Saudi Arabian judge asks hospitals to paralyse man
Saudi Arabian judge asks hospitals to paralyse man
Country's strict enforcement of sharia law sees 'eye for an eye' punishment sought for after cleaver attack
A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals whether they would punitively damage a man's spinal cord after he was convicted of attacking another man with a cleaver and paralysing him, local newspapers reported today.
Saudi Arabia enforces strict sharia law and occasionally metes out punishments based on the ancient code of an eye for an eye.
Abdul-Aziz al-Mutairi, 22, was left paralysed after a fight more than two years ago, and asked a judge to impose an equivalent punishment on his attacker under sharia law, reports said.
The newspaper Okaz said the judge in northwestern Tabuk province, identified as Saoud bin Suleiman al-Youssef, asked at least two hospitals for a medical opinion on whether surgeons could render the attacker's spinal cord nonfunctional.
The attacker, who was not identified, has spent seven months in jail. The reports cited the letter of response from one of the hospitals and the victim.
Two of the hospitals involved and the court were closed for the Saudi weekend beginning today and could not be reached for comment.
Okaz reported that a leading hospital in Riyadh – King Faisal specialist hospital – said that it would not do the operation. The article quoted a letter from the hospital saying "inflicting such harm is not possible", apparently refusing on ethical grounds.
The story was also reported by Saudi English-language paper Arab News, though neither paper carried any response from a second hospital that reportedly received the request, King Khaled hospital in Tabuk province.
Sharia law in Saudi Arabia allows defendants to ask for a similar punishment to harms inflicted on them. Cutting off the hands of thieves, for example, is common.
Under the law, the victim can receive blood money to settle the case.
Human rights group say trials in Saudi Arabia fall far below international standards. They usually take place behind closed doors and without adequate legal representation.
Those who are sentenced to death are often not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them, or of the date of execution until the morning on which they are taken out and beheaded.
The headless body can then be crucified in a public place as a way to set an example, according to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islam.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has been trying to clamp down on extremist ideology, including unauthorised clerics issuing odd religious decrees.
You hope that the Hippocratic oath will stand firm here.
Wow.
You know, I wonder how many people who support the death penalty because of the principle of an eye for an eye would be appalled by this?
wow... That's crazy. Just curious, anyone know why they have and still practice an eye for an eye? Seems slightly barbaric and excessive to me. Although I will state that in some instances and some cases I do find the death sentence to be appropriate. However, I do not find an "eye for an eye" appropriate. I know this may sound as if I'm contradicting myself; I will have to figure out how to elaborate more if someone would like me to explain my thoughts.
It will....unless said practitioner wishes to lose their license to practice permanently.
Quoting MooiMeisie:You hope that the Hippocratic oath will stand firm here.
if you were the person that was paralized or your daughter was thrown acid in the face by some angry maniac or jealous husband what would you do? this is a question i've been asking myself for a long i've always been agaisnt the death penalty.. i can't answer this question...
Quoting Aasiyah:if you were the person that was paralized or your daughter was thrown acid in the face by some angry maniac or jealous husband what would you do? this is a question i've been asking myself for a long i've always been agaisnt the death penalty.. i can't answer this question...
I think that is a very wise statement above in the red.
How can we really say what is "fair" and "just" when we have yet to be in a situation such as this.
Many already believe and think that the judicial system is out of wack, and doesn't justify most crimes adequately.
I'm in agreeance with that. I've seen some of the most horrendous criminals go on technicalities, while the non violent criminals spend decades in prisons.
Great insight!
I don't feel sorry for the guy. He attacked someone with a cleaver. The only reason why I am against this is the possibility of it happening to an innocent person otherwise I don't care.
That's why countries' legal systems are based on justice, not vengeance.
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- MooiMeisie
on Aug. 20, 2010 at 8:58 AM