbaric regime with a barbaric ideology.

States like these need to be remade in a more civilized fashion or be eliminated.

[Copperknickers II]

Barbarians in a barbaric regime with a barbaric ideology.

States like these need to be remade in a more civilized fashion or be eliminated.

America still executes people, and the Western World is hardly the epitome of civilisation what with its exploitation and deep rooted social problems.

We are not in the 19th Century any more, dismount from your high horse and stop polluting the world with your racist apathies.

[Adrian]

America still executes people, and the Western World is hardly the epitome of civilisation what with its exploitation and deep rooted social problems.

We are not in the 19th Century any more, dismount from your high horse and stop polluting the world with your racist apathies.

How can I dismount from my high horse when I see my opinions proved true in the real world.




Im polluting the world em I do you even know what racism is ? they don't pollute the world with extremism do they ?


I am superior by virtue of my mentality ideology barbarism is rife in the world but civilization has survived and it will defend itself if necessary when attacked by barbaric forces.


Everything is relative but what we the human race achieved cannot be lost we have come too far to lose it all now because of some extremists.

[cottontail]

America still executes people, and the Western World is hardly the epitome of civilisation what with its exploitation and deep rooted social problems.

We are not in the 19th Century any more, dismount from your high horse and stop polluting the world with your racist apathies.

Oh please, why don't you get off your moral high horse. Are you seriously comparing America's rather rare execution of murderous pedophiles to executing someone based on a small differentiation in beliefs? There is a reason people would rather live in the Western World than in the Middle of the nuttiest Islamic nation on the planet. Why do you think that there are so many immigrants in America? hmm? Nazi exploitation?

The fact is is that people like you give barbarians an excuse to practice their uncivilized belief patterns. With no accountibility, this will never change.

One way to end it is to have people LIKE YOU stop justifying it, and instead find ways of getting alternate fueld sources. That way, the Middle East will have to change in order to become a part of the functioning world, since they will no longer have the one rescource they can leech on without putting in a days work.

Bear in mind that I'm talking about the higher end of Islamic society here. However, the lower end will have to do its share to change the world.

And for heavens sakes, Muslim Women, use your power to stop your oppression! Fight for your rights rather than being trampled on!

Sometimes I doubt the Middle East will ever change.

edit: Middle East, this is the 21st century, not the 12th century.

[Gromovnik]

America still executes people, and the Western World is hardly the epitome of civilisation what with its exploitation and deep rooted social problems.

But America doesn't execute people for "sorcery" or other BS like that. Not to mention that this guy isn't even Saudi, and didn't commit his "crime" in SA.

[Thanatos]

States like these need to be remade in a more civilized fashion or be eliminated.

You can't forcibly change a society. They have to change it themselves.

[Adrian]

You can't forcibly change a society. They have to change it themselves.

It can be changed in time and by necessity .


Tell me if Iran attacked the EU would the US stand by and say "no we can't change society" or erase them from the map ?


Changing it by themselves is a threat right now, who knows if they will have the power to ever change it ?


They should have the rights we do we should stand up for our own and they are our own even if they are a different nationality.

[Thanatos]

Tell me if Iran attacked the EU would the US stand by and say "no we can't change society" or erase them from the map ?

Ah ah ah, oh no you don't.

There's a difference between a war for protecting one's own defense and that of your allies, and invading another country because you don't like what they do to their own citizens.

[Adrian]

Ah ah ah, oh no you don't.

There's a difference between a war for protecting one's own defense and that of your allies, and invading another country because you don't like what they do to their own citizens.

There is no difference we say whats right and wrong those people that are suffering I consider like my countryman their government should not have the right to do that when the civilized world is the best armed.


Intervention on other countries like Iran and SA will be necessary you will see.



Its the duty of the civilized to ensure that all are civilized by any means necessary.

[Squiggle]

Barbarians in a barbaric regime with a barbaric ideology.

States like these need to be remade in a more civilized fashion or be eliminated.

[The Fishman]

Barbarians in a barbaric regime with a barbaric ideology.

The only thing 'barbaric' about Saudi Arabia is the state ideology, Wahhabism, which is puritanical and completely against progress. The rest of the country and society is pretty civilized. They have banks, hospitals, roads, industry and literature, all hallmarks of civilisation. Saudi Arabia may be evil, but calling them barbaric is like calling 15th century Spain barbaric.

So stop with the 19th century white man's burden rubbish about having to civilise other societies.

It's only a matter of time until Saudi Arabia produces weapons of mass destruction

And when it does happen, our governments won't even care. If America really wanted to fight Islamic radicalism they would be planning strikes against the universities in Riyadh, not the reactors in Iran.

[Adrian]

The only thing 'barbaric' about Saudi Arabia is the state ideology, Wahhabism, which is puritanical and completely against progress. The rest of the country and society is pretty civilized. They have banks, hospitals, roads, industry and literature, all hallmarks of civilisation. Saudi Arabia may be evil, but calling them barbaric is like calling 15th century Spain barbaric.

So stop with the 19th century white man's burden rubbish about having to civilise other societies.

They are a threat that cannot be denied and compared to Europe they are barbarians I piss on their hospitals its about ideology not some dirt hospital.

which is puritanical and completely against progress

IF thats not barbaric I don't know what is thats the epitome of barbarism but I love how you throw about racism when your views are dismissed this is about ideology and the civilized way not race but people like you don't see it do they ? .


Until the knife is at your throat you wont see it complacency well good for you but don't expect the rest of society to stand by while the civilized way is polluted by barbaric views.

[The Fishman]

They are a threat that cannot be denied and compared to Europe they are barbarians I piss on their hospitals its about ideology not some dirt hospital.






Until the knife is at your throat you wont see it complacency well good for you but don't expect the rest of society to stand by while the civilized way is polluted by barbaric views.

Yes, their ideology is uncivilised and evil. However, the rest of society is not. Saudi Arabia is not just about mad clerics and the Qur'an. They are people just like us, not 'barbarians'.

IF thats not barbaric I don't know what is thats the epitome of barbarism but I love how you throw about racism when your views are dismissed this is about ideology and the civilized way not race but people like you don't see it do they ?

I throw around alegations of racism in just the same way as you throw around accusitions of barbarianism.

And it is racist to say that all the Islamic lands (I'm pretty sure you were talking about Islam as a whole when you said 'ideology', not specifically the Saudi kind) need to be civilised or destroyed. Not in the old school 'because they're brown' way, but in the new, more covert 'because our people are the best and everybody else needs to be brought to our standards' way.

Islam has faults just like any other belief system does, and honest criticism of it is needed in order for us to preseve a fair society. However, Jingoist right-wing policies are not needed, and would be completely counterproductive.

[Adrian]

Yes, their ideology is uncivilised and evil. However, the rest of society is not. Saudi Arabia is not just about mad clerics and the Qur'an. They are people just like us, not 'barbarians'.

I don't see the people when I look at a state I see the government those guys represent the people like it or not the SA government are barbarian scum that need to be civilized.

I throw around alegations of racism in just the same way as you throw around accusitions of barbarianism.

And it is racist to say that all the Islamic lands (I'm pretty sure you were talking about Islam as a whole when you said 'ideology', not specifically the Saudi kind) need to be civilised or destroyed. Not in the old school 'because they're brown' way, but in the new, more covert 'because our people are the best and everybody else needs to be brought to our standards' way.

Islam has faults just like any other belief system does, and honest criticism of it is needed in order for us to preseve a fair society. However, Jingoist right-wing policies are not needed, and would be completely counterproductive.

Show me the islamic race will you, then you can call me racist. I happen to stand for unity among all I don't support nation states or division by race or sexuality but im not gonna lay down and die either harsh measures are needed and there is a clear division between barbarians and us.

I got called right wing well that just goes to show that people don't know the left has teeth anymore.