Saddam and the Death Penalty

November 6, 2006 at 2:29 pm · Filed under Arabisms, Seriously


Cartoon by Cairo Freeze

I just did a little round up on the opinions of Arabs bloggers about Saddam’s verdict, you can check it out here.

Personally, although I know that Saddam is scum, I’m strongly anti-death-penalty in all cases without exception; one person should not have the authority over another persons life, the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice (I know he killed thousands, but it is in my moral fabric to be better than others. Throw him in jail for the rest of his life, that’s a lot worse than death.)

Anyway, while reading the reactions, I started doing a little research about opinions on the death penalty.

Before I go on though, will you please share your opinion on the death penalty?

Where do you stand on the death penalty?
I’m for it
I’m against it
I’m for it in extreme cases only

  

I found these numbers while researching.

Death penalty and the world:


(click to enlarge)

During 2005, at least 2,148 people were executed in 22 countries and at least 5.186 people were sentenced to death in 53 countries. These were only minimum figures; the true figures were certainly higher. In 2005, 94 per cent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA. [Source]




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  • http://zozo2k3.blogspot.com Yazan

    I strongly second ur opinion roba, in my post about Saddam’s verdict. I wrote the same, Death penalty is disgusting, for me it’s more repulsive than Murder, exactly because it’s Legalized murder… it’s so sadistic in so many ways.

  • http://ad-noctum.blogspot.com electro

    well i’m for it, in case of premeditated murder. the point of the execution is not just to kill people in cold blood, its to stress the dreadfulness of the act. the stronger the punishment the less people will think of doing the crime.
    plus jail is no solution for anything, you lock someone in for sometime, you feed, cloth and bath people on the expense of tax payers. (not to mention giving him all the time in the world to read and practice hobbies)
    these are my beliefs inspired by the words of god (و لكم في القصاص حياة يا اولي الاألباب)!

  • http://american-in-jordan.blogspot.com/ Dave

    I’m pro-death penalty if pursued according to due process. I feel that if court or tribunal that can prove without a shadow of a doubt that a person has committed pre-meditated and malicious murder of another human being, the court should have the authority to put the offender to death. I don’t believe that life in prison is a strong enough deterrent, partly due to the inconsistencies in the prison system. I also don’t consider it fair to tax payers to have to support the high cost of incarcerating such a person for life.

    As for human rights, I believe there is a point where one forfeits certain rights when he tramples upon another’s rights. People should be willing to give up their right to live when they decide to infringe on another’s right to live by taking it away.

  • http://www.thescatterload.com Hamzeh N.

    You said:

    the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights

    Then, you said:

    Throw him in jail for the rest of his life, that’s a lot worse than death.

    Do you see what’s wrong here? You are in favor of a punishment that you consider worse than the ultimate form of denial of human rights.

    :D

  • 7jazi

    i really dnt think i should go into poltics..but there is a couple things i would like
    to say..1st of all that comic is weird and kindda stupid.. im not a supporter for
    sadam or anything but i think the americans already did put his dignity down the
    drian why should we ?!(i havnt suffred the way iraqi’s did under his authority
    and i respect everyone’s opinon but still i dnt think the guy deserve’s all of that).. 2nd of all i really think any1 whoz a supporter of death
    penalty has some serious issues..

  • tommy

    I favor it. Looking at European countries that have abolished the death penalty has made me favor it even more. I am constantly amazed by how even the most hideous murders tend to earn their perps only 20 years in prison in countries like the UK, the Netherlands, etc. It’s disgusting.

    Besides, the death penalty has one, largely unappreciated, value in countries that already offer life without parole: it can be used to threaten people who are already facing a life sentence into providing information they ordinarily wouldn’t provide short of receiving a shorter sentence. Spies can be made to explain exactly what intelligence they provided to an enemy, serial killers can be induced to reveal the identities of unknown victims and the whereabouts of those victims’ remains so that loved ones can give them a proper burial, murderers can be made to identify accomplices they may have had in carrying out their crime and, in some cases, those standing trial for political crimes, like Saddam Hussein’s henchmen, are given an incentive to tell what they know in exchange for avoiding the death penalty themselves.

  • http://iman-a.com Iman

    The Saddam Trial aside …
    I am a strong supporter of the death penalty

    Cold blooded, violent criminals and murderes…A child killer, rapist, mass murder, monster should – with no doubt – be put to death!

    “one person should not have the authority over another persons life, the death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights.”

    The minute one decides to give himself the right to rape and violently murder another human being, the minute that person gives up his right of being a human who has a right to live…

    ” Death penalty is disgusting, for me it’s more repulsive than Murder, exactly because it’s Legalized murder”

    What’s truly disgusting is stabbing, choking, slashing, raping, , beating, mutilating and slowly and painfully killing an innocent child or woman! What’s even more repulsive is defending the rights of those monsters who had no remorse what-so-ever engaging in their evil vicious acts!
    They deserve a death just as painful as of that they inflicted on their victims!

  • http://zozo2k3.blogspot.com Yazan

    Iman,
    “What’s truly disgusting is stabbing, choking, slashing, raping, , beating, mutilating and slowly and painfully killing an innocent child or woman! What’s even more repulsive is defending the rights of those monsters who had no remorse what-so-ever engaging in their evil vicious acts!”

    That is repulsive,
    But, dont u think that as Humans, we’ve reached the point where we know for sure that “Revenge” in that instinctive way, like hanging someone, is not the way to do stuff… that it’s only there to feed some primitive sadistic needs for those in pain over the victim, and this is NOT a good reason for me..

    Life is way more important than that, and btw, on a psychological level, Life in Prison is much more of a punishment than Death Penalty.. for me at least…

    I’m not defending the “monster”, I’m saying that, as Humans, we need to fight the culture of Death in every aspect of our lives, Taking away one’s Life, should NEVER NEVER EVER be justified, under any law, under any reason… that’s what we need to teach our kids…

  • Goth

    “one person should not have the authority over another persons life”..what about saddam, did he have that authority over the lots of people he killed? I personally am for capital punishment, mind you, when it is properly and justly used. and this is a case of a just judgement(in my opinion). what do you want the system to do? put him in a cell for 30 years for each person he killed, equated with other criminals who go to the jail every other day? anyway, what im against is the fact that it is a PUBLIC hanging..it is unnecessary in my opinion and kind of stupid. But all in all, the system is stupid and if they do this to saddam, they probably should do it also to the rest of the people who helped him and many other country leaders who did the same and probably worse.

  • http://sileas.wordpress.com/ Izzi

    Amazing post Roba, very informative. I’m not sure if whether I’m with or against the death penalty. It’s a very hard decision to make when you’re talking about a human life. You’re right when you said that a life sentence would have been worse. As for Sadam, he may have been a terror, but the sight of an old man shaking when he hears his verdict would move anybody, we are all humans after all. I hope we all get what we deserve.

  • http://kekosworld.blogspot.com KeKo

    That’s a tough one! Largely because it is always put in black and white and at least to me it is not, I have to say that the question always raises more questions than answers in my mind, like
    - What is the purpose of punishment?
    - Summary vs Custodial?
    - Does one ethos have to fit all crimes?
    and then each of these rises another set of questions in turn, so answering any aspect of these in isolation or a scenario based on any of them I find troubling, for one could easily start to contradict them selves with the slightest alteration of a given scenario

    The closest I can get to a generic answer is that punishment should be intended to serve the future of society not the past and as such whatever can be used to guarantee that theoretically must be an option.

    So I guess my answer is that I am for the death penalty remaining part of the system but I would much prefer if it is never used.

    One other thing which troubles me is this modern myth that a criminal system of a country which does not administer the death penalty is somehow automatically viewed as human and civilized! Also as imperfect all criminal justice systems undoubtedly are the main problem is not the systems but rather their administration death penalty or not, and I find it a real shame that most efforts to highlight injustice seem to focus solely on the system!

  • http://iman-a.com Iman

    like hanging someone, is not the way to do stuff… that it’s only there to feed some primitive sadistic needs for those in pain over the victim, and this is NOT a good reason for me..

    A monsterous mass murder does not have the right to live. He, by choice and by breaking the law, took a life.. and for that his life, by the law, should be taken too!

    Life is way more important than that, and btw, on a psychological level, Life in Prison is much more of a punishment than Death Penalty.. for me at least…

    My tax dollars can be used else where!

  • amjad

    ist fair Roba to say to the next killed victim: sorry you died sir because we dont have panelty death ,we didnt kill the murderer so you paid the price …the murderer is human with rights but you dont have same rights.

    Im against saddam verdict because the trail is not legal USA forces and Israel Must be rtrailed first on same principle , Its cruel world..

  • http://my-desiderata.blogspot.com anonima

    I am against capital panishment too. I wrote about it in my blog and clearly explained why I’m against it. However,I’d like to say somethign about the ones who are pro-capital punishment because it’s unfair to tax payers.

    I don’t think I wish death on someone just because I don’t want to waste my already wasted tax money on him, even if he/she is really a brutal criminal. I don’t have a preference to waste my tax money on an imprisoned-for-life big shot thief/rapist, on the royal court travel and luxury accounts, on 7 redecoration attempts of Al Itisalat small useless circle in a month and then taking it down for traffic lights more than I do to waste it on a murderer doing life sentence.

  • tommy

    Some videos to watch as you contemplate Saddam and his regime and the appropriate punishment:

    http://fdd.typepad.com/fdd/2006/01/alert_saddams_c.html

    (Warning: all four videos are very graphic.)

  • SJ

    If it was one of your family members who was tortured to death with cold blood by Saddam’s regime, I am sure you will wish to see Saddam and his associates cut in pieces and their parts were left in the streets to stink

    and If u feels disgusted already, just think of what he did to other innocent people

  • http://home-and-away.blogspot.com Sami

    I think death penalty is justified for cases in which criminals commit murder. The analogy is like this: as a criminal, you gave the right for yourself to end the life of somebody else! then someone has the right to end your life!… now this someone should be identified in any system (for example judge or Mufti, etc). In cases other than murder (like rape or drug dealers, …) I don’t see death penalty is justified!. For the case of Saddam, I think it’s totally justified IF that verdict came as a result of a legitimate and unbiased court! but this is NOT the case! all of us know that this court was set up by an occupier and it’s not backed by any Iraqi law! The verdict, IMHO, was ready even before the trials!…. I think Saddam must be trialed in an international war crimes court. Ask yourself, Since Milasovic was trialed in The Hague and not in Serbia, why Saddam was trialed in a country full of chaos and absence of law and order!. This court is illegitimate as well as the verdict.

  • G.

    Sunnis might be unhappy,but it seems the majority of Iraqis are very happy about the trial verdict on Saddam regarding the deaths of 148 Shiite Muslims killed in Dujail in 1982.Now the other Saddam trial starts on the Operation Anfal crackdown against Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s.The prosecution says about 180,000 Kurds, most of them civilians, were killed in the crackdown in 1987-88.

  • http://yehathnoclue.blogspot.com Maria

    I support the death penalty. I wouldn’t want my tax money going into helping sustain their life penalty in the jail when it could have been used more efficiently somewhere else like in the areas of education and technology. Btw, we have the highest per capita rate of executions the world. Not surprising considering our strict laws esp againt drug offenders.

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  • http://www.chestrest.com/product_info.php?ref=30&products_id=4&affiliate_banner_id=3 cbgaloot

    If there ever was a person who deserved it, it’s Saddam.

    In general I support the death penalty only in extreme situations.

    I don’t think of it as punishment though, I think of it as a way to protect people from the criminal. It should only be used in situations when the criminal would probably kill or rape again if allowed out. The death penalty is the only way to guarantee they will never get back into society.

    So far as feeling sorry for the criminal? The criminal CHOSE his punisment. How? He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew he could be executed if he chose to do the crime. Yet he chose to do the crime, thus he chose the
    punishment.

  • http://www.chestrest.com/product_info.php?ref=30&products_id=4&affiliate_banner_id=3 cbgaloot

    Oops, forgot to say.

    For a rapist, the death penalty would only be for serial rapists. not first timers.