Saudi Woman Faces Death For Witchcraft

Human Rights Group Appeals To Saudi King To Halt Execution

(AP)  A leading human rights group appealed to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Thursday to stop the execution of a woman accused of witchcraft and performing supernatural acts.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the kingdom's religious police who arrested and interrogated Fawza Falih, and the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence in the face of "absurd charges that have no basis in law."

Falih's case underscores shortcomings in Saudi Arabia's Islamic legal system in which rules of evidence are shaky, lawyers are not always present and sentences often depend on the whim of judges.

The most frequent victims are women, who already suffer severe restrictions on daily life in Saudi Arabia: They cannot drive, appear before a judge without a male representative, or travel abroad without a male guardian's permission.

Witchcraft is considered an offense against Islam in the conservative kingdom.

In Falih's case, the judges relied on a coerced confession and on the statements of witnesses who said she had "bewitched" them to convict her in April 2006, according to the group.

Falih later retracted her confession in court, claiming it was extracted under duress, and said that as an illiterate woman, she did not understand the document she was forced to fingerprint.

"The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes like 'witchcraft' underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal investigations," said Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

There was no immediate comment on the statement from Saudi Arabia, where government offices are closed on Thursdays, the start of the Muslim weekend.

"Fawza Falih's case is an example of how the authorities failed to comply even with existing safeguards in the Saudi justice system," he added.

The Saudi court cited an instance in which a man allegedly became impotent after being bewitched by Falih, the rights group said.

An appeals court ruled in September 2006 that Falih could not be sentenced to death for witchcraft because she had retracted her confession. But a lower court subsequently reissued the death sentence for the benefit of "public interest" and to "protect the creed, souls and property of this country," the group's statement said.

HRW statement came a day after Yakin Erturk, the U.N. special investigator for violence against women, wrapped up a 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia during which she highlighted another controversial case that has attracted international criticism.

Ertuk met with Fatima and Mansour al-Timani, who were forcibly divorced by the wife's family on grounds she had married someone from a lesser tribe.

The couple learned of the divorce on Feb. 25, 2006, when police knocked on their door to serve Mansour the divorce papers.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Erturk said she met the wife and husband who were in a "terrible state of mind" and that Saudi officials had promised her arrangements would be made for the couple's reunion, according to Saudi newspaper Arab News.

[djberson]

If there is ever a doubt that these "people" are stuck in the stone-age, refer to this story. Nice country.

[quetzal0666]

hey Salem Witchcraft trial 21st Century...

[cathaleen]

Well at least they have come out of the 12th century.
They still have a long way to go.

[endpcnow]

Of course we will hear nothing from the Bush administration. It''s a shame we have to tolerate this barbaric regime because the alternative would be worse . . . if anyone can even imagine that.

[mcvet]

I wonder how long it will take Pat Robertson and the rest of the Religious Reich to move up to this. Remember when they called the Congress of this Nation back into session and had the President ready to sign a law allowing the Religious Reich to make a decision that legally and morally the SPOUSE of the brain dead woman should be making? It''s not far from that to what is going on with these women folks... NOT FAR AT ALL. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[dogsoul]

Yeah - Bush is gonna risk relations with our largest oil trading partner because of 1 woman stuck in that barbaric culture...

...that''d be a really smart thing to do

boner hole

[oscarez]

Remember every drop of oil that comes for this country to the U.S.A. is helping to keep these nut cases in power.

[singingrick]

This is what happens when you let your government be run by the dictates of a two thousand year old book. Church and state should always be separate.

[endpcnow]

Dogsoul:

You''d feel differently if that 1 woman was your mother.

[nwarky1]

To All;

In a country where 80% of the people still believe that a woman became pregnant without the assistance of a man, and that the man born of this Holy Union came back from the dead, I suppose a little witchcraft should''nt be too unbelievable.... Speaking of the USA of course.

[gunownerdan]

ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!

Love of bigotry,
Love of intolerance,
Love of hypocrisy,
Love of theocracy,
Love of gender inequality,
Love of jihad(holy war),
Love of suicide bombers,
Love of car bombs,
Love of kidnappings,
Love of beheadings,
Love of hijackings,
Love of death and destruction to any and every human on earth(especially fellow Muslims)!

[displeased]

These fanatics live in a twisted and demented fantasy land. I wonder if they oppress women because they fear them. I certainly can''t imagine a religion justifying this type of domination over another human being because of their gender.

[dogsoul]

"You''d feel differently if that 1 woman was your mother. "

Aw - that''s oh so very touching... and precisely why those kinds of decisions are left to people who can think objectively rather than causing much more damage for many more people based on some emotional whim...

[hungry1968]

It kind of sounds like the Salem witch trials. Maybe they should "dunk" her to see if she sinks - then they''ll know for sure.

[displeased]

Yeah - Bush is gonna risk relations with our largest oil trading partner because of 1 woman stuck in that barbaric culture...that''''d be a really smart thing to do
Posted by dogsoul

The smart thing to do is utilize alternative sources of energy to end our addiction to oil and end our relationship with these nutcases.

[sara48909]

Remember Islam was founded in the 7th century, 600 years after Christianity. Where were we 600 years ago. Exactly where Saudi Arabia is right now. Trying to expect them to move faster than the rest of the world is a little unrealistic. After all in the 14th century the church was running our world.
What scares me is that we are providing 20th century weapons to a country that is still fumbling around in the 14th century.
This is another good reason for the separation of church and state. The next time some idjit wants to place the 10 commandments in the courtroom offer to send him to Saudi Arabi or any of the other places over there who are running Theocracies.

[hungry1968]

Dogsoul:

You''''d feel differently if that 1 woman was your mother.

Posted by endpcnow at 09:42 AM : Feb 14, 2008




No. He probably wouldn''t. His prejudice runs much too deep.

[richnj1]

Of course we will hear nothing from the Bush administration. Posted by endpcnow

... But if this had been in Iraq, it would be treated as a crime against humanity and held up as an example of why we needed to go to war. Saddam''s mistake was in not doing deals with the Bush family to enrich them the way the Saudi royal family has. Had Saddam been as chummy with the Bushes as the Saudi royals, he''d be alive and sleeping in his palace tonight.

[hungry1968]

The smart thing to do is utilize alternative sources of energy to end our addiction to oil and end our relationship with these nutcases.

Posted by Displeased at 09:53 AM : Feb 14, 2008




The really smart thing to do, would have been to take your idea and implement it in the ''70''s during the OPEC oil embargo. We could have cut them off at the knees before they ever got as strong as they are.

Without our money, they''d still be using camels for transport.

[byeneocons]

The Bush family and the Saudi Royal family are the same peas in different pods.

This is the country we have bowed to for eight years now, and they have one of the worst human rights records on the planet.

But they''ve got something the Bush family and the neocons respect: oil.

So who cares how many biotches they kill, heads and hands they chop off, or how many *** they hang.
The most important thing to the compassionate christian conservative republican neocons is oil and money.

[lthrgrey]

Makes you think - Mohammed, born 600 years after Jesus, was probably the Anti-Christ predicted in the Sermon on the Mount. "By his followers you will know him".

[byeneocons]

How many Saudi soldiers fought in Bush''s "coalition?"

[sara48909]

I wonder if they oppress women because they fear them. I certainly can''''t imagine a religion justifying this type of domination over another human being because of their gender.
******************************************************
Of course they fear them. Just as the Catholic Church feared and continues to fear women. Throughout history men have subjagated women because of the power women have over the creation of life. When Christianity began women were allowed to be deacons of the church, just as men were. But as women became powerful men felt threatened and removed women from positions of power. Whenever men feel threatened women suffer. This is the story repeated over and over again throughout history, regardless of country or race, or religion.

[beehive21-2009]

all women are witches whats new ? We already know this to be true,so, you do not kill them,you love them till the next time they bite you.lick your wound and go back for more.

[notblue]

When one reads articles as this on a daily basis it exemplifies the backwards, intollerant beliefs of the Islamic mindset. Yet, also on a daily basis, there are posters who twist these articles and attempt to somehow compare these barbarisms to modern religion in America. Unfortunately, these same Americans hate is so consuming they have rationalized these untrue comparisons into self-percieved fact. If one was to look at the truth there is no valid comparisons. Modern politics in America has become so devisive that truth and common sense no longer play a role and intelligent debate is lost when such outrageous comparisons are attempted. It''s as moronic as blaming the President of the U.S., just one man, for every and all problems we face in this world.

[endpcnow]

notblue:

Yes or no: Should the President speak out against this or not?

[displeased]

Yet, also on a daily basis, there are posters who twist these articles and attempt to somehow compare these barbarisms to modern religion in America.
Posted by notblue

I can see mild similarities. There''s another news story out today regarding a female referee being banned from a catholic basketball game because "a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy''s beliefs". This doesn''t compare to the gross oppression in the Mideast, but it is still a form of domination due to religious beliefs.

[micma-2009]

We saw this same kind of madness in the old theocracies of Europe and in the early days of Salem when ultr-religious wackos had too much power and influence. This is why church and state should always be separate.

[samrensho]

Mentioning Saudi and justice in the same article is absurd. Where do you think Georgie gets his ideas to trash freedoms in the US.

[renwoman1]

I must agree with both Micma and Displeased. Unfortunately, quite a bit of religion in general deals more with power and control than with the true worship of any diety. Thomas Jefferson noted that when America''s government was being setup. That''s why he pushed hard for separation of church and state even though he believed in God. He saw what that kind of power did and is still doing today.

[stevenvideo]

It is amazing and so unthinkable to believe that there are still people in this world that want to put people to death because of their own stuooopit uneducated thinking. The only time acts like this would ever change is if they accused Bushes own kids of witchcraft and wanted to put them to death. Those people in the Gov in the middle east have as much brains as a dog. You couldn%u2019t pay me a trillion dollars to ever visit any middle eastern country EVER. I can%u2019t wait for full electric cars and in my life time I will be laughing while the Gov in the middle east drown in their oil.

[joyous88]

notblue lives in a fantasy world in which the american christian evangelical is somehow above the
religious hatred we see in the Saudi''s,

It is fantasy; the hate for all things non christian from the evangelical right is palpable, their rhetoric just as disgusting as that of the Saudi''

check out a christian website and blog to see some real hate.

And, lets not forget, these ''christians'' with their
MINDLESS CHRISTIAN VOTE brought us GW Bush and the war in Iraq

[mxyzpix66]

Wow... Did you notice that she may die because a man was impotent and accused her. wow... that blows my mind, and scares the h*ll out of me (especially for women living there).

[closethippy1]

Please, please, I beg everyone who reads this to please send an email to the Saudi embassy and let them have a piece of your mind.
That way you''d be making a much bigger difference than coming here or somewhere else to post your thoughts. Thank you!

[joyous88]

closethippy1,

would it not be better if we had a US President that stood up to the abuse and torture of the Saudi''s??

Rather, we have an evangelical President, a "Christian" President that understands them

vote repub four more of the same

[dennisgreen5]

Saudi Arabia is the richest backward country in the world. These people don''t give a *** about their own women and treat them like sheep. I wonder if saudi boys love their mothers. Why would a country allow the men to be so brutally authoratative to the women?

[likeitis5050]

If we weren''t stuck to the oil t.i.t in this country, we wouldn''t even be hearing about these kinds of cases. Women lashed for being raped, and buried up to the waist and stoned for ''causing'' men to behave like animals...c.rap like this happen all this area every single day. Men in these countries are never held accountable for their own behavior...totally excused up to and including murder if they can find a way to blame a woman. They are intolerant of democracy because it holds individuals accountable for each individual''s behavior and they have created a world for men where men have no laws to abide by outside of religion, and that is totally written to suit men, as well. Real justice would have every woman air-lifted out of those areas, but the irony is they would just erode the next culture they''d be dropped into, because self-loathing is ingrained in them. To rise up against this kind of injustice will require the blood of many, many women before the average woman can s.crew up the courage to speak up and do something.

[zlicdic]

Islam is Satanic, so what''s the difference?

[notblue]

joyous88, what''s happening in Saudi Arabia is not Bush''s fault. I am not evangelican christian and last time I checked no religion in America in modern times has put anybody to death for witchcraft. You are a glaring example of what I was stating in my last post, thanks for validating it.

[tinaw269]

all women are witches whats new ? We already know this to be true,so, you do not kill them,you love them till the next time they bite you.lick your wound and go back for more.


Oh soooooo true

[tbweb]

The Arab version of the Beverly Hillbillies! Proving once again that just because you add oil wealth, nothing else really changes. Primative, backwards, Caveman mentality. "Kill her, she looked at rock funny" ...

[bill_chicago]

This is just par for the course for the Saudis! You can read more about Saudi Arabia''s perverse justice system in "Part 2" here:

http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com

Using charges of "witchcraft," "apostasy" or "blasphemy," all of which are capital offenses under Saudi Arabia''s version of Islamic law, are common tools for persecuting religious minorities in the Kingdom (especially Shia and Sufi Muslims), and for settling contract disputes with foreign workers.

The entire Saudi "Justice System" is a grotesque abomination, although, unfortunately, that is the least of our problems with the Saudis.

[bigsk8fan]

good for the saudi''s. we can show them what we did to witches 300 years ago in salem, mass. i always thought the middle east was forced to be kept back a few centuries in the name of religion.

[antoniof123]

We bombed the wrong country and took over the wrong country.

At least Iraq woman had more rights and more freedom. Must be a religious neo cons dream to keep woman in chains.

[jumkey]

And your vile and twisted hatred for all things non-singinrick-flavored-Christian is equally psychotic.

What''s your point?

[shuggie55]

And these are our president''s best friends. Interesting.......

[aeasus]

NEWS FLASH:

Reports of hundreds of female protesters seen flying on a Nimbus 2000 are circling King Abdulah''s palace today. Although the royal airforce has been called in to disburse the protesters, the pilots missles refuse to shoot. Apparently the work of witchcraft claims an unidentified source who didn''t have authority to speak to the press. Insiders learned King Abdulah made an emergency call to Salem, Mass. courts for advice.

Senator Hillary has appealed to King Abdulah to use this as a stage to promote world peace. And suggest he just marry them all. O.J. Simpson has also made a call to the king,sources say,but declined to comment on the advice he gave. Madonna claims she might help but needs to see protesters pictures first.

[talkingham]

What do we care that Bush''s buddies execute peope for witchcraft. Christians did this for several centuries with the complete blessing of the church. Maybe she really is a witch.

[talkingham]

Djones, I guess you don''t remember how christians burned thousands of witches at the stake or anyone else who didn''t conform to a specific brand of christianism, for example, people who thought the sun did nto revolve around the earth. So Christianity should be a cult religion that should have been destroyed centuries ago if we follow your standards.

[jeff-fla]

-This is why Islam is a cult religion that has no right to be allowed to live. Ever since Islam took over the Middle East it has staid lock in the 13th Century. The cradle of civilization stop advancing ever since Islam took hold. Just ask your self if the world start in the Middle east why hasn''''t it in the 21st Century and its is off worst than 3rd World countries. Because Islam is not about freedom but about greed and power for the few. That is why. Google it and you''''ll find that Islam is not for the benefit of mankind but will be its downfall because of it. And Bush is licking their behinds and asks for more

Show me a religion that isn''t a cult.