Saudi criticises world reaction to maid's beheading

Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2013-01-14 01:53

Article here. Is death a defensible punishment for murder, rape, and other crimes? That's a separate issue. Point is, Saudi law says these crimes are capital offenses. Next question is this: Is the "world's outrage" because capital punishment is so objectionable or is it because the executed person is young and female? I'd guess so. It doesn't seem anyone is disputing the facts of the case. If a recent MALE immigrant from Sri Lanka had suffocated an infant over an argument with one of the baby's parents, would ANYONE be raising a stink? No way. Excerpt:

'Saudi Arabia on Sunday criticised world reaction to its beheading a Sri Lankan maid convicted of killing her employer's baby, the official SPA news agency reported.

Riyadh "deplores the statements made... over the execution of a Sri Lankan maid who had plotted and killed an infant by suffocating him to death, one week after she arrived in the kingdom," the government spokesman said.

Rizana Nafeek was beheaded on Wednesday in a case that sparked widespread international condemnation, including from rights groups which said she was just 17 when she was charged with murdering the baby in 2005.

Nafeek was found guilty of smothering the infant after an argument with the child's mother.'

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In many ways, Saudi society is unequal in its treatment of men and women. But in matters of punishment, they're far more equal. They will execute women for capital crimes, whereas in this country we pretty much only execute men. I suspect if we started executing more women, I suspect our attitudes about capital punishment would change.

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Submitted by el cid on Mon, 2013-01-14 23:45