Latest news with #Koran
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- Politics
- AU Financial Review
Parliament Day 1 was touching and funny. Enjoy it while it lasts
The pomp and ceremony of the opening of the 48th Parliament on Tuesday was full of contrasting moments. Some were symbolically important, like Victorian Labor MP Josh Burns and NSW Labor MP Ed Husic being sworn in together, the first on the Torah and the second on the Koran.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Pakistan arrests 11 suspects after couple shot dead in name of ‘honour'
Pakistan has arrested 11 suspects after a video emerged on social media of a woman and a man allegedly being shot and killed for marrying against the wishes of their families in an honour killing, authorities said. The couple, who were not identified, were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, according to provincial authorities who investigated after the video went viral. Provincial chief minister Sarfraz Bugti said in a statement on Monday 11 people were arrested hours after he announced the location and people in the video had been identified. A case has been registered against all those involved, Bugti said, adding they will be prosecuted. The video shows people in a desert and pickup trucks and SUVs in which they had apparently been driven there. The woman is given a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and tells a man: 'Come walk seven steps with me. After that you can shoot me.' The man follows her for a few steps. A local police official said the woman did not cry or seek mercy.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
11 arrested after couple shot dead in Balochistan over 'honour'
Listen to article At least 11 suspects were arrested after a video emerged on social media of a woman and a man being shot and killed for marrying against the wishes of their families, in a so-called honour killing, authorities said. The couple, who were not identified, were shot dead on the orders of a local tribal council last month in Balochistan, according to provincial authorities, who investigated after the video went viral. Eleven suspects have been arrested, the provincial chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, said in a statement on Monday, hours after he announced that the location and people in the video had been identified. آپ ڈیٹ: اب تک 11 ملزمان گرفتار کئے جا چکے ہیں، آپریشن جاری ہے۔ تمام ملوث افراد کو کیفرِکردار تک پہنچایا جائے گا۔ ریاست مظلوم کے ساتھ کھڑی ہے! — Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) July 20, 2025 A case has been registered against all those involved, Bugti said, adding that they will be prosecuted. The video shows people in a desert, and some pickup trucks and SUVs in which they had apparently been driven there. The woman is given a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and she then tells a man: "Come walk seven steps with me, after that you can shoot me." The man then follows her for a few steps. A local police official said the woman did not cry or seek mercy. "You are allowed only to shoot me. Nothing more than that," the woman says in the regional Brahavi language, translated by the official. It was not clear what she meant by "nothing more than that". The man, who had followed her, then aimed a pistol at her as she turned her back to the shooter. The woman, wrapped in a shawl, stood still as shots were fired. She remained standing after two shots, delivered from close range, dropping to the ground after the third shot. That is followed by a series of gunshots. The footage then shows a bloodied man lying on the ground, close to the woman's body. Then, men are shown shooting at both the bodies. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that in 2024, there were at least 405 "honour killings", criticising the authorities for failing to stamp out these crimes. Most victims are women, and the killings are usually carried out by relatives professing to defend their family's reputation, human rights groups say.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
NDTV Explains: "Nimisha Priya Must Face 'Qisas'", Says Brother. What Is This Law?
New Delhi: Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya - sentenced to death by Yemen for the murder of Talal Abdo Mehdi - must face ' Qisas ', or 'God's law', and nothing else, his brother has insisted. Ms Priya was to be executed Wednesday but sustained diplomatic pressure brought her a temporary reprieve. A second execution date has not yet been set. This means the 38-year-old remains on death row for now, relying on the efforts of the Indian government and social activists working to convince Mr Mehdi's family to issue a pardon or, at the very least, agree to commute her death sentence. The family, though, is opposed to both. Mr Mehdi's brother told British broadcaster the BBC no pardon will be offered to Ms Priya and that she must face 'justice' as written in the Koran. Abdelfattah Mehdi also hit out at media narratives in India that suggested the family was more interested in the $1 million in 'blood money', or financial compensation, than 'justice'. READ | 'No Pardon, It's A Crime': Brother Of Yemeni Man Killed By Kerala Nurse In a Facebook post this week Mr Mehdi acknowledged mediation and reconciliation attempts on Ms Priya's behalf but stressed, "... our demand is clear: Qisas and nothing else, no matter what." What Is ' Qisas '? ' Qisas ' is a term in Islamic jurisprudence. It is similar to the biblical concept of 'an eye for an eye', i.e., victims of a crime are entitled to 'reciprocal justice'. The Arabic word ' qisas ' translates as 'retaliation' or 'retribution'. It finds repeated mention in the Koran, including in Chapter 2, Verse 178, which reads: "O you who have faith! Retribution is prescribed for you regarding the slain: freeman for freeman, slave for slave, and female for female. But if one is granted any extenuation by his brother, let the follow up (for the 'blood money', or 'diyah') be honourable, and let the payment to him be with kindness. That is a remission from your Lord and a mercy" But what is significant is that ' qisas ' refers to 'retribution' for intentionally committed crimes, suggesting the family believes Nimisha Priya deliberately murdered Talal Mehdi. Therefore, under Islamic law the family is entitled to seek proportionate recompense. There are two kinds of ' qisas ' depending on the crime itself. The first is 'for life', i.e., a life for a life, which is what Mr Mehdi's family has demanded. The second is 'for body parts', i.e., the victim can inflict an injury similar to that inflicted on them. The latter concept is barbaric by today's moral standards and values, but the former remains an integral part of jurisprudence worldwide. Indeed, the death sentence is valued and defended by many countries, including the United States and India, only neither offers a religious overtone. It is important to note that ' qisas ' is not the norm, either in Yemen or any other nation governed by Sharia law. Contemporary judiciary sensibilities and oversight can, and do, affect its use. NDTV Explains | Why Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya Is To Be Executed In Yemen But Yemen does have one of the highest per capita execution rates in the world, although that figure is likely inflated due to increased use by Houthi rebels who control parts of the country. This is not to suggest there is no hope for Ms Priya. Indeed, that her execution was postponed (and without seeking permission from Mr Mehdi's family, according to his brother's Facebook post) indicates the Yemen government is listening. Sources have told NDTV India's embassy in Riyadh in neighbouring Saudi Arabia is leading this effort, with help from a private individual, Samuel Jerome, an Indian citizen living in Sanaa. Mr Jerome spoke to NDTV Wednesday. He said the family had been angered by the media's focus on 'blood money', but indicated he would try to repair broken ties with the brother. Nimisha Priya Case Ms Priya travelled from Kerala's Palakkad to Yemen in 2011, hunting for a well-paying job to support her parents. After a few years in a hospital there, she set up her own medical clinic. Yemen laws require foreign nationals to partner with citizens to set up a business. Mr Mehdi was that business partner for her venture. There are also reports she later married him. READ | 'Pardon By Yemeni Man's Family Only Real Hope For Nimisha': Activist Either way, the relationship deteriorated rapidly after she accused him of harassment and stealing from her. Mr Mehdi, she claimed, then hid her passport so she couldn't leave. In 2017 Ms Priya tried to drug Mr Mehdi so she could recover the passport. Unfortunately he died under medication and the nurse - who tried to hide his body by cutting it up and dumping it in a water tank - was caught trying to flee the country. She was convicted of murder in March 2018 and sentenced to death two years later. What Is The Government Doing? The Indian government continues to do all it can to save Nimisha Priya. It is, however, running out of options. Attorney General R Venkataramani told the Supreme Court Monday "there is a point till which we can go... we have reached it". The court, hearing a plea by the 'Save Nimisha Priya International Council', was told the "only way" forward is if Mr Mehdi's family accept financial compensation.
NDTV
15-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Can 'Blood Money' Save Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya? Has It Saved Indians Before?
New Delhi: Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya - sentenced to death by Yemen for killing a man harassing her - will likely be executed Wednesday unless her lawyers can persuade his family to accept ' blood money ' of $1 million (i.e., Rs 8.6 crore) as financial compensation for his unintended death. On Monday the Indian government told the Supreme Court 'blood money' is likely Nimisha Priya's last hope of escaping the death sentence. Attorney General R Venkataramani said the government could not do much more - at this time - to ensure the Kerala nurse's release from Yemen. "It is unfortunate... there is a point till which we can go. We have reached it," he said. 'Blood Money' In The Koran It is money paid to the family of the person killed in exchange for a pardon. In Sharia law - followed by Yemen and (to varying degrees) other Islamic countries, including Saudia Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan - the murdered person's legal heirs have the right to demand and/or accept this compensation. Under Sharia law if 'blood money' is offered and accepted, then the offender - Nimisha Priya, in this case - can't be executed. In most cases s/he, or they, are also pardoned by the government. 'Blood money' is not a new concept. It was widely practiced as far back as the sixth and seventh centuries CE, primarily by warring tribes to end cycles of violence and bloodshed. Back then payments would have ranged from gold and silver to trade goods like camels and furs. The concept was later formalised in the Koran. In chapter 4, verse 92, it says "... whoever kills a believer by mistake must free a believing slave and pay blood money (diyah, set at 100 camels by the Prophet Mohammed) to the deceased's family". It also says "... if one cannot afford that, let them fast two consecutive months..." An offer to fast for two months, though, will not save Ms Priya in this case. 'Blood Money' Cases Over the years the 'blood money' concept has been exercised in quite a few instances, both by Indians looking to escape death sentences, including a 2017 case in which a Saudi businessman-philanthropist paid around Rs 1.8 crore to free a Telangana man on death row. There have been cases in the United Arab Emirates too and others in which compensation was offered but refused, or delayed, leading to prolonged incarceration or even death. There have also been cases where Indians received compensation from local residents, such as in April 2023, when 20-year-old Mohd Mirza was badly hurt - he suffered 50 per cent damage to his brain - in a bus accident that killed 17 people, and was paid Rs 11 crore in exchange This, however, is the first time 'blood money' is being offered in a case in Yemen. 'Blood Money' Cases Involving Indians In 2017 a Kerala man, AS Sankaranarayanan, was freed after spending eight years in a UAE prison for the accidental death of an electrician (a Bangladeshi worker) at his home. Sankaranarayanan had been directed to pay 200,000 dirhams (now worth Rs 47 lakh) but did not have that much money. It was not till a newspaper report about his plight that he began to receive help. Amazingly, the Emirates Islamic Bank then paid the full amount. That same year a Telangana man, Limbadri, returned home after spending nearly a decade on death row for the accidental murder of a Saudi national. His cause was championed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha, who eventually got a local businessman to pay the diyah. In 2014 three Indians on death row in Saudi Arabia for six years - for the murder of their compatriot - were released after a businessman paid around Rs 1.12 crore to the fourth man's family. There was also a remarkable case from 2013, when the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia paid 'blood money' - approximately Rs 1.5 crore - for Saleem Basha, an Indian truck driver from Bengaluru, who had been convicted of killing nine people in a road accident in 2006. A far more recent case involves Abdul Rahim, also from Kerala, who was accused of accidentally killing the minor son of his employer in Riyadh. This was in 2006 when Rahim was 26 years old. He escaped the death sentence after the boy's family accepted diyah of Rs 34 crore - the amount was secured via a massive fundraising effort by the Malayali community. He was, however, handed a 20-year jail term that included time already served, meaning the sentence ends in December 2026.
