Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatuh,
[4:135] O you who believe, be upholders of justice - witnesses for Allah, even though against (the interest of) your selves or the parents, and the kinsmen. One may be rich or poor, Allah is better caretaker of both. So do not follow desires, lest you should swerve. If you twist or avoid (the evidence), then, Allah is all-aware of what you do.
The story of Sister Rizana Nafeek (RA) is another tragic turn in the never ending saga of exploitation of South Asians in Saudi Arabia, unfortunately I don't expect most Muslims (Scholars and laymen) in the west to be concerned and bothered because:
1) Many of our Scholars and institutes are covertly and overtly funded by the Saudi Government
2) Many of our brothers and sisters think that since Saudi Arabia has less Bid'ah than many other Muslim countries we can turn a blind eye to their oppression and exaggerations of Islamic Shariah, basic humanity and decency.
3) Since the blessed lands of Haramain are politically within the control of Saudi regime, many of our brothers and sisters consider it blasphemous to point out errors, mistakes in fact gross Shariah violations in Saudia.
Before proceeding to discuss Rizana Nafeek (RA) I would like to narrate my personal experience of a similar case.
Personal account of a Bangali Servant:
Noor was a 17 year old Bangali servant who worked at the apartment complex where many of my western friends lived and many of the Foreign Expats paid him to do their shopping and wash their cars etc. I also paid him 10-15 Riyals to clean my car even though my car was usually clean but I knew that he had a blind father and 3 Sisters in Bangladesh.
One Wednesday eventing wife of one of my colleagues asked him to get some groceries and while riding his bike he was mowed down by a massive Chevrolet Caprice Classic driven by Saudi youngsters and this incident was witnessed by 43 eye witnesses because it occurred right in front of the football ground and they reported the Car registration to the Police.
He died instantly.
Police investigated and the Saudi owner of the car simply reported that his car was in Madina at the time so couldn't have been involved in an accident, 43 eye witnesses were dismissed and case was closed.
It is a norm for Saudi youngsters to drive like maniacs, cause accidents and deaths on Roads and many of them drive are without licenses.
However, the British & Australian Nurses decided to take up the issue and raise awareness to it. Non-Muslims raised thousands to send money to his family (in Bangladesh) and tried to arrange for his body to be sent back to Bangaldesh for funeral.
The two British & Australian Nurses were called into their embassies (Riyadh) and told to STOP because they were creating a diplomatic incident and affecting the relationships of their Government with Saudi Arabia and if they don't stop they will be deported.
I left around that time but I believe that they didn't STOP so they were deported.
The issue of Rizana Nafeek (RA):
Rizana Nafeek (RA) was a 17 year old maid who was bottle-feeding a 4 month old baby when it chocked (to death).
Rizana had no formal training in looking after babies.
Rizana had no formal first aid or medical training.
When the mother arrived, Rizana was assaulted, severally beaten and then given into police custody where she remained until 8 years later when she was executed.
There are two Shariah related issues which need to be addressed.
Travel & Residence without Mahram:
Rizana Nafeek (RA) wasn't a slave girl but a free and independent Muslim woman who was granted a VISA by the Saudia Government against the principles of Islam to travel and reside without a Mahram and it continues to happen to thousands, why?
Rizana Nafeek (RA) was poor and desperate and too young to know and understand the nuisances of Shariah, why was she EXPLOITED in this manner in the first place?
The issue is dead clear in the Hadeeth:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (RA): The Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said, "A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (her husband or a man with whom that woman cannot marry at all according to the Islamic Jurisprudence), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Dhu-Mahram." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)! I intend to go to such and such an army and my wife wants to perform Hajj." The Prophet said (to him), "Go along with her (to Hajj)." [Bukhari]
How come the Saudi Government denies Hajj Visas to Muslim women without Mahram but grants work VISAS to Muslim women to be exploited and treated like slaves in their country?
Ward off Hudood (Capital Punishment) with doubts:
The issue here is of a 17 year old youngster with no training in feeding babies and no training in providing first aid and no eye witnesses to provide evidence for what really happened. Its simply the words of an exploited 17 year old against a racially biased state machinery.
Rizana originally confessed and then later retracted because:
a) She didn't understand what she had confessed to
b) She made the original confession under duress
There was no Post-Mortem examination, no real (tangible) or circumstantial evidence to convict her which has been made public by Saudi Government or the Media.
There is established Islamic legal axiom based on a Hadeeth:
Ward off the legal punishments (hudud) due to doubts.
Ridiculous appeals of the Sri-Lankan Governments for clemency!
Sri Lankan and other Governments appealed for clemency and for the death penalty to be pardoned, but why should appeals for clemency be voiced when justice hasnt been served in the first place? In my opinion the whole issue of exploitation of migrant workers should be discussed as an Islamic (Shariah violation) issue and the whole Saudi immigrant, labour and justice laws should be scrutinized according to Islamic (Shariah).
The Organization of Islamic Co-operation and Scholars who are part of it should raise the issue at a global level to look at the entire issue of Muslim exploitation in Saudia but it won't happen because Organization of Islamic Co-operation is largely Saudi funded so most of its Agenda is largely irrelevant to the Muslim Ummah.
I would like to end this entry by requesting everyone to make dua for Allah (SWT) to forgive the sins of Rizana Nafeek (RA), grant her the highest rank in Jannatul-Firdaus and to grant patience and perseverance to her family (Ameen).
And lastly OIC was sarcastically called O, I see! By Dr Israr Ahmed (RA) so don't expect the Scholars and leaders of this Ummah to do or say anything while our daughters are brutally raped, exploited and killed!
In the meantime Secularists/Modernists have another story to gloat over and point their guns (of criticism) at Islamic Shariah when the issue at heart is ridiculous (culturally inspired), badly coded and criminally executed Saudi justice system and not Islam!
[4:135] O you who believe, be upholders of justice - witnesses for Allah, even though against (the interest of) your selves or the parents, and the kinsmen. One may be rich or poor, Allah is better caretaker of both. So do not follow desires, lest you should swerve. If you twist or avoid (the evidence), then, Allah is all-aware of what you do.
The story of Sister Rizana Nafeek (RA) is another tragic turn in the never ending saga of exploitation of South Asians in Saudi Arabia, unfortunately I don't expect most Muslims (Scholars and laymen) in the west to be concerned and bothered because:
1) Many of our Scholars and institutes are covertly and overtly funded by the Saudi Government
2) Many of our brothers and sisters think that since Saudi Arabia has less Bid'ah than many other Muslim countries we can turn a blind eye to their oppression and exaggerations of Islamic Shariah, basic humanity and decency.
3) Since the blessed lands of Haramain are politically within the control of Saudi regime, many of our brothers and sisters consider it blasphemous to point out errors, mistakes in fact gross Shariah violations in Saudia.
Before proceeding to discuss Rizana Nafeek (RA) I would like to narrate my personal experience of a similar case.
Personal account of a Bangali Servant:
Noor was a 17 year old Bangali servant who worked at the apartment complex where many of my western friends lived and many of the Foreign Expats paid him to do their shopping and wash their cars etc. I also paid him 10-15 Riyals to clean my car even though my car was usually clean but I knew that he had a blind father and 3 Sisters in Bangladesh.
One Wednesday eventing wife of one of my colleagues asked him to get some groceries and while riding his bike he was mowed down by a massive Chevrolet Caprice Classic driven by Saudi youngsters and this incident was witnessed by 43 eye witnesses because it occurred right in front of the football ground and they reported the Car registration to the Police.
He died instantly.
Police investigated and the Saudi owner of the car simply reported that his car was in Madina at the time so couldn't have been involved in an accident, 43 eye witnesses were dismissed and case was closed.
It is a norm for Saudi youngsters to drive like maniacs, cause accidents and deaths on Roads and many of them drive are without licenses.
However, the British & Australian Nurses decided to take up the issue and raise awareness to it. Non-Muslims raised thousands to send money to his family (in Bangladesh) and tried to arrange for his body to be sent back to Bangaldesh for funeral.
The two British & Australian Nurses were called into their embassies (Riyadh) and told to STOP because they were creating a diplomatic incident and affecting the relationships of their Government with Saudi Arabia and if they don't stop they will be deported.
I left around that time but I believe that they didn't STOP so they were deported.
The issue of Rizana Nafeek (RA):
Rizana Nafeek (RA) was a 17 year old maid who was bottle-feeding a 4 month old baby when it chocked (to death).
Rizana had no formal training in looking after babies.
Rizana had no formal first aid or medical training.
When the mother arrived, Rizana was assaulted, severally beaten and then given into police custody where she remained until 8 years later when she was executed.
There are two Shariah related issues which need to be addressed.
Travel & Residence without Mahram:
Rizana Nafeek (RA) wasn't a slave girl but a free and independent Muslim woman who was granted a VISA by the Saudia Government against the principles of Islam to travel and reside without a Mahram and it continues to happen to thousands, why?
Rizana Nafeek (RA) was poor and desperate and too young to know and understand the nuisances of Shariah, why was she EXPLOITED in this manner in the first place?
The issue is dead clear in the Hadeeth:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (RA): The Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said, "A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (her husband or a man with whom that woman cannot marry at all according to the Islamic Jurisprudence), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Dhu-Mahram." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)! I intend to go to such and such an army and my wife wants to perform Hajj." The Prophet said (to him), "Go along with her (to Hajj)." [Bukhari]
How come the Saudi Government denies Hajj Visas to Muslim women without Mahram but grants work VISAS to Muslim women to be exploited and treated like slaves in their country?
Ward off Hudood (Capital Punishment) with doubts:
The issue here is of a 17 year old youngster with no training in feeding babies and no training in providing first aid and no eye witnesses to provide evidence for what really happened. Its simply the words of an exploited 17 year old against a racially biased state machinery.
Rizana originally confessed and then later retracted because:
a) She didn't understand what she had confessed to
b) She made the original confession under duress
There was no Post-Mortem examination, no real (tangible) or circumstantial evidence to convict her which has been made public by Saudi Government or the Media.
There is established Islamic legal axiom based on a Hadeeth:
Ward off the legal punishments (hudud) due to doubts.
Ridiculous appeals of the Sri-Lankan Governments for clemency!
Sri Lankan and other Governments appealed for clemency and for the death penalty to be pardoned, but why should appeals for clemency be voiced when justice hasnt been served in the first place? In my opinion the whole issue of exploitation of migrant workers should be discussed as an Islamic (Shariah violation) issue and the whole Saudi immigrant, labour and justice laws should be scrutinized according to Islamic (Shariah).
The Organization of Islamic Co-operation and Scholars who are part of it should raise the issue at a global level to look at the entire issue of Muslim exploitation in Saudia but it won't happen because Organization of Islamic Co-operation is largely Saudi funded so most of its Agenda is largely irrelevant to the Muslim Ummah.
I would like to end this entry by requesting everyone to make dua for Allah (SWT) to forgive the sins of Rizana Nafeek (RA), grant her the highest rank in Jannatul-Firdaus and to grant patience and perseverance to her family (Ameen).
And lastly OIC was sarcastically called O, I see! By Dr Israr Ahmed (RA) so don't expect the Scholars and leaders of this Ummah to do or say anything while our daughters are brutally raped, exploited and killed!
In the meantime Secularists/Modernists have another story to gloat over and point their guns (of criticism) at Islamic Shariah when the issue at heart is ridiculous (culturally inspired), badly coded and criminally executed Saudi justice system and not Islam!