When barely-out-of-his-teens Saudi poet and
journalist Hamza Kashgari tweeted a few thoughts back in February
of 2012 on the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday, the Saudi government hunted him
down like a dog to bring him to justice.
The young man fled Saudi Arabia but was extradited from Malaysia and
returned to his country to await trial.
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| Tweeter Hamza Kashgari |
In three little tweets that came to just over 100
words, Hamza’s life changed forever.
Saudi clerics were outraged and offended by Hamza’s “blasphemous”
utterings, calling for him to be charged with apostasy, a crime in the Islamic
country of Saudi Arabia which is punishable by death.
The following are the three tweets that shook up the
Muslim world so badly that his words triggered the creation of a Facebook group
crying for his execution that within a matter of days grew to over 26,000
members:
“On
your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I
shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak
to you as a friend, no more.”
“On
your birthday, I find you wherever I turn. I will say that I have loved aspects
of you, hated others, and could not understand many more.”
“On
your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you've
always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of
divinity around you. I shall not pray for you.”
Hamza’s
case has been filled with controversy.
His apology and repentance for his “crime” has not been enough to
appease the government, although many feel that his repentance should be
adequate.
The
manner in which the Saudi government was able to get their hands on him in the
first place was, at best, conniving and deceitful. Hamza intended to apply for political asylum
in New Zealand, but he never made it.
There are no extradition agreements between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia,
yet that’s where he was arrested.
Malaysian lawyers have stated, "The initial claim of Interpol's
involvement was a blatant attempt to varnish the arrest with a veneer of
international legitimacy since the arrest could not be justified under
international law as Hamza was clearly a political refugee.”
Disparaging
remarks have been made about Hamza’s heritage, with many Saudis expressing in
true tribal mentality that he is “not Saudi enough,” as if no pure or true
Saudi would ever say the offensive things that Hamza said.
There
might be more to Hamza's case than merely an offense against Islam. Some surmise that it is politically driven
and that the Saudi government is using Hamza as an example to those who might
be tempted to instigate rebellion within the country along the lines of the
Arab Spring, which didn’t really happen in Saudi Arabia.
One
year later, Hamza still languishes in prison, untried. In Saudi Arabia, the right to a speedy trial
isn’t important.
Rizana
Nafeek ‘s case was also clouded in controversy.
The young Sri Lankan housemaid was beheaded last month here in Saudi
Arabia for allegedly killing an infant in her care in 2005. Many claim that she was railroaded and was
not given adequate representation or a fair trial. The housemaid also withdrew a “confession”
that she had made, claiming it was made “under duress.”
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| Sri Lankan Housemaid Rizana Nafeek |
Legitimate
questions have been raised regarding Rizana's age at the time of the “crime,”
with some reports indicating that Rizana was only 15 when the baby died of
suffocation. The baby’s family refused
to accept the payment of “blood money,” which would have exonerated the young
maid, and instead insisted on her execution.
Most
middle and upper class Saudi families employ housemaids. It is a well-known fact that some Saudi families mistreat and abuse
these domestic workers, who come to the kingdom from poorer
countries like India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Malaysia. Many housemaids don’t get any days off and
are treated more like slaves than employees, working long hours for very low
wages.
Nisha Varia fromHuman Rights Watch had
this to say about the plight of many domestic workers in Saudi
Arabia: "The Saudi justice system
is characterized by arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and harsh
punishments. Migrants are at high risk
of being victims of spurious charges. A
domestic worker facing abuse or exploitation from her employer might run away
and then be accused of theft. Employers
may accuse domestic workers, especially those from Indonesia, of witchcraft. Victims of rape and sexual assault are at
risk of being accused of adultery and fornication."
At
this moment in time, more than 45 foreign housemaids are on death row in Saudi
Arabia. Despite worldwide criticism
after the execution of Rizana, Saudi Arabia stands firm in defense of its
actions. You see, Saudi Arabia doesn’t really
care about its image to the rest of theworld.
The
last case I wish to highlight in this post is that of five-year-old Lama Al
Ghamdi. Lama was raped, tortured, beaten and murderedby her own
father, Sheikh Fayhan Al Ghamdi, a well-known Saudi preacher who has
appeared on religious programs in the kingdom many times. Al Ghamdi has admitted that he tortured his
daughter. Lama’s injuries included a
crushed skull, broken back, broken arm, and broken ribs, and reports say that
she was raped “everywhere.” There are
conflicting reports as to whether Al Ghamdi is still incarcerated or not. Some reports say that he was jailed for only
about four months and was released.
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| Murdered 5-yr-old Lama Al Ghamdi |
Global
outrage was sparked last week when it was reported that a judge apparently
ruled that the few months that Al Ghamdi already served in jail was adequate
punishment and ordered him to pay “blood money” (about $50,000 US). Anothercourt date is set in about two
weeks’ time.
Three
very different cases. We already know
the tragic outcome of Rizana’s case. The
other two cases have not yet played out.
Saudi Arabia’s own brand of “justice” discriminates against foreign
workers, political activists, females, and children. When I read about cases like these in the
news, I cannot help but think that Saudi Arabia has screwed up priorities and
values and is in total denial about what a dysfunctional society it really is.
