Ali Hussain Sibat

Spells, nails and magic maids

Away from our Hajj coverage, for which we are currently filming some feature reports to be released in the next week, I thought I would share something I came across in a leading English language Saudi daily The Saudi Gazette entitled 'Magic Maids'.

This is how it opened:

"We must face up to the threats from some maids and servants and their satanic games of witchcraft and sorcery, their robbery, murder, entrapment of husbands, corruption of children and other countless stories of crime that have been highlighted by both experts and victims of these crimes."

As I checked to see whether this was a The Onion-type satirical column I recalled the recent appeal by Amnesty International for Saudi King Abdullah to commute the death sentences of Lebanese national Ali Hussain Sibat and Sudanese national Abdul Hamid bin Hussain bin Moustafa al-Fakki.

The men were convicted to death for sorcery.