Princess Sultana's Circle

to inflict the same punishment on the
murderer as their loved one had endured, for example, stabbing the
condemned to death, or even running them over with an automobile.
However, most Saudis accept the standard sentence of death by
beheading.
    Families of the victim also
have a second option, that of collecting blood money in exchange
for sparing the convicted murderer’s life. While camels were once
used to pay blood money, today the payment is in riyals or dollars.
There are set damages according to the circumstances on a scale
from SR 120,000 to SR 300,000 ($45,000 to $80,000). Of course, if
the victim is a woman, the blood money is half that for a
man.
    In this case, the two
nurses had been found guilty of murdering a third woman. And, it
was now being reported in British newspapers that the victim’s
family had been approached about the possibility of accepting blood
money for their loved one as provided for under Saudi law, even
though the victim’s family lived in Australia. The dead woman’s
brother, Frank Gilford, had reportedly become outraged at the idea
that his sister’s life could be bought and paid for, and had
angrily refused the offer of blood money.
    I agreed with Frank
Gilford. I, too, would reject the offer of blood money. How can
anyone place a monetary value on a life? If only Saudi Arabian men
had the same degree of love and esteem for their women as Western
men, I mused, as I compared Frank Gilford’s reaction to a true
story that recently occurred in Saudi Arabia.
    This story I was reminded
of unfolded when an inebriated foreigner crashed his automobile
into a car carrying female passengers, and killed two Saudi women.
Two serious crimes had been committed: the crime of drinking
alcohol, and the crime of murder; therefore, the foreigner was
immediately thrown into jail. He was certain to be condemned to
death under Saudi Arabia’s strict laws. His only hope was to
convince the husband of the dead women to accept blood money.
Otherwise, he would be beheaded.
    Although other similar
cases in Saudi Arabia had shown that most Saudis prefer an “eye for
an eye,” the accused’s lawyer prepared a plea offering blood
money.
    When the case was called
before the Saudi judge, no one was more shocked at the reaction of
the surviving husband than the guilty foreigner and his lawyer. The
husband of the two dead women stood before the judge and said,
“Your honor, I request that the prisoner be released. I do not call
for his death, nor do I want his money. The two women killed were
wives that I had taken in my youth, and had grown too old to be of
service to me.” This man had looked at the defendant, and actually
smiled. “I am glad to be rid of them, for I can now replace them
with two young wives.”
    Under the law, the Saudi
judge had no option but to release the lucky foreigner. It was
further reported that the husband actually thanked the foreigner,
saying that he had wanted to divorce his wives for a long time, but
had not wanted to make a financial settlement!
    Once again, I considered
the good fortune of women of other countries. To be valued and
esteemed is beyond the expectations of many Saudi Arabian
women.
    My attention returned to
the fate of the British nurses. Now that they had been convicted,
and with execution looming, public interest was at its peak.
Although a number of Muslim women have been beheaded in Saudi
Arabia, never has a woman from a Western country suffered this
cruel fate.
    Tension was mounting
between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Great Britain. The
British were appalled at the possibility that two of their own
might lose their heads at the hands of a Saudi swordsman, while the
Saudis were angered by British criticism of their judicial
system.
    Huda interrupted my
thoughts when she looked up from the newspaper she was reading.
“These English should not complain about our Saudi method of
capital punishment. Saeed Al Sayaf, the official executioner, is a
skilled swordsman. My husband once witnessed a beheading and spoke
of Saeed’s work with the highest praise. These British women will
be fortunate to have such a practiced executioner.” Huda made a
clicking sound with her tongue. “One minute these women will have
their heads, and the next minute they will not. They will not
suffer one moment of pain.”
    Sara looked at Huda in
horror.
    With my hand at my throat,
I sat paralyzed. I, too, knew something about the swordsman Saeed
Al Sayaf, as I had