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Ribal Al-Assad welcomes Cardinal's condemnation of Saudi, Islamist punishments

Friday, 29 January 2016 Image Credit: Erik Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

'Nigerian cardinal condemns Saudi Arabia, ISIS for crucifixions of Christians'

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

Nigerian Cardinal John Onaiyekan condemned Saudi Arabia for crucifying convicts as a form of capital punishment, saying that the practice disrespects Christianity aside from being cruel and inhuman.

“In our modern day world, where a lot is said about respecting religious symbols,” Onaiyekan said, “is it not most terrible that some Islamic nations, for example Saudi Arabia, still practice the execution of condemned people by crucifixion, especially Christians, as a sign of the worst humiliation?”

“We have heard of violent riots and killings for alleged disrespect of the book of the Quran,” he added. “Those who want their religious symbols to be respected ought to respect the religious symbols of others.”

But Onaiyekan also criticized Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine that lampoons Mohammad the Prophet and Islam.

Iman Chairman Ribal Al-Assad welcomed Cardinal Onaiyekan’s remarks.

“We support the Cardinal's condemnation of the atrocities practiced by the Saudi government,” he said. “I only wish that more global leaders had his courage and would speak up more about this issue. Too often they turn away their gaze.

“Crucifixion is a horrifying and degrading punishment and should never by used on anyone, anywhere. But it should not be forgotten that Saudi Arabia, like terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, Al-Nusra, Ahrar Al-Sham, Jaysh Al-Islam and many others who share the very same perverted ideology, also enforces other barbaric legal practices such as amputation and beheading by the sword, stoning, public flogging and eye-gouging.

“This brutal legal system contravenes all notions of human rights and has absolutely no place in the modern world. Saudi Arabia’s putative allies should do more to press the country for reform, especially in terms of the underlying Islamist ideology that supports and justifies these terrible human rights abuses.”

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