Religious Law
Man Faces Beheading in Saudi Arabia for Swearing
Posted May 29, 2008, 05:17 pm CST
By Martha Neil
A man who reportedly took God's name in vain during an argument with a neighbor in Saudi Arabia is in prison and sentenced to be beheaded.
"This nation is ruled by a strict Wahhabi brand of Islamic justice that doles out lashings and public beheadings for crimes including murder, rape and heresy," reports the Los Angeles Times. However, such sentences for swearing are rare, the newspaper says.
The defendant, Sabri Bogday, who was a Turkish barber working in the city of Jidda, is appealing, and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has asked the Saudi king to spare him. Bogday reportedly has been in prison for the past 13 months.
Comments not appearing after a few seconds? Try emptying your cache ("Temporary Internet files"), making sure Javascript is activated, and refresh this page.