Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al-Nahyan was acquitted of charges of the beating and torture of an Afghan grain dealer, even though it was all recorded on a three hour videotape shot in 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf region.
During the taping the man was shown to be injured by Issa and a security guard; they stuffed sand in his mouth, he was beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals with a cigarette lighter, shocked with a cattle prod and led to believe he would be shot. Salt was poured into his wounds and an SUV was repeatedly driven over him.
Sheikh Issa's defence lawyer said 'We deny the incident as it was shown on that videotape,' and added that Issa had be
en given drugs which caused him to be 'deprived from his poise,' and that the whole scene was a plot by the wimpering Afghan to extort Sheikh Issa.Oh, did I mention? Sheikh Issa is a member of the emirates' ruling family.
Evidently Sharia Law only applies to others and women.
The tape caused outrage among human rights groups in the United States, where senior U.S. officials familiar with the case said it delayed the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the UAE and the United States.
But the ratification still went ahead. Deals being way more important than people, of course.
Sort of like that deal in 1990 where the Sheikh of Kuwait promised democracy and equality for women in that state if the US would help him by attacking Saddam Hussein.
Look what that got the US into! And has anyone checked the democratic rule in Kuwait lately?
And remember that British couple that faced years in jail for having sex at night on the beach in Dubai? They got away with a minor sentence then were fined and deported but were told when in Dubai, do as we do. No lusty Romans allowed here.
Be careful of deals with arabs, even if you have video recording.
Now where do I go to get to stone a woman?
