Things that make me glad I live in a Christian Country.

[Flavus Aquila]

Judge considers paralysis punishment

August 20, 2010 - 2:55PM
A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals in the country whether they could damage a man's spinal cord as punishment after he was convicted of attacking another man with a cleaver and paralysing him, the older brother of the victim says.
Abdul-Aziz al-Mutairi, 22, was left paralysed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago. He asked a judge in north-western Tabuk province to impose an equivalent punishment on his attacker under Islamic law, his brother Khaled al-Mutairi, 27, said.
He said one of the hospitals, located in Tabuk, responded, saying it was possible to damage the spinal cord, but the operation had to be done at a more specialised facility.
Saudi newspapers reported on Thursday that a second hospital in the capital, Riyadh, declined, saying it could not inflict such harm.
Administrative offices of two of the hospitals and the court in Tabuk were closed for the Saudi weekend beginning on Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Saudi Arabia enforces strict Islamic law and occasionally doles out punishments based on the ancient legal code of an eye for an eye. However, King Abdullah has been trying to clamp down on extremist ideology, including unauthorised clerics issuing odd religious decrees.
The query by the court, among the most unusual and extreme to have been made public in the kingdom, highlights the delicate attempt in Saudi Arabia to balance a push to modernise the country with interpretations of religious traditions that critics say are out of sync with a modern society.
Saudi newspaper Okaz identified the judge as Saoud bin Suleiman al-Youssef.
The brother said the judge asked at least two hospitals for a medical opinion on whether surgeons could render the attacker's spinal cord nonfunctional. He and Saudi newspaper reports did not identify the attacker.
Khaled al-Mutairi said the assailant was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the attack, but he was released after seven months, in an amnesty. He said the attacker then got a job as a teacher in a university.
"We are asking for our legal right under Islamic law," the brother said. "There is no better word than God's word - an eye for an eye."
He said he had a copy of the response from King Khaled Hospital in Tabuk province to the court's request, saying the operation could be done.
Okaz reported that a leading hospital in Riyadh - King Faisal Specialist Hospital - said it could not do the operation, saying "inflicting such harm is not possible", apparently refusing on ethical grounds.
Human rights group say trials in Saudi Arabia usually take place behind closed doors and without adequate legal representation.
Amnesty International expressed concerns over the reports and said it was contacting Saudi authorities for details.
"We are very concerned and we will appeal to the authorities not to carry out such a punishment," said Lamri Chirouf, the group's researcher on Saudi Arabia.
Such measures are against international conventions against torture and international standards on human rights.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/judge-considers-paralysis-punishment-20100820-12sb4.html

I feel all cozy, like I want to kiss the Australian flag.

 

[Feelings]

I don't think Christianity has much to do with it. Followers of any religion have the capacity to be inhumane.

I always read about tragedies and cruelty. I hate the burden it makes me feel and try to ignore it.

 

[Satya]

I think people who follow religious beliefs instead of using reason, evidence, and human compassion, are idiots.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

I think people who follow religious beliefs instead of using reason, evidence, and human compassion, are idiots.

You always find stupid people at either extreme.

 

[Satya]

You always find stupid people at either extreme.

Sorry, can't say I know what you are talking about.

Although you gotta admit these religious idiots manage to get into leadership positions quite often where they have a lot of influence. It seems pretty horrendous the things they can say and do while using their religious beliefs to justify it.

 

[Tamagochi]

I don't think Christianity has much to do with it. Followers of any religion have the capacity to be inhumane.

On the contrary, I think it does. Even at medieval times when the church was a juggernaut such things did not happen. Christian morale clearly draws a line that "an eye for an eye" is an outdated concept and should be replaced with forgiveness and compassion. Christ himself stated this notion explicitly numerous times.

Of course there were countless murder and torture of innocent people under the name of Christianity but at least it does not take pride for that and recognize it's mistakes.

I think people who follow religious beliefs instead of using reason, evidence, and human compassion, are idiots.

Does calling other people idiots because of their beliefs display your abundance of human compassion?

 

[88chaz88]

On the contrary, I think it does. Even at medieval times when the church was a juggernaut such things did not happen.

Lets just sweep the Spanish Inquisition under the rug eh? Nothing to see here... move along.

 

[Satya]

Does calling other people idiots because of their beliefs display your abundance of human compassion?

It isn't compassionate to enable idiocy.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Lets just sweep the Spanish Inquisition under the rug eh? Nothing to see here... move along.

[MENTION=2495]88chaz88[/MENTION];
The Spanish inquisition was principally set up to drive belief and moral systems that advocate "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" out of the Spanish Kingdom.

Spain is the only country that having been overun with Islam became fully Christian again. You could say that they were intollerant of intollerance.

 

[88chaz88]

@88chaz88;
The Spanish inquisition was principally set up to drive belief and moral systems that advocate "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" out of the Spanish Kingdom.

Spain is the only country that having been overun with Islam became fully Christian again. You could say that they were intollerant of intollerance.

That makes it all so much better then. Well done you crazy Spaniards for torturing thousands of innocent people and burning many others at the stake.

Makes every Christian proud.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

That makes it all so much better then. Well done you crazy Spaniards for torturing thousands of innocent people and burning many others at the stake.

Makes every Christian proud.

@88chaz88;

No one was burned or tortured without having a choice to either go into exile or convert.

It beats having Government appointed judges sentence you having your spinal chord surgically severed.

Numbers: The generally accepted number of people burnt at the stake is a little over 4000 in the 400 odd years of the Spanish inquisition. That's about 10 per year sentenced to death. In 2009, 388 people were sentenced to death in Iran alone. In 2009 the United States sentenced 52 people to death.

Aparently burning at the stake was used, because it gave the convicted the opportunity to choose either exile or to recant even as the flames were being kindled.

 

[bamf]

Almost no one has died in the name of Buddhism (outside of the limited support of the Japanese empire expansion efforts from the 1880s-1940s). Just sayin'.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Almost no one has died in the name of Buddhism (outside of the limited support of the Japanese empire expansion efforts from the 1880s-1940s). Just sayin'.

Unless they were part of the People's Liberation Army. The Tibetan Chushi Gangdruk guerrilla movement rose up against the Atheistic Communist Chinese invaders of Tibet. They were trying to preserve their way of life and religion from invaders.

I don't see how that is so different from what the Spanish did in the 1400's.



I personally like living in a Christian country - not because of intollerance per se, but because its principles are generally intollerant of intollerance.

 

[88chaz88]

Numbers:[/B] The generally accepted number of people burnt at the stake is a little over 4000 in the 400 odd years of the Spanish inquisition. That's about 10 per year sentenced to death. In 2009, 388 people were sentenced to death in Iran alone. In 2009 the United States sentenced 52 people to death.

Aparently burning at the stake was used, because it gave the convicted the opportunity to choose either exile or to recant even as the flames were being kindled.

In 2009 the United Kingdom sentenced 0 people to death.

Anyway, lets forget the Spanish Inquisition even though they tortured thousands of innocents. Instead we could move on to the crusades, the KKK, or even the Nazi's.

Your choice.

 

[88chaz88]

Almost no one has died in the name of Buddhism (outside of the limited support of the Japanese empire expansion efforts from the 1880s-1940s). Just sayin'.

Nobody has died in the name of Bahai. No exceptions.

 

[Skoffin]

Hey, how about we stop decrying intolerance by using more intolerance? You may not like Christianity but it does not give you free reign to be a dick.


In regards to this story, I don't really care about this guys plight. You do something wrong then don't be surprised if it comes with negative consequences.

 

[88chaz88]

Hey, how about we stop decrying intolerance by using more intolerance? You may not like Christianity but it does not give you free reign to be a dick.

Did I ever think I had free reign to be a dick?

Anyway I don't have any intolerance towards Christianity, nor any other religion. That doesn't mean I'm going to pretend that everything related to religion is okay just because it's Christian or Jewish or whatever.

Edit: Hell complete abolition of religion is just as bad, i.e. Stalin.

 

[DefectiveCreative]

Spain is the only country that having been overun with Islam became fully Christian again. You could say that they were intollerant of intollerance.

It's still a debated issue, but many historians believe that the Islamic period of Spanish history (especially the earlier years) was perhaps the most religiously tolerant in the world, for the times.

I personally like living in a Christian country...

But Australia isn't a Christian country, it's a secular country whose legal and moral systems were originally founded on Christian ideals, and where the majority religion is Christianity. It's a subtle difference, but a significant one.

Anyway, lets forget the Spanish Inquisition even though they tortured thousands of innocents. Instead we could move on to the crusades, the KKK, or even the Nazi's.

The Nazi's committed their atrocities in the name of eugenics, not Christianity.

 

[Skoffin]

Did I ever think I had free reign to be a dick?

Anyway I don't have any intolerance towards Christianity, nor any other religion. That doesn't mean I'm going to pretend that everything related to religion is okay just because it's Christian or Jewish or whatever.

Edit: Hell complete abolition of religion is just as bad, i.e. Stalin.

I wasn't really referring to you.

 

[88chaz88]

The Nazi's committed their atrocities in the name of eugenics, not Christianity.

Hitler used every trick in the book. Just happened that eugenics was more popular at the time.