The sentence was warranted due to the severity of the crime, says The Saudi Ministry of the Interior. PHOTO: REUTERS
Laila Bint Abdul Muttalib Basim of Burmese origin, resided in Saudi Arabia and was convicted of sexual abuse and the murder of her seven year-old step daughter.
The Saudi Ministry of the Interior, in a statement said that the sentence was warranted due to the severity of the crime.
“This woman was beheaded without painkillers – they wanted to make the pain more powerful for her," said Muhammed al Saeedi, a human rights activist as he explained the two ways in which people are beheaded.
"One way is to inject the prisoner with painkillers to numb the pain and the other is without the painkiller,” he informed.
The kingdom has been part of this alarming trend which has witnessed the executions of seven people in the first two weeks of the new year. 2014 saw the number of beheadings rise to 87 from 78 in the previous year.
A video showed how it took three blows to complete the execution, while the woman screamed “I did not kill. I did not kill.” It has now been removed by YouTube as part of its policy on “shocking and disgusting content”.
Further criticism of the kingdom's human rights record was prompted following Laila's beheading.
Saudi blogger, Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years imprisonment for creating a secular website, liberal in nature.
Badawi was due to receive the second set of 50 lashes today for insulting Islam, but this had been postponed on medical grounds.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty both condemned his sentence and Amnesty has launched a campaign to have the blogger released.
A number of crimes in the country are subjected to punishment by the means of capital punishment.
COMMENTS (59)
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Saudi Arabia carry out their beheading punishment as prescribed in Sharia law. So, how can many posters here disapprove Saudi action but support Sharia laws? Can someone explain?
Of course, if one goes by humanism and civilized behavior, such beheading are primitive and barbaric.
absolute cruelty, she should be sentence death but not in such manner. beheading not for women.
Justice.
@FU: Dear, Fu i am not a fan of the american way or what evr they are calling them these days , but lets be factual, The US is a pretty big country than Saudi Arabia, but no offense, its just the amount of land mass and numbers.
We being human are too emotional and irrational at times. That's equally fine. This is why there are less number of crimes in Saudi as compared to other countries. Islam has put forth some laws and they are strictly adhering them. Beheading is proven to be less painful than other methods of execution like electric chairs or hanging. Those who are sympathising that she was shouting "I didn't kill" is the same as we have militants here in Pakistan at the time of their execution they start pleading for life and some even die of fear before execution. In-short everyone becomes innocent seeing death in front.
@Atika: By beheading small number of people they are saving millions from these type of crimes
Atika jee the Saudis have beheaded more than 15 Pakistanis in last 2 months. Therefore with the execution of these Pakistanis, millions of humans have been saved ? Is that it ?
@Raza: Role model is Holy Muhammed S.A.W only… And he never killed any women in his entire life nor his Son in Law Ali A.S
Great ! I hope the rest of your countrymen follow your example.
@Hassan & @Been, US population is 11 times of KSA so let multiply KSA figures by 11 for murders and burglaries:
-- Murders: US=12996, KSA=2915 (still 4.5 times lower than US) -- Burglaries: US=714, KSA=1.1 (still 650 times lower than US)
In US, many of the crimes are not even considered a crime as compared to KSA like marital relationships without marriage (non-married couples together) is a crime in KSA. If you count it a crime in US too then over 50 million cases will be filed against such couples. If the figure of crimes in KSA is seen from the perspective of Western people, the number would be much lesser than it is at the moment.
They are saying its sinful what about killing Muslims innocent children and women everyday in Gaza and all over the world that time where these people are ??? By beheading small number of people they are saving millions from these type of crimes so they think before commenting these sins.
@Jat: Role model is Holy Muhammed S.A.W only... And he never killed any women in his entire life nor his Son in Law Ali A.S
Howcome ony islamic countries have the most cruel punishments on this planet??
Howcome ony islamic countries have the most cruel punishments in this planet??
We need at least another Christopher Hitchens.
Mecca and Medina are in the hands of the Saud crime family. I fear that Islam will never be at peace while this is the case.
The Sauds try to justify their rule by trying to say that Islam and medieval Arab barbarism are one and the same thing. Yet these hypocrites come here to London every year to flaunt their luxury cars and sleep with the local prostitutes.
Let us remember how the Sauds came to power. They betrayed their fellow Muslims and fought against the Ottoman Empire, the last of the Muslim great powers, in World War One, at the instigation of the gay Englishman T E Lawrence. That these people now control the religion's two holiest places shows why the Muslim world is in such dire straits.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: man having sword in his hand chopped off her head in three strokes
Quite obviously they deliberately used a blunt sword. There are many references in Muslim history regarding the deliberate use of blunt sword/knife to prolong the pain and suffering.
@Asad: Saudis are not role model for me
You are a direct descendant of Bin Qasim... stop trying to evade and deny your true origins and loyalty.
Who says that the Dark Ages are past?
Though one don't know the entire proceeding of the case of a Burmese woman who was beheaded but it can be termed that laws of Saudi Arabia are very strict and the Saudi Government implement the verdict announced by the Saudi Courts.
With heavy heart I had the opportunity to watch the video of beheadings of the woman. A few policemen were standing on the streets with two ambulances and there was a man wearing Saudi National Dress having sword in his hand.
The woman was yelling repeatedly that she did not kill but no one listen as what she is saying She was brought at the street in a black cloth bag covered from head to toe and the man having sword in his hand chopped off her head in three strokes.
Any one who would like to watch the video can click the below mention link. I request that people who can't tolerate should not try to watch the video. Here is the link of beheading of Burmese woman beheaded yesterday in Saudi Arabia.
http://www.raymondibrahim.com/from-the-arab-world/video-saudis-behead-screaming-woman-with-three-sword-strokes/
@yusra: Saudis are not role model for me. I am Muslim and literate as well..
Can we borrow a few of these people to do the same to our Pakistani govt officials??
@FU: let's be more factual. Population USA: 316 million Population KSA: 28 million
Also, crime is under reported in Saudi Arabia since it is sometimes settled outside of courts and the State has a strict control over what Newspapers are able to print.
If Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country why don't they follow the injunctions of Islam in trial and execution? I do not recall dragging in the streets to be mentioned anywhere in religious texts. Capital punishment may be necessary in cases of murder, unless blood money is agreed upon. But such display of punishment does not deter wrong-doings - it makes individuals more clever in hiding their sins. This is something Islam is aware of - which is why it encourages forgiveness. An execution may be carried out butthis is barbarism.
The Saudis have no evidence to behead her. How can a women sexually abuse her and kill her? What evidence do they have? No witnesses? DNA evidence? I beleive a Saudi carried this out like her kafeel or her husband and then what he did was to guard his and KSA's honor, had her beheaded.
HORRIFIC !!
Evolution did not occur in all the places on earth at the same time.
Is this lady "Laila Bint Abdul Muttalib Basim of Burmese origin" is Rohingya Muslim?
She killed a child please she had to be punish How would you punish someone who will hurt your loved one@Liberator:
If the Barbaric Saudi authorities are intending to discourage others commiting crimes by blatant display of such savage executions,then they are foolishly wrong.The No of beheadings have gone up last year.every year it is increasing. Saudis are beheaded rarely.90 % time foreigners are beheaded.World has to react to such heinous acts.Any way their good days are numbered with oil plummeting to new lows.
@vortex: I'm all for beheading people who deserve it, but how do they know that she committed the crime? If she did not in fact do the crime, well, now she's dead. I would personally want an investigation, but that won't happen in Saudi Arabia anytime soon.
Lets be factual. Lets compare crime rate in US Vs Saudi Arabia
Murders: US=12996, KSA=265 Ranking in Murder rate: US=9, KSA=59 Total crimes per 1000: US=41, KSA=4 Rank in total crimes: US=1st, KSA=48th Burglaries: US=714, KSA=0.1 Prisoners per 100000 people: US=715, KSA=110 Ranking in per capita prisoners: US=1st, KSA=80th
By beheading just 87 murderers, if you save rest of 29 million people of the country, then what's wrong with this system.
Look at the murders in US i.e. 13000 in year. If US had the same system in place, it would have saved over 10000 people from being killed each year.
@vortex: Nobody is saying anything about women specifically. Everyone is saying nobody, men or women should be executed in such manner. Not out if sympathy for the criminal but because it is barbaric, primitive and uncivilized.
I don't Know why people are criticizing the Islamic ways of justice!!! the woman killed her daughter and abused her sexually and the punishment that was given to her was accordingly to the Islamic way....any Muslim who thinks that this is inhumane he/she should first study Islam in detail...these kind of punishments are given to create an example...
In Iran Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged for "murder" when she claimed she had been raped and had acted in self-defense. This case was double tragic in that a rape victim was made a victim of the state.
We need to know more about this woman in Saudi. Her alleged crime seems odd, women don't often sexually abuse and kill children, there's more to the story, the legitimacy of the charges, the trial; it's tough to judge whether she was deserving of punishment. In the US often convicted people are exonerated. Beheading, though, is sadistic. It's one thing to argue whether or not people should execute the guilty. It's another to argue whether we have a justice system that is that - "just."
Can anyone of you who are defending the execution tell me why there are no executions of Saudis? are all the Saudi's heaven sent? what about Saudis who have committed crimes in other countries and run back to their own medieval backwaters for protection. Open your eyes and see things for what they really are.
Will you ever think of murdering a 7 year old child or an adult ever again knowing that your end will be somewhat like this? That's the purpose of this punishment! It's a life-time lesson for others.
You so called civil society, libral n secularists show double standards while referring towards saudi arabia...u mean that such a woman be gifted with life imprisonment or something like it..isnt this idea inhumane and barbaric..
You feel the pain of that women who got punish but you can't feel the pain of that 7 year old girl. You have no idea what she went through. There is no doubt that a murderer should be killed. It is the basic premises an eye for an eye or a life for a life.
to all those criticising this form of punishment as disgusting,just compare the crime rate of Saudia with that of your country
Has any human the right to take the life of another which the creator has granted!! Certainly not and under no circumstances! We have Psychologists and Physicians and a load of drugs to treat sick people who commit inhuman acts.. Why a punishment which will not prevent sick people committing such acts in the future..
Rex Minor
@Hypocrite: The question should be why GOP continue to deal with KSA as their funded goons are mercilessly killing our children, bothers and sisters. So keep USA aside of non-relevant issues.
By the way you forgot to mention how she murdered the 7- year old daughter of her husband's other wife. She physically assaulted her. beaten till she bled and left her in the house. That's why she was given it without painkillers.
KSA is the 2nd largest producer of Oil in the world. It's one of the two biggest financiers of World Bank, UNO, etc.,
They have the money, they have the rules, the world has been witnessing this for as long as forever!
Only the poor countries like pakistan get interfered in their issues. If you've got the money, do what you want and the world wouldn't care less.
Very inhumane, “This woman was beheaded without painkillers – they wanted to make the pain more powerful for her,” said Muhammed al Saeedi, a human rights activist as he explained the two ways in which people are beheaded. “One way is to inject the prisoner with painkillers to numb the pain and the other is without the painkiller,” he informed. A video showed how it took three blows to complete the execution, while the woman screamed “I did not kill. I did not kill.”
Shame.. If they had to execute the poor woman, IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THREE BLOWS... THAT IS SAVAGERY!
Everybody here is saying that how disgusting it was. Can you imagine how disgusting it was when she killed her step daughter? Can anybody mention here the reason, why there are less crimes in KSA as compared to other European countries or USA ?
Why the public in Pakistan is pleading for public executions ? Don't argue that WOMAN shouldn't be beheaded in such a way, as you are the very people that have been asking for equal rights for MEN & WOMEN, so beheading of men and women should be in public places as it leaves a long-lasting lesson for others.
punishment is to be given no matter how. there is no humane way if the person being executed has done inhumane acts. one hand we condemn killings n murders and on the other we feel sorry for these ppl being punished. make up ur mind guys-r u sympathizing with murderers really???
How cruel humans are ?
guess what its not only isis and ttp insulting islam its saudis as well which are the role models of illitrate muslims.they could just kill her the way she killed the child but beheading is way too far.
There can be no possible excuse for such a display of wanton cruelty. Dragged, not anesthetized, hacked repeatedly - such a display of unnecessary barbarism by a state drags it below the level of criminals and brutalizes all who witness it. Yes, there are extreme cases where to protect society, criminals may require to be executed. This must be done humanely, with regard to the dignity of witnesses and the criminal in mind. The people who carried out these acts are as depraved as the worst criminal.
in current circumstance we also need such capital punishment specially this type of crime.
Yet the US continues to deal with this State in numerous fields (energy, military, etc.) --- the double standards disgust me.
it is interesting that when ever such news are portrayed the details and intensity of crime are never commented upon in detail.
"A video showed how it took three blows to complete the execution, while the woman screamed “I did not kill. I did not kill.”"
Sad...
"shocking and disgusting content"
That goes for both the video and the contents of the character of the people who carried out this heinous murder of the woman.
RIP so called Muslims !
The Saudis are such lovely people; it is great that Pakistanis look up to them as role models.
how disgusting. feeling ashamed
I worked in Saudi Arabia during the 1990s and therefore not surprised to hear of such inhuman and barbaric practices. The hatred for anyone who is not a Muslim is palpable and real and this is demonstrated by the very, very few Saudis who are beheaded. I was swept up in one of their exhibitions of cruelty and can only compare it to an asylum with the gates wide open. The experience was ugly, cruel, degrading and wholly unjust and Saudi Arabia will never achieve international acceptance while such atrocities are committed there - still we need the oil so they will continue in this unacceptable way won't they?
Can't they have a more humane way of punisment.
Insane and savagely violent just like TTP.