woman executed for witchcraft

[esperanza]

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A Saudi woman has been executed for practising "witchcraft and sorcery", the country's interior ministry says.

A statement published by the state news agency said Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser was beheaded on Monday in the northern province of Jawf.

The ministry gave no further details of the charges which the woman faced.

The woman was the second person to be executed for witchcraft in Saudi Arabia this year. A Sudanese man was executed in September.

'Threat to Islam'

BBC regionalist analyst Sebastian Usher says the interior ministry stated that the verdict against Ms Nasser was upheld by Saudi Arabia's highest courts, but it did not give specific details of the charges.

The London-based newspaper, al-Hayat, quoted a member of the religious police as saying that she was in her 60s and had tricked people into giving her money, claiming that she could cure their illnesses.

Our correspondent said she was arrested in April 2009.

But the human rights group Amnesty International, which has campaigned for Saudis previously sentenced to death on sorcery charges, said it had never heard of her case until now, he adds.

A Sudanese man was executed in September on similar charges, despite calls led by Amnesty for his release.

In 2007, an Egyptian national was beheaded for allegedly casting spells to try to separate a married couple.

Last year, a Lebanese man facing the death penalty on charges of sorcery, relating to a fortune-telling television programme he presented, was freed after the Saudi Supreme Court decreed that his actions had not harmed anyone.

Amnesty says that Saudi Arabia does not actually define sorcery as a capital offence. However, some of its conservative clerics have urged the strongest possible punishments against fortune-tellers and faith healers as a threat to Islam.

 

[alf2]

Its the year 2011 and people still believe in "magic" Ya Allah....

If she was taking money from sick people promising to cure their illnesses she was not a magician, she was a liar. Not an executable offense.

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

But magic has been around...what makes us think it is not here still?

 

[ShahnazZ]

Exactly.

According to the Quran and Sunnah, magic is very much real.

Muslims can continue to deny this until the cows come home. It makes no difference as it will continue to exist irrespective of the different opinions about it.

If anything, those who don't believe in it have their guards lowered and are doing themselves a disservice by closing their eyes to a real threat.

 

[ShyHijabi]

:salam2:

What concerns me is there is no mention of evidence. So basically if you're female or a non-Saudi you can be accused falsely and then executed. I am deeply disturbed by the reports coming out of KSA about servants being accused of witchcraft and then killed on fabricated or no evidence. What is more disturbing is when the accusations follow shortly after the servant complains about lack of pay or poor treatment.

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

But this is about witchcraft.

 

[alf2]

Assalaam walaikum,

But this is about witchcraft.

Is there no evidence of witchcraft?
What if a woman convicted of this was innocent?

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

The KSA highest court made the decision. The article did not inform us about the nature of the witchcraft. The article gives us half-truths.

 

[finding light]

Aslaamu Alaikum.
Just read this on the news and knew Sister Esperanza would have posted the article Thanks sister!
Yes the two questions that pop up in my head (I have read three news reports on this story):
1. Where is the concrete evidence needed to convict this woman UNDER SHARIAH?
2. Is practicing witchcraft a crime punishable by death UNDER SHARIAH.

I hope Allah guided them well in this decision that they took and I really hope it was a justifiable punishment UNDER SHARIAH.

 

[lovefordeen]

:salam2:

What concerns me is there is no mention of evidence. So basically if you're female or a non-Saudi you can be accused falsely and then executed. I am deeply disturbed by the reports coming out of KSA about servants being accused of witchcraft and then killed on fabricated or no evidence. What is more disturbing is when the accusations follow shortly after the servant complains about lack of pay or poor treatment.

wa'alikum assalaam

i thought females were treated with respect there sister..i don't know about maids,but they don't just arrest any female there...

what is the ruling in sharia' for punishment in practicing witchcraft...i think the prescribed should be given to anyone who's practicing this(not innocent ones)
may Allah forgive me if i have said something wrong..

and Allah knows best..

 

[lovefordeen]

Aslaamu Alaikum.
Just read this on the news and knew Sister Esperanza would have posted the article Thanks sister!
Yes the two questions that pop up in my head (I have read three news reports on this story):
1. Where is the concrete evidence needed to convict this woman UNDER SHARIAH?
2. Is practicing witchcraft a crime punishable by death UNDER SHARIAH.

I hope Allah guided them well in this decision that they took and I really hope it was a justifiable punishment UNDER SHARIAH.

waalikum assalaam

yes,dear sister

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

What exactly are you sisters upset about? That a woman was convicted of a crime..are you questioning the court system? I am lost. What are you upset about?

I would like the sister who posted the article to tell me why she posted this, what she is unclear about in terms of the conviction and implementation of the punishment.

The laws of the KSA are specific are they not. What is the nature of the issue here. I am confused...and please do not tell me this has something to do with women's rights.

 

[esperanza]

Assalaam walaikum,

What exactly are you sisters upset about? That a woman was convicted of a crime..are you questioning the court system? I am lost. What are you upset about?

I would like the sister who posted the article to tell me why she posted this, what she is unclear about in terms of the conviction and implementation of the punishment.

The laws of the KSA are specific are they not. What is the nature of the issue here. I am confused...and please do not tell me this has something to do with women's rights.

dear sister.. iposted this because there was an article recently here by one brother saying how saudi is craking down on sorcery and this is a good thing..
so iposted this to show they are actually punishing people as well
i did not comment if it was wrong or right or if im upset

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

We need to find out why the KSA is cracking down on witchcraft. It is common sense if someone is cracking down on something that they will impose sanctions and implement the punishment to suit the crime.

What we need to do is find out what consititues withcraft. What were the specifics of this case. We have none posted. When we have incomplete information we go into the area of speculation and confusion.

We need background. We need the facts. Or else it becomes an emotional post.

 

[esperanza]

Assalaam walaikum,

We need to find out why the KSA is cracking down on witchcraft. It is common sense if someone is cracking down on something that they will impose sanctions and implement the punishment to suit the crime.

What we need to do is find out what consititues withcraft. What were the specifics of this case. We have none posted. When we have incomplete information we go into the area of speculation and confusion.

We need background. We need the facts. Or else it becomes an emotional post.

admittedly ido not have all the facts..but this is not an emotional post...witchccraft does exist in saudi and the aouthorities are punishing this

 

[lovefordeen]

Assalaam walaikum,

What exactly are you sisters upset about? That a woman was convicted of a crime..are you questioning the court system? I am lost. What are you upset about?

I would like the sister who posted the article to tell me why she posted this, what she is unclear about in terms of the conviction and implementation of the punishment.

The laws of the KSA are specific are they not. What is the nature of the issue here. I am confused...and please do not tell me this has something to do with women's rights.

wa'alikum assalaam wa rahmathulahi wa abrakathuhu

dear sister...i'm not upset about anything...it was a mistake on my part...i misread what sister finding light said...i thought it was 'what are evidence required for convicting...' instead of what she wrote...and i wanted to know what are the proofs needed to convict a person...because i was curious..

and regarding what is the punishment,i know the punishment but didn't want to state it here without proof...and sister finding light may also have been curious to know the punishment...
i'm really bothered about witchcraft and sincerely wish the people doing this to be punished....as it is such an evil act ...at the same time,i don't know anything regarding the maids being blamed for witchcraft...

and Allah knows best...

your sister

 

[lovefordeen]

Assalaam walaikum,

We need to find out why the KSA is cracking down on witchcraft. It is common sense if someone is cracking down on something that they will impose sanctions and implement the punishment to suit the crime.

What we need to do is find out what consititues withcraft. What were the specifics of this case. We have none posted. When we have incomplete information we go into the area of speculation and confusion.

We need background. We need the facts. Or else it becomes an emotional post.

asslaamu alaikumdear sister...
salem had posted a good video about it a few days back..and in the description of the video,there's a video in english about awareness of witchcraft by the government of saudi ...it tells us a lot about witchcraft...i had posted the video earlier,but removed it later because of some reasons...it may help if you watch it in sha Alllah...

assalaamu alaikum

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,


I believe if the KSA authorities had determined that the crime fit the punishment. Then amnesty international has no say so about the matter.

I wish amnesty international would look at the US for a change...we have people incarcerated and never been charged for a crime..going on five six years...

So I have no faith in amnesty international and what they say nor do I trust the BBC.

Before we point fingers..lets get the facts.