A Palestinian poet and leading member of Saudi
Arabia’s nascent contemporary art scene has
been sentenced to death for renouncing Islam.

A Saudi court on Tuesday ordered the execution
of Ashraf Fayadh, who has curated art shows in
Jeddah and at the Venice Biennale. The poet,
who said he did not have legal representation,
was given 30 days to appeal against the ruling.

Fayadh, 35, a key member of the British-Saudi
art organisation Edge of Arabia , was originally
sentenced to four years in prison and 800 lashes
by the general court in Abha, a city in the
south-west of the ultraconservative kingdom, in
May 2014.

But after his appeal was dismissed he was
retried earlier this month and a new panel of
judges ruled that his repentance did not prevent
his execution.

“I was really shocked but it was expected,
though I didn’t do anything that deserves
death,” Fayadh told the Guardian.

Mona Kareem, a migrant rights activist from
Kuwait who has led a campaign for the poet’s
release, said: “For one and a half years they
promised him an appeal and kept intimidating
him that there’s new evidence.

“He was unable to assign a lawyer because his
ID was confiscated when he was arrested [in
January 2014]. Then they said you must have a
retrial and we’ll change the prosecutor and the
judges. The new judge didn’t even talk to him,
he just made the verdict.”

Fayadh’s supporters believe he is being
punished by hardliners for posting a video
online showing the religious police ( mutaween) in
Abha lashing a man in public. “Some Saudis
think this was revenge by the morality police,”
said Kareem.

Kareem also believes that Fayadh has been
targeted because he is a Palestinian refugee,
although he was born in Saudi Arabia .

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/saudi-court-sentences-poet-to-death-for-renouncing-islam

ISHAQ AKINTOLA OVER TO YOU

.

Revdesmondjuju severusnape madridguy

I dont understand people ,if you live in rome act like the romans if you dont want to act like the romans get out of Roman territory ,
all these going against people's laid down laws and then currying sympathy from the international community i dont understand ooh

Religion of peace...lmao.were are those terrorists,let me finish them

Confessng:
I dont understand people ,if you live in rome act like the romans if you dont want to act like the romans get out of Roman territory ,
all these going against people's laid down laws and then currying sympathy from the international community i dont understand ooh

SO SO THEY DONT HAVE MUSLIMS IN FRANCE ENGLAND ITALY BELGIUM ABI YOU MUST BE HIGH ON ANIMAL POO

Any religion that enforces its worshippers to remain in it, even when they don't see any godliness in it and are tired everyday killings, i fear them. But they enjoy praying publicly in other non Islamic countries.

Your response shows already that I shouldn't respond to you because you obviously poo your brains out everytime you visit the loo

AKUNWATA1:
SO SO THEY DONT HAVE MUSLIMS IN FRANCE ENGLAND ITALY BELGIUM ABI YOU MUST BE HIGH ON ANIMAL POO

Confessng:
Your response shows already that I shouldn't respond to you because you obviously poo your brains out everytime you visit the loo

YOU ARE SENSELESS. SO AN ATHEIST SHOULD NOT PRACTICE HIS FAITH SIMPLY BECAUSE HE RESIDES IN A MUSLIM DOMINATED AREA ABI

You are an ill bred gay , you should have been washed away with your mother's menses because your birth was obviously the greatest mistake of your entire generation.......
You do not have a monopoly of madness....

Saudi Arabia is the capital of Islam they have their laid down rules nobody forces anyone to remain in their country , if he doesn't pray in his closet I doubt if anyone will come after him but to denounce the religion publicly is a slap in the face for them
And since he knows that why do it at all if he isn't looking to curry public sentiment and for your information I am not a Muslim.

Run along silly bastard

AKUNWATA1:
YOU ARE SENSELESS. SO AN ATHEIST SHOULD NOT PRACTICE HIS FAITH SIMPLY BECAUSE HE RESIDES IN A MUSLIM DOMINATED AREA ABI

Confessng:
iam an ill bred gay , i should have been washed away with my mother's menses because my birth was obviously the greatest mistake of my entire generation.......
I do not have a monopoly of madness....

Saudi Arabia is the capital of Islam they have their laid down rules nobody forces anyone to remain in their country , if he doesn't pray in his closet I doubt if anyone will come after him but to denounce the religion publicly is a slap in the face for them
And since he knows that why do it at all if he isn't looking to curry public sentiment and for your information I am a die hard Muslim .

Im a silly bastard

STOP TELLING ME ABOUT YOURSELF BRUH. ITS NOT YOUR FAULT THAT YOU DONT REASON LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING. NOW BACK TO THE ISSUE ON GROUND. YOU JUST CONTRADICTED YA SELF BY SAYING THAT SAUDI ARABIA IS THE CAPITAL OF ISLAM. LET ME EQUALLY REMIND YOU THAT ITALY WAS THE CAPITAL OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND YET THEY HAVE A VERY HUGE NUMBER OF MUSLIMS THERE. THEY EVEN BUILT MOSQUE IN THE VATICAN CITY.
IM NOT GOING TO REPLY YOU AGAIN CUZ IVE SEEN THAT YOU NOR DEY REASON WELL