A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals if they are willing to damage a man's spinal cord as punishment for a cleaver attack that left a 22-year-old paralysed.

The victim, Abdul-Aziz al Mutairi, became paralysed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago.

An unnamed man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the assault, but released after serving only half that time.

The shortened jail time has reportedly enraged Mr Mutairi's family.

His 27-year-old brother Khaled said they want an equivalent punishment for the attacker and have appealed to a judge in northwestern Tabuk province.

"We are asking for our legal right under Islamic law," the brother said.

"There is no better word than God's word - an eye for an eye."

The judge has since asked several hospitals if medical paralysis was possible and would they perform the operation.

Local newspapers reported a facility in the capital Riyadh had declined, saying it could not inflict such harm.

Saudi Arabia enforces strict Islamic law and occasionally hands out punishments based on the ancient legal code.

Amnesty International has expressed concerns over the reports and said it was contacting Saudi authorities for details.

"We are very concerned and we will appeal to the authorities not to carry out such a punishment," said Lamri Chirouf, the group's researcher on Saudi Arabia.

He added this was the first time Amnesty had heard of a punishment involving the damaging of a spinal cord.

"It's hard to follow details of the Saudi justice system. People are sentenced in closed trials with no access to the public and no lawyers."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100820/twl-judge-asks-doctors-to-damage-crimina-3fd0ae9.html

Is the religion of peace not synonymous with forgiveness

I read this news on express newspaper on Thursday morning on my way to work, I just think it's pathetic.

And the foolish judge is actually spending taxpayers money scouting for a hospital to carry out the heinous act.

If the perpetrator dies during the procedure who will be punished?
Besides, the guy had done part of his time in prison isn't there some other form of punishment that does not involve maiming him?
I sure hope none of their medical practitioners agrees to carry out such an act.

The family of the paralysed man have no right to demand for justice. after all their family member, the one they think they are defending is alive, and can talk or at least let the Judge knows what he wants. If he had died, then the family will have options to redress the death, from the harshest; taking his life, to the most preferred by Allah leave him alone, and depend of Allah. In between these, you have the blood money.

More over, they should have not accepted a jail sentence in the first place, if they think that they are in the right to ask for their right, according to Sharia, while the victim is still alive.

The saudi may practice sharia, thats what they say they practice, but they are not practicing it perfectly, and you can see Perfect Sharia on the pages of Quran, explained by relevant hadith. How could the Judge have missed it so terribly?


Sharia in not to injure, but deter intentional and preventable victimization of the citizenry, prevention and deterrence of Injustices and calling for equitable redress or compensation for the victim, or the family where the victim is not in position to demand for his right, and it is my believe that, it is only in case where death occurs.

@Mad-Max; You were almost right on everything, except that at least you are wrong in your saying that Islam originted in saudi. No, madam. Islam did not originate from there. islam was alive on mankind at the same time that Adam was created. However Islam was completed on Muhammad the Messenger to all mankind and the last of all prophets (AS to all of them). You will know that the religion of any of them was not different from all of the rest: The God Almighty is One and deserves all your worships and obedience.



As the nature of man dictates, injustices man practices for the most part and really practices mercy and equity. Can you imagine why the family didnt request for this Sharia before they let the man be a ward of the state when he was sentenced to prison? The injustice that the family in my viewpoint and I may be alone here on this one and may Allah forgive me, is that if the spinal cord is later severed, the family would have made this man suffered the prison term which was not due in the ruling of Sharia, in this case.


Further, what they have done was to spite the person for getting out sooner than they thought while their grieving was still going on. They forgot that the one that suffered and still suffering is the one paralysed. He is the one that has the right in my view.

I am not a scholar, but Allah leaves within the Muslim Umma independence and ability to think. We are no drones.