Saudis allowed to murder Murdoch

[Cyberman]

February 21, 1803
Edward Despard, last person drawn and quartered in England

HTH

Not according to Wikipedia, which states that the sentence was commuted to hanging and beheading to avoid public dissent. Interesting though:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Marcus_Despard

[Paddy]

February 21, 1803
Edward Despard, last person drawn and quartered in England

HTH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeWbZOl0Wyw


http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/capital_hist.htm

“Gibbeting - where executed corpses were displayed publicly in cages - was abolished in 1843. In 1861, the number of capital crimes to four: murder, treason, arson in royal dockyards and piracy with violence. Public executions stopped in 1868 and the hanging, beheading and quartering of traitors ended in 1870.”

I think that crushing to death also ended around 1870 (i saw the site last year), it’s not all that long ago in historical terms.

[NotAllThere]

What about this attempt to criminalise criticism of Islam, from the Wall Street Journal.

You can be convicted in your absence, in an Islamic country. You'll be fine in most European countries, but if you go somewhere where freedom isn't quite so highly valued, you run the risk of being extradited.

I do wonder when (if) mainstream Islam will get out of the middle-ages.

It seems to me that muslims who take offence at the slightest provocation are far more guilty of bringing the religion into disrepute, than, e.g. some rather peurile cartoons.

[PM-Junkie]

What about this attempt to criminalise criticism of Islam, from the Wall Street Journal.

You can be convicted in your absence, in an Islamic country. You'll be fine in most European countries, but if you go somewhere where freedom isn't quite so highly valued, you run the risk of being extradited.

I do wonder when (if) mainstream Islam will get out of the middle-ages.

It seems to me that muslims who take offence at the slightest provocation are far more guilty of bringing the religion into disrepute, than, e.g. some rather peurile cartoons.

No no no...you don't understand. Islam a peaceful "religion", has the utmost respect for women, is not intent on forcing its philosophy on the entire planet and doesn't believe in violence.

...and I am the Tzar of Russia.

[xoggoth]

Wahabinist Islam is a quite appalling irrational creed that has no place in modern society. About time some stopped living in world where reality never shines and started looking at the facts.

[OwlHoot]

[url]I think that crushing to death also ended around 1870 (i saw the site last year).

Pressing was abolished in the 1770s, partly because the Fleet ditch was bricked over at that time (and I think today it's a good 50 feet below street level).

In case anyone wasn't aware, pressing was a medievil relic whereby if someone charged with a felony refused to plead, whether guilty or not guilty, they would be taken to a room called the Pressing Room in Newgate Prison, spreadeagled to the floor with chains and have large paving stones piled on their chest. Hence the expressions "pressing charges" and "getting the weight off your chest".

By custom, during this process (which might last days) they were given only bread, and water from the nearby Fleet Ditch (see above) which by then was a fetid poisonous swamp.

It was quite a crafty form of torture because, as well as obviously being distressing, the difficulty in breathing meant the prisoner became short of oxygen and thus light headed and confused, which made it more likely they would yield.

For some utterly bizarre reason, and I've no idea why, if the accused successfully resisted making a plea then upon conviction their goods and chattels were not forfeit to the Crown (whereas they all were if the accused had entered a plea). So for anyone with property they wished to pass on, there was a big incentive to resist making a plea, and an equal incentive for the Crown to force one out of them.

After pressing was abolished, the obvious solution was adopted of entering a not guilty plea on the accused's behalf if they refused to plead. But as forfeiture was abolished not long after, the issue soon became moreorless moot anyway.

[lilelvis2000]

Wahabinist Islam is a quite appalling irrational creed that has no place in modern society. About time some stopped living in world where reality never shines and started looking at the facts.

WHS. What happens when nuts have money and power.

Unfortunately some in this site believe that Saudi's run Islam.

[trsisko]

considering the crap I seen on fox tv and sky, well I wonder why?

[PM-Junkie]

What happens when nuts have money and power.

...um, they get elected president of the usa?

[daviejones]

Backward bloody savages...there, I have said it!!