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Friday, 13 March 2015
Incredible violations of women’s rights in USA’s Darling Saudi Arabia : The day Sheik Fayhan al-Ghamdi a celebrity Saudi Arabia preacher exonerated for murdering and ‘raping’ his 5 year old daughter because of loosing virginity
Islam’s most embarrassing historical facts: Aisha
the Child Wife of Muhammad
Editor’s note: The following was written for RaymondIbrahim.com by an anonymous American teacher living in the Muslim world
I first heard of Little Lama’s tragedy in February 2013 while
teaching in Saudi Arabia. Her story still fills me with sadness because
of the evil some men can inflict on others, and anger due to the light
sentence some of them receive for committing such atrocities. For those
unfamiliar with Lama’s story, this five year old little
girl was raped, tortured, and beaten to death by her father, Fayhan
al-Ghamdi, a well-known Muslim preacher who appeared regularly promoting
Islam on Saudi television.
Lama
This tragic story began in the summer of 2011, when Little Lama,
whose parents were divorced, visited her father in Riyadh for what
should have been a joyful two week holiday. Sadly for Lama, her father
defied a court order granting Lama’s mother custody of her till the age
of seven, and kept her despite the numerous pleas of his ex-wife. In
December of the same year, Lama’s mother was informed by the Riyadh
police that her daughter was in critical condition at the hospital as a
result of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her father.
In Riyadh, Lama’s mother was told by police officials that her
ex-husband admitted beating Lama with cables and a cane because he
doubted his five year old daughter’s virginity. The
beating was so brutal that Lama was admitted to the hospital with
extensive bruising and burns, a crushed skull, a broken back, ribs and
left arm, and a torn off fingernail. As if the above beatings weren’t
enough, Fayhan al-Ghamdi also raped his daughter till her rectum was
torn open, which he then attempted to close by burning it.
The agony Little Lama suffered at the hands of her father sent her
into a coma, where she remained until October 2012, at which time the
remaining life in her fragile little body was extinguished and her soul
found its way to heaven.
In a sane society, Fayhan al-Ghamdi, would either face the death
penalty or spend the rest of his life in prison. However, Lama’s father
committed his horrible crime in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where
Islamic law states that a father cannot be executed for murdering his
children or his wives. Instead, he paid 200,000 riyal ($53,000) in
“blood money” to Lama’s mother (the amount would have been double if
Lama would have been a boy).
Fayhan al-Ghamdi’s light punishment drew international criticism and
as a result, he was re-sentenced in October 2013 to eight years in
prison, 800 lashes, and a fine of one million riyal ($260,000) in “blood
money”. While the sentence was nowhere near what he should have
received, the world went to bed thinking that some justice had been
served.
Being familiar with Islamic culture, I had serious doubts that Lama’s
father would serve his full sentence. Those doubts were confirmed in
March of this year when I read an article in the International Business Times that reported that al-Ghamdi was supposedly a free man.
Sheikh Fayhan al-Ghamdi
Following last October’s verdict, al-Ghamdi’s lawyers immediately
appealed the sentence and by early 2014, another judge ordered Lama’s
father to be released because Islamic law only allows the prosecution to
seek “blood money” for this type of crime, and the few months he served
in prison was ample punishment for raping, torturing, and fatally
beating his daughter into a coma.
So, eighteen months after her death, Lama’s murderer walks the
streets of Riyadh a free man thanks to Islam’s view of women. In Islam,
women are simply considered possessions that can easily be replaced if
lost (see Raymond Ibrahim’s article, “Islamic Fatwa: Husbands Should Abandon Wives to Rapists in Self-Interest”).
For that reason, Muslim men in countries that apply a strict
interpretation of Islamic law are free to kill their wives and daughters
without serious fears of repercussion.
To conclude, I acknowledge that most Muslim men are disgusted by the
brutality of this crime and have the common sense not to doubt their
five year old daughters’ virginity. However, these same men must
recognize that their religion, Islam, values women to the same degree as
a camel, which in turn permits men like Fayhan al-Ghamdi to torture,
rape, and kill little girls like Lama and walk away with little or no
punishment. Lama and numerous other women and girls in the Islamic
world will receive the justice they deserve when Muslims decide to
reject Islamic law.
Saudi Preacher Fayhan al-Ghamdi Released After Raping and Killing Daughter
Because he 'Doubted her Virginity'
A
Saudi preacher accused of raping, torturing and killing his five-year-old
daughter, has reportedly been released from custody after agreeing to pay
"blood money".
Fayhan al-Ghamdi was sentenced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes
in 2013.
The court also ordered al-Ghamdi to pay his ex-wife, the girl's mother, one
million riyals ($270,000) in "blood money".
According to some reports, al-Ghamdi had suspected his daughter had lost her
virginity and had tortured her accordingly.
Al-Ghamdi's daughter Lama suffered multiple injuries including a crushed
skull, broken back, broken ribs, a broken left arm and extensive bruising and
burns.
It was reported that al-Ghamdi had suspected his daughter of losing her
virginity and had beaten her and molested her in response.
It was even suggested that he had raped her himself, although this was
denied by Lama's mother.
The preacher - who is considered a celebrity in Saudi Arabia and often
appears on Saudi television - admitted he used a cane and cables to inflict the
injuries after doubting his five-year-old daughter's virginity and taking her to
a doctor, according to the campaign group Women to Drive.
Lama died ten months later.
Al-Ghamdi, however, has now been released as "blood money and the time
the defendant had served in prison since Lama's death suffices as
punishment" a judge ruled, according to Albawaba News.
Al-Ghamdi served only a few months in jail before a judge ruled the
prosecution could only seek blood money.
The money is considered compensation under Islamic law, although it is only
half the amount that would have been paid if Lama had been a boy.
Despite the fact Saudi
Arabia hands out sentences of capital
punishment, fathers cannot be executed for murdering their children in the
country, Women to Drive said.
Many activists were disappointed that al-Ghamdi did not receive a life
sentence.
The Times reported sources in the Saudi capital Riyadh as saying the royal
family has been outraged over the release, with senior members intervening to
ensure a stricter punishment is given.
One source told the newspaper, "The royal court is now looking at the
case. He [al-Ghamdi] will stay in prison for a long time."
The release saw people taking to the social media to voice their dissent and
outrage. On Twitter, the hashtag #AnaLama (which translates into "I Am
Lama") has been set up.
Celebrity Saudi preacher 'raped' and tortured his five-year-old daughter to death
Lama al-Ghamdi's back was broken and she had been raped and burned
She died in October from her injuries after ten months in hospital
Her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher, admitted beating her but was freed after agreeing to pay £31,000 compensation
Campaign to give women and children better protection gaining momentum
Published:
12:18 GMT, 4 February 2013
| Updated:
19:26 GMT, 4 February 2013
A Saudi preacher who tortured his
five-year-old daughter to death has been released after agreeing to pay
'blood money', activists said. Lama
al-Ghamdi died in October having suffered multiple injuries including a
crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns. The child had also been repeatedly raped and the burned.
Lama suffered multiple injuries including a
crushed skull, broken ribs and back, bruising and burns. She had also
been raped repeatedly
Her
father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher who regularly
appears on television in Saudi Arabia, served only a few months in jail
despite admitting having used a cane and cables to inflict the injuries.
Activists from the group Women to Drive said the preacher had doubted Lama's virginity and had her checked up by a medic.
Randa al-Kaleeb, a social worker from
the hospital where Lama was admitted, said the girl's back was broken
and that she had been repeatedly raped. Her injuries were then burned. Rather
than the death penalty or a long prison sentence, the judge in the case
ruled the prosecution could only seek 'blood money', according to
activists. The money is compensation for the next of kin under Islamic law.
Torture: Saudi preacher Fayhan al-Ghamdi
admitting beating his daughter with a cable and is said to have been
concerned about his five-year-old daughter's virginity
Activists said the judge ruled the few months al-Ghamdi spent in prison since his arrest in November was sufficient punishment. He has reportedly agreed to pay £31,000 ($50,000), which is believed to have gone to Lama's mother. The amount is half that would have been paid if Lama had been a boy.
Activists
say under Islamic laws a father cannot be executed for murdering his
children. Husbands can also not be executed for murdering their wives,
the group say. Three Saudi
activists, including Manal al-Sharif, who started the women's right to
drive campaign, have raised objections to the ruling.
A social media campaign is now gaining momentum after the ruling was publicised. Manal
al-Sharif has launched a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag 'Ana
Lama', which is translated as I am Lama, calling for better protection
for children and women. Local
reports say public anger in Saudi Arabia is also growing and
authorities have said they will create a 24-hour hotline to take calls
about child abuse.
Women to Drive said in a post on their Facebook page.
Saudi Arabian preacher gets 8 years in jail for raping and killing five-year-old daughter
A court found Muslim preacher Fayhan al-Ghamdi guilty of beating,
burning, crushing, and raping his daughter Lama. The father’s sentence
was lightened after Lama’s mother agreed to accept $276,000 for the
daughter’s death.
Fayhan
al-Ghamdi, who often preached on television, was convicted of beating
his daughter Lama and crushing her nails. She was also raped repeatedly
and died months later in a Saudi hospital.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - An ultraconservative Muslim preacher in Saudi
Arabia was sentenced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes for raping
and beating his five-year-old daughter to death, official media said
Tuesday.
Fayhan al-Ghamdi, who often preached on television, was convicted of
beating his daughter Lama with canes, burning her with electrical
cables, crushing her skull and tearing off her nails. She was also raped
repeatedly and died months later in a Saudi hospital.
The kingdom follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which
murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are capital crimes,
with execution mostly by firing squad. The case of Lama caused a public
outcry and brought to light sensitive issues surrounding the ambiguity
of punishment for Saudi fathers found guilty of murdering their own
children.
Much less serious crimes often receive heavier punishment. Earlier this
week, a Saudi court gave four young men sentences of between three to
10 years prison and 500 to 2,000 lashes for dancing naked in public in
the city of Buraydah, north of Riyadh.
The Saudi official news website Sabq reported that the hard-line Muslim
preacher was not given a harsher sentence because Lama's mother
accepted 1 million riyals, roughly $267,000, from her ex-husband as
"blood money," allowed in litigation under Saudi law.
The Egyptian mother, who acquired Saudi nationality through her
ex-husband, was quoted in Arab Gulf-based media saying she is a poor
single woman with no income. By accepting the money, she waived the
right to demand retribution, or "qisas," against al-Ghamdi for the death
of their daughter. It was not immediately known if she was pressured to
accept the deal.
Lama's mother told broadcaster Al-Arabiya that al-Ghamdi took their
daughter from her for a two-week visit in 2011 to his home with his
second wife and other children. Months went by and he refused to allow
the mother to see her daughter. The mother wears a full face veil and
her name was not revealed.
Lama was then taken to a hospital, where she died in intensive care in late 2012.
"I saw her and I swear to God I didn't recognize her," the mother told
the news channel, describing the moment she saw her daughter's
disfigured face and body in the hospital. "I felt there is no mercy
among humans."
"She was beaten from the head to the toe, all black and blue all over her body," the mother said.
Al-Ghamdi had previously said he had been guided by God after having a
temper during his adolescent years, although Lama's mother says
otherwise.
"He used to beat me for no reason and raise a knife to me," she told
popular Saudi station Rotana Khalijia, adding that al-Ghamdi also did
not provide basic household necessities.
"A man who does not even give money to (feed) his own daughter is not a
preacher," she said, adding that al-Ghamdi did not practice what he
preached on television, taking drugs, drinking alcohol and sometimes
breaking obligatory Muslims fasts.
'My dear child is dead, and all I want is justice': Torment of
mother whose daughter, five, was 'raped' and tortured to death by
celebrity cleric ex-husband
Lama al-Ghamdi's back was broken and she had been raped and burned
She died in October from her injuries after seven months in hospital
Her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher, admitted beating her
Her mother Syeda Mohammed Ali, has said she will bring a case against her ex-husband
The mother of a five-year-old
Saudi girl who was tortured to death by her ‘celebrity cleric’ father,
has said she wants him brought to justice.
Lama
al-Ghamdi died in October having suffered multiple injuries including a
crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm as well as extensive bruising.
It
has been alleged that she had also been repeatedly raped and that the
injuries she sustained from the sexual abuse had been burned.
Lama suffered multiple injuries including a
crushed skull, broken ribs and back, bruising and burns. She had also
been raped repeatedly
It was previously reported that her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist
preacher who regularly appears on television in Saudi Arabia, had been
released after paying ‘blood money’ to his ex-wife, and Lama’s mother,
Syeda Mohammed Ali. It has now emerged that Lama’s mother is bringing her own case against al-Ghamdi, who is still in prison.
‘My dear child is dead, and all I want
now is justice so I can close my eyes and know she didn't die in vain,’
Syeda Mohammed Ali, toldCNN, adding that her daughter was ‘brutally
tortured in the most shocking ways.’
She is divorced from al-Ghamdi who is
remarried and has two more children, and claims the torture happened
whilst Lama was in her father’s care in March last year. ‘The state needs to even consider taking his two children from him and his wife away because I fear for their lives,’ she added.
Torture: Saudi preacher Fayhan al-Ghamdi
admitting beating his daughter with a cable and is said to have been
concerned about his five-year-old daughter's virginity
'These are not
some unfounded accusations, but everything is based on the medical
examination by the hospital and the team of physicians who treated Lama
when she was first admitted.'
She said al-Ghamdi had voiced concerns about five-year-old Lama's virginity. According to the Saudi Arabian Human
Rights Commission, al-Ghamdi has been imprisoned for the past eight
months and that the case is still under review.
Syeda
Mohammed Ali said her ex-husband has admitted to the torture and will
face justice when the next hearing in the case takes place in two weeks. Activists from the group Women to Drive said the preacher had doubted Lama's virginity and had her checked up by a medic.
Randa
al-Kaleeb, a social worker from the hospital where Lama was admitted,
said the girl's back was broken and that she had been repeatedly raped and her injuries burned. It
was reported that al-Ghamdi agreed to pay £31,000 ($50,000) in blood
money, a fact denied by Lama's mother who says al-Ghamdi did not rape
Lama.
Activists say under
Islamic laws a father cannot be executed for murdering his children.
Husbands can also not be executed for murdering their wives, the group
say. Three Saudi activists,
including Manal al-Sharif, who started the women's right to drive
campaign, have raised objections to the case as it highlights the urgent
need for legislation to protect women and children from domestic abuse. Manal
al-Sharif has launched a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag 'Ana
Lama', which is translated as I am Lama, calling for an improvement on
the judicial treatment of women and children.
Local
reports say public anger in Saudi Arabia is also growing and
authorities have said they will create a 24-hour hotline to take calls
about child abuse.
By 
Hassan Ibrahim via YouTube
