First Woman To Be Executed in the UAE

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) upheld the death sentences of a woman and three men who were convicted for crimes they committed as minors.  The four individuals, Khawla, Fahd, Mukhtar, Abdullah Hussein, are now waiting in Sharjah central prison for confirmation as to whether they will face execution by firing squad.

Khawla, her alleged boyfriend, Fahd and two others had been sentenced to death in 2003 for premeditated murder of Khawla’s husband in 2003. At the time of the killing, Khawla, Mukhtar and Hussein were 17 years old. Khawla confessed to the police at the day of the crime and the others arrested the next day.

Under the UAE domestic law the family of a victim can accept retribution or ‘blood money’ and pardon those founded guilty for murder. In UAE the amount of the ‘blood money’ is fixed at approximately $45,000. The parents of the victim have refused to pardon the offenders and seek capital punishment for them.  The death penalty is the ultimate, irreversible denial of human rights and Amnesty International opposes it under all circumstances.

Please go to http://ecomplaint.moj.gov.ae/WComplaintEnglish.aspx and write to Dr. Hadef bin Jua’an Al Dhaheri, minister of justice, asking to commute all the four death sentences.

Alireza Azizi, Country Specialist for United Arab Emirates, contributed to this post

AIUSA welcomes a lively and courteous discussion that follow our Community Guidelines. Comments are not pre-screened before they post but AIUSA reserves the right to remove any comments violating our guidelines.

52 thoughts on “First Woman To Be Executed in the UAE

  1. I dunno…. U do the crime u do the time and or punishment. In all cultures and religions its against god to take a life. Regardless of age these 4 knew what they were doing was wrong. I have no sympathy for them. Examples need to be made so others dont resort to violence in an attempt to solve their problems.

  2. to "i dunno": Amnesty International is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. And I think that the case of UAE is instructive indeed. They have the death penalty yet it does not seem to prevent others to "resort to violence in an attempt to solve their problems" as you note. In no place has it been shown that judicial killings (death penalty) lowers the murder rate. It's done purely for revenge as far as I can tell.

  3. Can someone please tell me where we can find more information about the case? So far my feeling is that 4 lives for 1 is hardly justice. All 4 could not be equally to blame since a man can die only once. It is curious that the girl confessed volunterely and others also confessed. I do not support solving your problems through vilonce, but I'm under the impression that Arabs take the Law rigidly – punishment is there to correct and improve not just to scare… If someone is scared anyway when they do the crime, then further fear is hardly going to stop them from comitting the crime and isn't that the whole idea?

    I'd also like to add that I believe in this day and age death penalty should not exist.

  4. I dunno…. U do the crime u do the time and or punishment. In all cultures and religions its against god to take a life. Regardless of age these 4 knew what they were doing was wrong. I have no sympathy for them. Examples need to be made so others dont resort to violence in an attempt to solve their problems.

  5. to “i dunno”: Amnesty International is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. And I think that the case of UAE is instructive indeed. They have the death penalty yet it does not seem to prevent others to “resort to violence in an attempt to solve their problems” as you note. In no place has it been shown that judicial killings (death penalty) lowers the murder rate. It’s done purely for revenge as far as I can tell.

  6. Can someone please tell me where we can find more information about the case? So far my feeling is that 4 lives for 1 is hardly justice. All 4 could not be equally to blame since a man can die only once. It is curious that the girl confessed volunterely and others also confessed. I do not support solving your problems through vilonce, but I’m under the impression that Arabs take the Law rigidly – punishment is there to correct and improve not just to scare… If someone is scared anyway when they do the crime, then further fear is hardly going to stop them from comitting the crime and isn’t that the whole idea?

    I’d also like to add that I believe in this day and age death penalty should not exist.

  7. I'm sorry! I could never understand who decided that 18 is the magic number; the date (and I mean exact day) that turns innocent naive being into fully functional, responsible for their actions being. If it is true that she was the one who stubbed the deceased and a number of times, and that it was all premeditated, and that she got her boyfriend and his 'mates' to help her kill her husband, and then lie about it… I still say death penalty is NOT the way to go, but it is a crime that deserves punishment. So I will write against death penalty, but not against punishment.

    It doesn't say anything about her motives, and I do wish it did.

    Human Rights are about protection and in this case, someone is already dead – so who to protect? If it was a crime out of self defence it would be different; however, just because she did it 1-11 months before her 18th birthday does not imply she should not be responsible for her actions. One law states (in my opinon) wrongly that a certain date is good enough to conclude that any and all human beings turn from not responsible, to responsible; and the other law (again in my opinon) wrongly states that a death penalty should be carried out – one is a bigger mistake then the other, but they are both mistakes (and yet again, just my opinon).

  8. Hi Meliha: The point is not that they should not be punished– on the contrary– for a state not to prosecute the perpetrators of the murder would be just as wrong as executing someone. The perpetrators could serve jail time or compensate the victim's family in some way.

  9. I’m sorry! I could never understand who decided that 18 is the magic number; the date (and I mean exact day) that turns innocent naive being into fully functional, responsible for their actions being. If it is true that she was the one who stubbed the deceased and a number of times, and that it was all premeditated, and that she got her boyfriend and his ‘mates’ to help her kill her husband, and then lie about it… I still say death penalty is NOT the way to go, but it is a crime that deserves punishment. So I will write against death penalty, but not against punishment.

    It doesn’t say anything about her motives, and I do wish it did.

    Human Rights are about protection and in this case, someone is already dead – so who to protect? If it was a crime out of self defence it would be different; however, just because she did it 1-11 months before her 18th birthday does not imply she should not be responsible for her actions. One law states (in my opinon) wrongly that a certain date is good enough to conclude that any and all human beings turn from not responsible, to responsible; and the other law (again in my opinon) wrongly states that a death penalty should be carried out – one is a bigger mistake then the other, but they are both mistakes (and yet again, just my opinon).

  10. Hi Meliha: The point is not that they should not be punished– on the contrary– for a state not to prosecute the perpetrators of the murder would be just as wrong as executing someone. The perpetrators could serve jail time or compensate the victim’s family in some way.

  11. I'm sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  12. I'm sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  13. I’m sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  14. I'm sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  15. I’m sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  16. I’m sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  17. In all honesty I had several mixed reactions when reading the 'gulfnews' article on this story.
    However I do believe that a long term punishment for all the perpetrators is due, I was initially uneasy that they would be sentenced to such a harsh one, UAE is a Muslim country and in Islam there is zero tolerance for any form of murder -murder is abhorred and when it is committed that person potentially faces a death penalty as a result, however there should be eye witnesses to the crime for the sentence to be carried out. Notwithstanding it is undoubtedly a horrendous crime but my thoughts seemed to orbit around the fact that they were so young and misguided at the time & if perhaps, an allowance for life imprisonment would be more fitting?
    Then as I read further into the details, I found myself shocked at how it was premeditated; how the newly wed wife plotted and lured her unsuspecting husband and allowed him to be held by three other men while she repeatedly plunged a knife into his chest.
    My thoughts then lead me towards the bereaved victim’s mother who demanded an eye for an eye, we are speaking of human rights here…then what of the rights of a mother to endure the pain of not just a sons natural death, but to have to bear the horrible betrayal and brutal murder of her young newly married son by his wife and her accomplices.
    This is when I concluded not just the obvious rights of the people mentioned in this calamity, but I found my self face to face with an 'overlooked right' of what may have caused the violent downward spiral of events?
    Often in the Arab world (I say Arab and not Muslim world because what I will bring to light is not a Muslim way of life but a way of life enshrined deep in Arab traditions, whereby marriage is often not based on individual choices or compatibility or the core essentials that accompany a couple long after the party is over, on the contrary Arabic traditions (again not Islamic – Islam protects the rights never taking them away) Arabic families impose sanctions and restrictions when it comes to marriages, instead of proactively recognizing these problems and together as a society attempt to create acceptable environments based on open yet conventional principals that could offer marriage candidates a choice and a voice , instead as a society choose to remain very much estranged from one another , only coming together at weddings which have become social events rather than the celebration of two individuals marriage to one another . Weddings , I say weddings and not marriages in the Arab world are often based on what suits the family and social hierarchies , name, money & for the more affluent ;elaborate displays of wealth , breeding, status , sometimes even to form ‘pacts’ are often taken into consideration when marriages are blessed by family: Many, many marriages are often refused when one of the couples does not fit the bill. As for those marriages that are socially accepted or socially arranged should end in divorce (the divorce rate was up to 50% not so long ago) then as with any patriarchal stratum, the divorced man retains his status and is still 'unsullied marriage material' however the divorced woman is not and the very society that gathered to bless and celebrate her extravagant wedding now will shun her as a marriage material for other sons of society. Perhaps discussing this will pave way to explore the lack of attention to this category in human rights, because within Arab society constructive dialogue regarding such matters is often avoided like the plague by general society who chooses to replace accountability and reform with idle gossip about each other.
    These are just examples to explain the workings within Arab marriages and may appear in contrast to this thread but I wanted to try to understand motives and how they should be addressed to promote a more informed reader, which lead me to wonder, did Khawla and Fahad want to marry each other before she married her husband and was their marriage refused by either one of Khawla and Fahads family’s due to this union not being 'socially acceptable' I ask because the fateful events happened whilst she was newly wed and this lead me to ponder why a teenager only 17 year old kill her newly wedded husband with the aid of her lover, unless she was involved in a relationship with her lover before she married her husband, this leads me to conclude that maybe she was forced to marry her husband. Maybe she was a victim before she became a criminal?
    As a Muslim I can assure readers that Islam protects the dignity of the individual and is a beacon of human rights, I still find it ironic that In this day and age, many Muslims choose to steer away from this core discipline ‘customizing’ what they cherry pick from their religion and still succumb to ignorant traditions that have the potential to end up in such awful tragedies, much like the one we read about here.

  18. Thank you M@A for your comments. You are bringing good points about the lack of clearance on motivation and circumstances behind Khawla’s action and the right of Fahd’s mother who lost her son.

    If indeed Khawla was a victim of environment or family, should she be executed, how can we be sure that she was not a victim herself?

    Fahd’s mother has a right too, she lost her son, but killing of Khawla does not bring her son back, it just bring pain and suffering to another mother.

    The issue is not about Islam or a particular country, it is beyond that, it is about a human being, a young woman whose life has already been shattered and now could be killed by state and we might be able to save her and give her another chance, should we do it?

  19. In all honesty I had several mixed reactions when reading the ‘gulfnews’ article on this story.
    However I do believe that a long term punishment for all the perpetrators is due, I was initially uneasy that they would be sentenced to such a harsh one, UAE is a Muslim country and in Islam there is zero tolerance for any form of murder -murder is abhorred and when it is committed that person potentially faces a death penalty as a result, however there should be eye witnesses to the crime for the sentence to be carried out. Notwithstanding it is undoubtedly a horrendous crime but my thoughts seemed to orbit around the fact that they were so young and misguided at the time & if perhaps, an allowance for life imprisonment would be more fitting?
    Then as I read further into the details, I found myself shocked at how it was premeditated; how the newly wed wife plotted and lured her unsuspecting husband and allowed him to be held by three other men while she repeatedly plunged a knife into his chest.
    My thoughts then lead me towards the bereaved victim’s mother who demanded an eye for an eye, we are speaking of human rights here…then what of the rights of a mother to endure the pain of not just a sons natural death, but to have to bear the horrible betrayal and brutal murder of her young newly married son by his wife and her accomplices.
    This is when I concluded not just the obvious rights of the people mentioned in this calamity, but I found my self face to face with an ‘overlooked right’ of what may have caused the violent downward spiral of events?
    Often in the Arab world (I say Arab and not Muslim world because what I will bring to light is not a Muslim way of life but a way of life enshrined deep in Arab traditions, whereby marriage is often not based on individual choices or compatibility or the core essentials that accompany a couple long after the party is over, on the contrary Arabic traditions (again not Islamic – Islam protects the rights never taking them away) Arabic families impose sanctions and restrictions when it comes to marriages, instead of proactively recognizing these problems and together as a society attempt to create acceptable environments based on open yet conventional principals that could offer marriage candidates a choice and a voice , instead as a society choose to remain very much estranged from one another , only coming together at weddings which have become social events rather than the celebration of two individuals marriage to one another . Weddings , I say weddings and not marriages in the Arab world are often based on what suits the family and social hierarchies , name, money & for the more affluent ;elaborate displays of wealth , breeding, status , sometimes even to form ‘pacts’ are often taken into consideration when marriages are blessed by family: Many, many marriages are often refused when one of the couples does not fit the bill. As for those marriages that are socially accepted or socially arranged should end in divorce (the divorce rate was up to 50% not so long ago) then as with any patriarchal stratum, the divorced man retains his status and is still ‘unsullied marriage material’ however the divorced woman is not and the very society that gathered to bless and celebrate her extravagant wedding now will shun her as a marriage material for other sons of society. Perhaps discussing this will pave way to explore the lack of attention to this category in human rights, because within Arab society constructive dialogue regarding such matters is often avoided like the plague by general society who chooses to replace accountability and reform with idle gossip about each other.
    These are just examples to explain the workings within Arab marriages and may appear in contrast to this thread but I wanted to try to understand motives and how they should be addressed to promote a more informed reader, which lead me to wonder, did Khawla and Fahad want to marry each other before she married her husband and was their marriage refused by either one of Khawla and Fahads family’s due to this union not being ‘socially acceptable’ I ask because the fateful events happened whilst she was newly wed and this lead me to ponder why a teenager only 17 year old kill her newly wedded husband with the aid of her lover, unless she was involved in a relationship with her lover before she married her husband, this leads me to conclude that maybe she was forced to marry her husband. Maybe she was a victim before she became a criminal?
    As a Muslim I can assure readers that Islam protects the dignity of the individual and is a beacon of human rights, I still find it ironic that In this day and age, many Muslims choose to steer away from this core discipline ‘customizing’ what they cherry pick from their religion and still succumb to ignorant traditions that have the potential to end up in such awful tragedies, much like the one we read about here.

  20. Thank you M@A for your comments. You are bringing good points about the lack of clearance on motivation and circumstances behind Khawla’s action and the right of Fahd’s mother who lost her son.

    If indeed Khawla was a victim of environment or family, should she be executed, how can we be sure that she was not a victim herself?

    Fahd’s mother has a right too, she lost her son, but killing of Khawla does not bring her son back, it just bring pain and suffering to another mother.

    The issue is not about Islam or a particular country, it is beyond that, it is about a human being, a young woman whose life has already been shattered and now could be killed by state and we might be able to save her and give her another chance, should we do it?

  21. Alireza thanks for your comment.

    To answer your questions I cannot give you a black or white answer because quite humbly I don’t know.
    I can only try to deduct that killing of khawla in the eyes and heart of fahads bereaved mother will definetly not bring back her murdered son, but it will give her the justice she is entitled to, the justice she begged for on her death bed while all she could think of was her betrayed and murdered son at the hands of his wife and her accomplices.

    When you say give her one more chance are you asking for her to have freedom? Because although in light of the circumstance I cannot say she should be killed, but I would definetly never say she should be freed either, life imprisonment could be the only viable compromise for both sides.
    This should be agreed upon by the murdered sons family who deserve this choice.

    All that said and done, whatever the outcome of this tragedy, I hope that the probable causes and motive behind the murder of Fahad will be explored and society learns and returns to its Islamic values that should they have been followed instead of tradition, such calamaties could have been avoided

  22. M@A: I agree there is no tolerance for murder in Islam, hence if you can avoid it, you should – i.e. aviod death penalty. Life for life, is fine, but today that no longer means 'kill'. Not to mention that if you really want people to learn from the example, then keeping her alive without freedom will be much more of a reminder how much you can lose then killing her in a day, a day that most are likely to forget or not even know about. Hence, you still get the 'life for life' – when there is no pardon, and a better reminder so that it does not repeat. Plus, in Islam the main point of this life is to prepare for the next (hance no killing – must give people as much time as God has decided for them to mend their ways/soul), and giving such opportunity (i.e. in prison this person can turn to God should they choose to and yet people would be protected from them if they don't choose to mend their ways) is better for us – God claims that giving such an oportunity will be rewarded in the hereafter. So if its Islam that we are talking about, I see no problem there in keeping someone alive provided that you protect others and the person is punished so that their crime becomes evident to them, which taking someone's freedom accomplishes.

  23. I'm sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  24. Alireza thanks for your comment.

    To answer your questions I cannot give you a black or white answer because quite humbly I don’t know.
    I can only try to deduct that killing of khawla in the eyes and heart of fahads bereaved mother will definetly not bring back her murdered son, but it will give her the justice she is entitled to, the justice she begged for on her death bed while all she could think of was her betrayed and murdered son at the hands of his wife and her accomplices.

    When you say give her one more chance are you asking for her to have freedom? Because although in light of the circumstance I cannot say she should be killed, but I would definetly never say she should be freed either, life imprisonment could be the only viable compromise for both sides.
    This should be agreed upon by the murdered sons family who deserve this choice.

    All that said and done, whatever the outcome of this tragedy, I hope that the probable causes and motive behind the murder of Fahad will be explored and society learns and returns to its Islamic values that should they have been followed instead of tradition, such calamaties could have been avoided

  25. Meliha

    When I referred to Islam , again you will notice that I was mainly making referance to the fact that UAE is a Muslim country and reminding readers that Islam teaches us human rights , very similar to the human rights that ppl like yourself and contemporary organizatons try diligently to promote. I was not advocating that any authority implements universal death penalty for murders and with regards to this particular case and I gave my reasons why not, based on the age she commited the crime and the probability that she may have been deprived of her human rights and may have taken this path as a result!

    When I spoke of Islam I wanted to draw the attention of the reader to the fact that perhaps this girls basic human right to choose her spouse and refuse a forced marriage (im assuming this is the case, again im deducting from the circumstance) and reminding the readers and the Arab society that choosing her husband is not only a human right but it is also an islamic right…Many people are misconcieved that forced marriages are an Islamic doctrine, which they are not! The culprit guilty of this practice is derrived from a negative aspect of tradition which has evolved into a tainted social ritual based on variables I have mentioned above.

    Im reminding ppl and society within the Arab world of close knit societies that the social bonds parents want to make are often made at the detriment of their children. Islam promotes and conserves the humans rights of choice.
    If you are interested in Islamic death penalty which is not what im discussing you can do your own research because as I wasnt discussing it in regards to this case.

    If it is my opinion which you seek on this matter, you may have apparently overlooked it. i'll repeat it for you; I did advocate a less terminal punishment when I substituted the death penalty with life imprisonment when I said :-

    [quote] However I do believe that a long term punishment for all the perpetrators is due [unquote]

    [quote] they were so young and misguided at the time & if perhaps, an allowance for life imprisonment would be more fitting? [quote]

    [quote] Because although in light of the circumstance I cannot say she should be killed, but I would definetly never say she should be freed either, life imprisonment could be the only viable compromise for both sides. [unquote]

    .

  26. M@A: I wasn't contradicting you. In fact I added to what you said in support of what you said, for the quotes that you stated.

    You rightly pointed that they follow Islamic Law, but if they do there is no reason not to consider other forms of punishment, that is other then death. I believe we are 'on the same page'.

  27. M@A: I agree there is no tolerance for murder in Islam, hence if you can avoid it, you should – i.e. aviod death penalty. Life for life, is fine, but today that no longer means ‘kill’. Not to mention that if you really want people to learn from the example, then keeping her alive without freedom will be much more of a reminder how much you can lose then killing her in a day, a day that most are likely to forget or not even know about. Hence, you still get the ‘life for life’ – when there is no pardon, and a better reminder so that it does not repeat. Plus, in Islam the main point of this life is to prepare for the next (hance no killing – must give people as much time as God has decided for them to mend their ways/soul), and giving such opportunity (i.e. in prison this person can turn to God should they choose to and yet people would be protected from them if they don’t choose to mend their ways) is better for us – God claims that giving such an oportunity will be rewarded in the hereafter. So if its Islam that we are talking about, I see no problem there in keeping someone alive provided that you protect others and the person is punished so that their crime becomes evident to them, which taking someone’s freedom accomplishes.

  28. I’m sorry I forgot to thank Govind, Alireza and Tony for the links; so I do that now… Thank you!

    Govind: I think it might be a good practice to do both: Compensate the family and punish, with the aim of correcting the criminal.

  29. M@A, no I was not advocating for her release, I was asking for her life to be spared. She committed a crime and has to be some sort of consequences.

    Just adding to what you all said about Islam, as you well know Islam strongly advocate forgiveness over revenge.

  30. Meliha

    When I referred to Islam , again you will notice that I was mainly making referance to the fact that UAE is a Muslim country and reminding readers that Islam teaches us human rights , very similar to the human rights that ppl like yourself and contemporary organizatons try diligently to promote. I was not advocating that any authority implements universal death penalty for murders and with regards to this particular case and I gave my reasons why not, based on the age she commited the crime and the probability that she may have been deprived of her human rights and may have taken this path as a result!

    When I spoke of Islam I wanted to draw the attention of the reader to the fact that perhaps this girls basic human right to choose her spouse and refuse a forced marriage (im assuming this is the case, again im deducting from the circumstance) and reminding the readers and the Arab society that choosing her husband is not only a human right but it is also an islamic right…Many people are misconcieved that forced marriages are an Islamic doctrine, which they are not! The culprit guilty of this practice is derrived from a negative aspect of tradition which has evolved into a tainted social ritual based on variables I have mentioned above.

    Im reminding ppl and society within the Arab world of close knit societies that the social bonds parents want to make are often made at the detriment of their children. Islam promotes and conserves the humans rights of choice.
    If you are interested in Islamic death penalty which is not what im discussing you can do your own research because as I wasnt discussing it in regards to this case.

    If it is my opinion which you seek on this matter, you may have apparently overlooked it. i’ll repeat it for you; I did advocate a less terminal punishment when I substituted the death penalty with life imprisonment when I said :-

    [quote] However I do believe that a long term punishment for all the perpetrators is due [unquote]

    [quote] they were so young and misguided at the time & if perhaps, an allowance for life imprisonment would be more fitting? [quote]

    [quote] Because although in light of the circumstance I cannot say she should be killed, but I would definetly never say she should be freed either, life imprisonment could be the only viable compromise for both sides. [unquote]

    .

  31. M@A: I wasn’t contradicting you. In fact I added to what you said in support of what you said, for the quotes that you stated.

    You rightly pointed that they follow Islamic Law, but if they do there is no reason not to consider other forms of punishment, that is other then death. I believe we are ‘on the same page’.

  32. M@A, no I was not advocating for her release, I was asking for her life to be spared. She committed a crime and has to be some sort of consequences.

    Just adding to what you all said about Islam, as you well know Islam strongly advocate forgiveness over revenge.

  33. Thank you Meliha , I agree we are both saying the same thing too.

    Alireza, True that in Islam we are always encouraged to forgive others so that Allah may forgive us for our sins on the day of Judgement. However when it comes to murder , the 'forgivness' you may be aiming to illustrate could be understood through Allahs 'mercy' regarding crimes punishable whereby He says that for many crimes it must be witnessed by at least four eye witnesses and in broad daylight, then capital punishment is accepted. No sins go unpunished in the hearafter, but this law is a type of 'mercy and deterrent in one'

    However in the case of Khawla I assume the law means the forgiveness/pardon form death must be sought from the victimes family. Many times when families forgive the murderer is set free, which i find unnerving, so again life imprisonment seems appropriate and God is all knowing.

  34. Thank you Meliha , I agree we are both saying the same thing too.

    Alireza, True that in Islam we are always encouraged to forgive others so that Allah may forgive us for our sins on the day of Judgement. However when it comes to murder , the ‘forgivness’ you may be aiming to illustrate could be understood through Allahs ‘mercy’ regarding crimes punishable whereby He says that for many crimes it must be witnessed by at least four eye witnesses and in broad daylight, then capital punishment is accepted. No sins go unpunished in the hearafter, but this law is a type of ‘mercy and deterrent in one’

    However in the case of Khawla I assume the law means the forgiveness/pardon form death must be sought from the victimes family. Many times when families forgive the murderer is set free, which i find unnerving, so again life imprisonment seems appropriate and God is all knowing.

  35. crime need to be punished & no mercy should be shown to a Premeditated murder . All the person who condemn this punishment should be executed along with this witch without mercy

  36. crime need to be punished & no mercy should be shown to a Premeditated murder . All the person who condemn this punishment should be executed along with this witch without mercy

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