The Steeple Times joins those calling for mercy and forgiveness for Raif Badawi
Raif Badawi was put in prison and sentenced to 1,000 lashes simply for setting up a website named Free Saudi Liberals.
Yesterday, the MailOnline featured a video of Badawi being publicly flogged in front of a braying crowd in 2015. Of it, his wife, Ensaf Haidar, tweeted: “This crowd is not a beach party, it’s how moderate Muslims act when they flog someone for expressing his own opinions.”
In comments to the MailOnline, Ms Haidar added:
“We have not heard anything from Raif or from Saudi Arabia, but we know that he will face further punishment – we are not told when.”
“We urge the newly crowned Prince Mohammed Ben Salman to pardon Raif and prevent the 950 lashings being carried out as this is putting Raif’s life at risk.”
“We also ask why the government in the UK – an ally of Saudi Arabia – remains silent, and that Prime Minister Theresa May uses her good relationship with Saudi Arabia to work for Raif’s immediate release and send him back home to Canada to his family.”
She is right. It is time Saudi Arabia showed mercy and forgiveness and until then their barbaric treatment of a decent man should be condemned by decent people everywhere.