[center]A Victim of Saudi Arabia's Irreligious Police
Why You Should Know About Ali Sibat
By RANNIE AMIRI [/center]

At the time of this writing, Ali Hussain Sibat is still alive.

It is unknown for how long he will be however, for he is set to be executed in Saudi Arabia at any moment for the undefined crime of practicing “sorcery” and “witchcraft.”

As Robert Fisk aptly penned, “Some stories from the Middle East make you want to weep. But this one is truly heart-breaking.”

The details of his case are rather simple: Ali Sibat (alternative spelling, Sbatt) is a poor, Lebanese Shia Muslim truck driver who went to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in May 2008 to perform the minor pilgrimage, or umra. While in Medina, the Saudi Religious Police or mutawa’een, broke into his hotel room and arrested him for practicing “sorcery” (how they managed to track him down is beyond me). It seems Mr. Sibat once worked for a Lebanese satellite television station where he gave counsel and encouragement to troubled callers by “predicting” good things would happen to them.

After spending a year-and-half in jail, he was sentenced to death in a secret trial on Nov. 9. Yes, a Lebanese citizen, who once gave callers advice on a Lebanese television station in Lebanon, was given a death sentence while visiting Saudi Arabia. As Fisk again writes, “the story is almost too awful to relate because it should be untrue.”

His execution is set for today, December 10.

The fact he is a Shia Muslim certainly does not help his case in a country that is intolerant of them. The family wisely decided to call upon Lebanon’s Sunni leadership, including Prime Minister Saad Hariri – who holds Saudi citizenship – and the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Qabalan (who said Sibat committed no crime) to intervene.

Mr. Sibat, of course, was likely tortured during his long imprisonment. No lawyers were present during his sentencing, and in a country with no written penal code, his arbitrary arrest, incarceration and trial were dependent solely on the whims of the Religious Police and the presiding judge.

Amnesty International has urged Saudi King Abdullah to overturn the sentence and unconditionally release Sibat and another man (name unknown) convicted on similar charges.

Now that he is officially prime minister, Saad Hariri should spare not effort to secure the release of a fellow citizen set to be beheaded in Saudi Arabia.

God be with you Ali Hussain Sibat.
http://www.counterpunch.org/amiri12102009.html

Lagosboy:

Some news from this kingdom called Saudi always upsets me. I pray to God to grant us real and sincere leaders to be custodians of the blessed land and two holy masajids.

uplawal:

@illusions,dnt ever write like a muslim ok,because youre not one,imagine,you saying Ameen,why dnt you say Amen like a xtian?

uplawal:

@Azaruddin,ofcourse i want him to die as a muslim,but i tell you,he is an hypocrite and an enemy to Islam,he and hymen,they attack Islam and abuse the Religion,so why should i not question him? i could remember some days ago,he was rubbishing Islam and inviting me to his yeye Unitarian Christianity

illusion2:

but I love and recognise the non-political side of Islam (prayer,fasting,taking care of the poor etc).

azharuddin:

About the hair thing, how do we know our friends/spouse are sincere? When they sacrifice something they love and listen to us (like missing their favorate tv show to hang out with us etc, ). Similarly we are required to sacrifice some things here in this world to please Allah. Even if we think there is no logic in something, Allahs knows everything, dont you think his logic will be far far superior than ours? Besides sacrificing something for 60secs for a lifetime of benifits makes perfect sense doesnt it.?

azharuddin:

Shaving pubic hair, armpit, cutting nails etc are part of sunnah. Not doing it is not forbidden but disliked.

uplawal:

@Illusion,Muslims are the neatest people av ever seen,hate it,we dnt care,youre here rambling at shaving and cutting of nails,cant you reason that its hygienic to do all that,its for our health,and cleanliness is next to godliness.The prophet did that,and we do it cos hes our role model and example to follow

uplawal:

@illusion,are you female or male?

illusion2:


I can never become a muslim (Esin Imale ),but I love and recognise the non-political side of Islam (prayer,fasting,taking care of the poor etc).