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Saudi Arabia Executes Man For Killing Sister
RIYADH, Feb 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A Saudi man convicted of murdering his sister was executed on Monday under Islamic law (Sharia') bringing the number of executions to 21 in the desert kingdom since the beginning of the year.
A statement by the Interior Ministry said Mutaab bin Mohammed Yamani was executed in the southern city of Najran after he was convicted of killing his sister Ibtisam.
The statement affirmed the man choked his sister to death without justifying his crime or mentioning any details.
Last year, about 125 criminals were beheaded in Saudi Arabia for various crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling.
Saudi Arabia, a main U.S. ally in the region for more than 50 years, implements Islamic law dictating the death sentence for murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery.
The London-based Amnesty International said in its report for the year 2000 that it recorded 103 executions in Saudi Arabia - a country of 21 million - in 1999. This compares to 98 executions in the United States, a country of more than 260 million.
Saudi authorities say executions are done for the purpose of deterring criminals.
In 1993, two Saudi Arabian nationals and an Egyptian were crucified and executed in the city of Haql for murdering a man, his four children and raping and murdering his wife.
Amnesty International labeled the method of execution as "particularly violent for all those involved - the victims, their families and onlookers." Nevertheless, many of the onlookers shook the hand of the executioner because he gets blessed for carrying out the orders of God.
The view in Saudi Arabia is that all murderers should be killed unless the closest male relative of the victim accepts Deya, or blood money.
Many Saudis argue that execution by beheading is merciful, since it brings deaths more quickly than the electric chair or gas chamber. Islamic Sharia' law specifies the death penalty as a deterrent to crime, but strongly encourages forgiveness, even though killing is a major sin.
Westerners have been treated with comparative leniency in Saudi Arabia. They are usually allowed to consult lawyers and get visitations by embassy officials.
Many observers in both the Muslim world and West are currently looking to see how Saudi authorities will handle the present murder case pending against three Westerners who confessed to planting bombs in the country that killed at least one person, a fellow Westerner and possible alcohol smuggling rival in the Kingdom.
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