On The Saudi Cross

In 2013 Saudi Arabia hit the headlines after a young Saudi prisoner announced that he had been sentenced to crucifixion for three days. The condemned man had been convicted of theft in 2009 and Sharia law in the southern province demanded capital punishment, even though main defendant, Sarhan al-Mashayeh, was 15 at the time of the 2004 jewelry store robberies in the far south.

"I killed no one. I didn't have weapons while robbing the store, but the police tortured me, beat me up and threatened to assault my mother to extract confessions that I had a weapon with me while I was only 15. We don't deserve death."

The crimes occurred in Southern Arabia, which is referred to 07, the last area code in the desert nation and its poorest region.

According to the UK's Guardian, al-Mashayeh faced a judge three times during eight years in detention. He said the judge refused to assign a lawyer to defend his six accomplices and ignored their accusations of torture.

"We showed him the marks of torture and beating, but he didn't listen. I am talking to you now and my relatives are telling me that the soil is prepared for our executions tomorrow."

The other six were condemned to firing squads. International protests forestalled the executions and the Crown Prince vowed to review the harsh sentences.

PRI's THE WORLD stated that Saudi Arabia defended its handling of the case, saying Islamic law, or Sharia, is 'above all.'

The BBC, Al-Jazeera, and Drudge Report had failed to mention the potential crucifixion, almost as if they had been paid millions to not report this news.

The Saudi justice system demanded blood and on March 23 the dawn broke early in Abha, Saudi Arabia and seven once juvenile gang-members were led out to the public killing grounds to be shot instead of beheaded due to a shortage of experienced swordsmen.

There was no mercy, even though they had been boys on the date of their sentence. Their crime was theft. Their youth was not taken into consideration by Sharia law and their punishment was meted out 'to deter others' from such crimes.

According to the Saudi Gazette the convicts, aged between 20 and 24, were found guilty of breaking into several jewelry stores and carrying out robberies on the Day of Arafat (pinnacle of Haj) after threatening salesmen at gunpoint. The charges against the young men also included drinking alcohol and firing at people.

Their accomplices were given jail sentences and the lash.

Sarhan al-Mashayeh was crucified after death.

An American expat responded to the news by posting on Saudi Gazette the following; "This is very good. Many people say that executions are barbaric but this is why I love this country because, the fear of losing your for crimes such as these makes Saudi a safe and peaceful place to live. I walk the streets here at 5.30am. Could never dream of doing that in the US."

The punter sounded like a Bible Belt jihadist in the making, while Philip Luther, the human rights group's Middle East and North Africa director told the BBC, "It is a bloody day when a government executes seven people on the grounds of 'confessions' obtained under torture, submitted at a trial where they had no legal representation or recourse to appeal."

Same as the USA under the New World Order.

So You Think English is Easy

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

This info is thanks to the drinker in Saudi exile Richard Rosewarme

This drink is for you.

Beer In Dubai

The following passage from the Qurʼan, Surah 5 severely condemns drinking alcohol and various other pleasures.

O you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, al-ansāb, and al-azlām (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shayṭān's (Satan's) handiwork. So avoid that in order that you may be successful.

Anyone found in possession of liquor in Saudi Arabia can be punished by up to 500 lashes and the Saudi are firm believers in the whip as well as the sword for beheading violators of Sharia.

Several Gulf emirates are less strict about the consumption of spirits and last week I purchased a Tiger beer at the Dubai Airport.

$13 for a half-liter.

The Emirates only hurt the wallet not the back, but beware.

Any traveler smelling of booze will be detained by Saudi security.

They really are a buzz kill.

Saudi Justice

Saudi Arabia hit the headlines across the globe after a young Saudi prisoner announced that he had been sentenced to crucifixion. The condemned man had been convicted of theft in 2009 and Sharia law in the southern province demanded capital punishment, even though he was 15 at the time of the jewelry store robberies in 2004. "I killed no one. I didn't have weapons while robbing the store, but the police tortured me, beat me up and threatened to assault my mother to extract confessions that I had a weapon with me while I was only 15. We don't deserve death." According to the UK's Guardian, Qahtani faced a judge three times during eight years in detention. He said the judge did not assign a lawyer to defend them and did not listen to complaints of torture. "We showed him the marks of torture and beating, but he didn't listen. I am talking to you now and my relatives are telling me that the soil is prepared for our executions tomorrow." International protests forestalled the executions and the Crown Prince vowed to review the harsh sentences. PRI’s THE WORLD stated that Saudi Arabia defended its handling of the case, saying Islamic law, or Sharia, is “above all.” The BBC, Al-Jazeera, and Drudge Report failed to mention the potential crucifixion, almost as if they were paid to not report this news or the news was a hoax. UPI's mention of the execution refute the latter possibility. Once more Saudi Arabia shows its firm hold on the Dark Ages.