Execution based on Sorcery Charges

by Salman Hameed

This is simply insane. It is sometimes really hard to maintain perspective on issues related to religion, politics, and science. Just this past Sunday I had a post about Islamophobia in the US and the utter idiocy of  a conservative US group that is upset about the "normal" portrayal of Muslims in the reality show All-Ameircan Muslims. But then, just to provide fodder for the bigots, Saudi Arabia decides to execute a woman on sorcery charges. Again - a woman has been killed in Saudi Arabia in the 21st century because of charges of practicing sorcery!

Saudi authorities have executed a woman convicted of practising magic and sorcery.
The Saudi interior ministry said in a statement that the execution had taken place on Monday, but gave no details of the woman's crime.
The London-based al-Hayat daily, however, quoted Abdullah al-Mohsen, the chief of the religious police who arrested the woman, as saying she had tricked people into thinking she could treat illnesses, charging them $800 a session.
The paper said a female investigator followed up the case, and the woman was arrested in April 2009 and later convicted in a Saudi court.

Shame on Saudi Arabia! This is not just simple idiocy. This is dangerous lunacy and people are paying the price with their lives. The problem is that this is not the first time. Here are some earlier posts related to other sorcery charges:

Sibat's life may be spared...

"Sorcery" execution delayed

Beheading on "sorcery" charges expected on Friday

Still no sense from Saudi Arabia on sorcery death sentence

Sorcery Charges: Saudi Arabia boldly marches into the 15th century