Capital Case of Calumny
This story came to me via the trusty RSS reader from the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel (also picked up by Die Zeit) – a handy reminder about life and culture (and death) “on the other side,” in this case in Saudi Arabia. But the German article stated straight-off that it was just passing on reporting from the Arab News, which happens to be an English-language on-line publication so, without further ado, any reader interested in this case’s down-and-dirty details is directed thereto.
Here’s what it’s all about: It seems that last year one Sabri Bogday, a Turkish barber working in the Saudi city of Jeddah, rather lost his head and started insulting publicly both God and the Prophet Mohammed in his barbershop. Two witnesses were on hand at the time to take in this display, with the result that Bogday was scheduled last March 31 by a Saudi court to lose his head in a rather more emphatic manner – namely literally, at the cutting-edge of an executioner’s sword.
Before that happens, though, if it happens, Bogday will have a couple further chances to get someone to overturn on appeal at least his punishment, including as the final back-stop that “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” himself (as he is repeatedly referred to in the article), Saudi King Abdullah. Indeed, once you get beyond the elementary facts of this case (basically already summarized above), the article is mainly enlightening in the descriptions it gives of the nuts-and-bolts of Saudi legal procedure. Among those who would be advised to read it in detail are officials at the Turkish Consulate in Jeddah; it does seem from the text as if they are being frightfully neglectful of their fellow countryman here, who after all has gotten himself into big, big trouble – they haven’t even gotten him lawyer yet, and the case has already proceded to sentencing!
