ISIS Beheadings and Saudi Punishments: 'Difference Is Clear'

[IDemo]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A top Saudi official has insisted there are differences between the country's practice of public beheadings and the executions carried out by ISIS militants.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki told NBC News that Saudi criminal punishments were legitimate because they were based on "a decision made by a court" rather than ISIS' "arbitrary" killings.

Saudi Arabia — one of America's closest allies in the Middle East — has endured sustained criticism by human rights groups for its justice system based on hard-line Islamic law, its lack of political freedom and policies toward women.

In an interview with NBC News, al-Turki defended the nation's public beheading of convicted criminals. "When we do it in Saudi Arabia we do it as a decision made by a court," he said. "The killing is a decision, I mean it is not based on arbitrary choices, to kill this and not to kill this."

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/isis-beheadings-saudi-punishments-difference-clear-n296876

Well, clears that up. The kingdom is a civilized nation operating under the rule of law -- hard-line Islamic law...

[on point]

1. An execution is an execution. It is not as if the west used to behead people....

So there are a few problems here. Should executions happen at all (the US has no credibility here), should the bar be so low for such ludicrous crimes as witch craft, heresy, apostasy, apostasy, insulting the rulers or other crimes of the mind?

Are the standards of proof too low in Saudi Arabia?

As to ISIS, well they have legitimate reason to exist. They certainly shouldn't be executing innocent hostages, prisoners of war, or people in the lands they have taken over for crimes committed prior to their rule (basic violation of fairness).

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. While nobody has called for beheadings here in US (yet)

There are people openly discussing going back to firing squads in order to avoid problems with lethal injections

Killing somebody, however done, is always brutal.

[oldandhappy]

3. At least with beheading the person dies fairly quickly.

The flogging in Saudi Arabia is an extended death process by torture. Both are barbaric. Please look up the embassy for Saudi Arabia and send in email giving your thots on flogging and beheading. The huge public outcry re flogging has created a pause in the flogging schedule for Raif, the blogger. We need to keep up the pressure. Thanks.

[MohRokTah]

4. I'm pretty sure some proceeding is convened by ISIS with every beheading.

I'm also pretty sure everybody they've beheaded was considered an infidel in their warped sense of religion.

That would put ISIS back on the same moral standing as Saudi Arabia.

[Brigid]

5. Saudi Arabia pontificating about ISIS!

[ChosenUnWisely]

6. Why that is the exact some 'logic' used by the anti-choicers to support the DP

But it does not really matter the USA has no moral high ground either seeing the we also murder our citizens, we just choose a different method.

[Orsino]

7. Due process does make a difference.

It can persuade many that state-sanctioned murder is justified.