Saudi Arabia convicted Lebanese national Sali Sibat of practicing witchcraft and sentenced him to death. His crime... he appears on satellite TV giving general advice and making predictions about the future.
"Saudi courts are sanctioning a literal witch hunt by the religious police," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
"The crime of witchcraft is being used against all sorts of behavior, with the cruel threat of state sanctioned executions."
Ali Sibat's supporters say he was denied a lawyer at his trial and was tricked into making a confession.
He is not the only victim of Saudi Arabia's literal witch hunt. Human Rights Watch says two other people have been arrested on similar charges in the last month alone.
I don’t want to go off on a rant about Islam and the screwed up nation of Saudi Arabia, but every time I read stories like this I have to ask, why are these people are allies? If you take this to its logic conclusion, any of us who have criticized Islam on our blogs or who have broken some obscure Saudi religious law, could be tried and executed by these religious nutters if we ever visit the county. I’m never setting foot in the place.
Glenn Beck would not stand a chance. Perhaps…
