Crucify him. Death in Saudi Arabia.

catsmate

No longer the 1
catsmate
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
34,767
Firstly can we try and address this case without descending into generic Muslim bashing?

Ali Mohammed al-Nimr is a pro-democracy activist in Saudi Arabia who was arrested four years ago, when he was 17, and now faces death by crucifixion for his "crimes".
There are, to put it mildly, serious concerns about his conviction (including a statement from the UN) and that the case is being used to warn off others who want change in the country's autocratic regime.

Toronto Star.
NBC.
BBC.
 
Last edited:
Under Saudi law, the punishment of crucifixion to which al-Nimr was sentenced is actually a beheading, followed by the public display of the body.
Click to expand...

Not that that's much better, but in a clickbait/soundbyte world I felt compelled to point it out early to forestall all the comments focused on the barbarity of the method rather than the barbarity of the act.

Having said that, I am eager for the day the civilized nations develop energy technology that removes the dependence on oil, because then we won't have to play nice with the kid who owns the pool.
 
It's hard to find anything to say. It's a tragedy on the same scale as Raif Badarwi (sp?). Islam as practiced in Saudi is a barbaric throwback. We're it not for the oil underground, they would be detested and ignored by the rest of the world.
 
IMO the death penalty is unacceptable.

It's even worse in a "justice" system as screwed up as the Saudi system.
 
Remember that Saudi Arabia is an ally and a friend of the western nations... :/
 
TragicMonkey said:
Having said that, I am eager for the day the civilized nations develop energy technology that removes the dependence on oil, because then we won't have to play nice with the kid who owns the pool.
Click to expand...

Hear, hear.

I would say that will occur by 2020 if we're lucky, or by 2030 if we're not. I consider 2025 to be the good median estimate for when these kinds of barbarisms will be addressed in the manner they deserve.

McHrozni
 
Ryokan said:
Remember that Saudi Arabia is an ally and a friend of the western nations... :/
Click to expand...

Ally sure, but friend? Not really.

It's an ally because it has oil, and because the alternative - Iran - isn't much better anyway.

McHrozni
 
I seem to remember a certain world leader holding hands with the Saudi king. I don't think he's being treated any different by other leaders.
 
Dead is dead and be heading is a hell of a lot quicker than electrocuting . The US isn't really that much better
 
applecorped said:
Dead is dead and be heading is a hell of a lot quicker than electrocuting . The US isn't really that much better
Click to expand...
There's executed, and then there's tortured to death. Crucifixion is in no way a humane way to be executed.

Barbaric as the American love of execution is, it's nowhere near as barbaric as a state that will use crucifixion.
 
arthwollipot said:
There's executed, and then there's tortured to death. Crucifixion is in no way a humane way to be executed.

Barbaric as the American love of execution is, it's nowhere near as barbaric as a state that will use crucifixion.
Click to expand...

The crucifixion here is post-mortem. The execution itself is by beheading.
 
Cleon said:
The crucifixion here is post-mortem. The execution itself is by beheading.
Click to expand...
Serves me right for not reading the article first.

"The person is beheaded, normally by sword, and then their body is displayed in a public place on a jibbet."
Click to expand...

That's not crucifixion at all. Why are they calling it crucifixion?

Though I have to say that displaying corpses in order to deter others is nearly as barbaric.
 
TragicMonkey said:
Having said that, I am eager for the day the civilized nations develop energy technology that removes the dependence on oil, because then we won't have to play nice with the kid who owns the pool.
Click to expand...

It sure will change the world when that happens. I'm sure they're very nervous about that.
 
Whatever the relative merits of the form of execution, surely a more outrageous point here is that he is being executed for being pro-democracy, that is to say he is a prisoner of conscience. The manner in which a "confession" was extracted from him is also serious grounds for worry.

But on top of that, and what worries me most in terms of which way the West can be considered hypocritical, is not because we are allies with the Saudi regime or that the US and Japan also have the death penalty, but the fact that this guy and his uncle are being prosecuted for what they say.
 
angrysoba said:
Whatever the relative merits of the form of execution, surely a more outrageous point here is that he is being executed for being pro-democracy, that is to say he is a prisoner of conscience. The manner in which a "confession" was extracted from him is also serious grounds for worry.
Click to expand...
I agree, that is the most outrageous part of the whole story.

But displaying a corpse as a warning to others? That's still pretty damn outrageous.
 
The worst thing about this is if the House of Saud fell the regime that takes its place would be 10x worse. There are no moderates waiting in the wings, it's a barbaric, evil culture.
 
I understand that our dear allies, the Brits, were fond of executing pirates and then displaying the body in the gibbet in a public place. In once case, they varnished the "remains" so that the display would be more permanent....

I don't understand either how we get "crucifixion" from "gibbet".... That device is essentially a small, tight-fitting cage that suspends the body vertically for either torture or post-mortem display. Often, the condemned was merely placed in same and allowed to die of thirst/hunger.

Ah, the good old days....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom