Indonesians save their woman from Saudi death sentence

MONDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2013 

The Indonesian government has been able to save an Indonesian woman who had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for murdering a four months old child by poisoning.

Nurqoyah Bint Marsan Dasan Nuriya, 41 year old Indonesian maid faced the death penalty over charges of murdering four-month old Mishari Al-Bushal, who died in June 2010. Saudi media claimed that Nuriya had confessed to killing the infant and the family of Mishari Al-Bushal insisted that Nuriya should be sentenced to death.

However, the court in Damman ruled that three medical reports did not prove the baby was poisoned and his death may have been due to a genetic condition.

Indonesian government created a special task force to protect migrant workers and employed special attorneys versed in sharia law to fight for the rights of the Indonesian migrant worker facing the death penalty. Nuriya's trial was attended by representatives from the Indonesian Embassy and the Human Rights Commission.

‘Digital Journal’ the web site that reported the incident had stated that authorities in Sri Lanka did not do enough to try to save Rizana Nafeek.

Meanwhile, Indian businessman S.V. Singh Oberoi has been able to save 17 Indian nationals who had been accused of murdering a Pakistani. He has paid $1 million to secure their release.

The UPFA government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including its minister evading the opportunity to save the innocent girl Rizana Nafeek when there was such an opportunity available is deplorable.

Sri Lanka's Buddhist extremists threaten BBC and Muslim journalists 
Mon, Feb 18, 2013, 07:24 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Feb 18, Colombo: BBC Sri Lanka Correspondent Charles Haviland said that he and his crew were threatened while they were filming a rally of Sinhala Buddhist extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena yesterday at Maharagama.
The hardline Sinhalese Buddhist group called Bodu Bala Sena held a protest rally Sunday at Maharagama to call for the abolition of the Halal certification of foods and asked the business owners to remove Halal certified food from their stores by March 31.
"As we finished filming at the rally, our three-member BBC team and driver were seriously threatened with violence by some members of a mob of more than 20 young men who told us not to drive off," Haviland said in a statement.
"Some police arrived and looked on as my Sri Lankan colleagues were verbally abused in filthy language, described as "traitors" and accused of having "foreign parents" and working for a "foreign conspirator" who was "against Sri Lanka"," Haviland said.
The protesters have threatened the newsman and his crew and warned them not to return to the location.
A reporter from the Navamini Muslim newspaper was also harassed by the crowd and handed over to the Maharagama police. Police detained the reporter until 8:30 p.m. before releasing him.
The Sri Lankan government and the Muslim clerics' organizations have repeatedly said that Halal certification is voluntary for Sri Lankan businesses and it is necessary when Sri Lanka exports food items to European, Middle Eastern and South East Asian countries.
The President has also urged the extremist Buddhist group not to arouse communal disharmony inciting violence.