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Keralites crowdfund Rs 34 Cr to get rid of Rahim’s death sentence in Saudi Arabia

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) – Hundreds of people in Kerala have collected Rs 35 crore through a crowd-funding campaign to secure the release of Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim, convicted in Saudi Arabia for causing the death of a 15- year-old disabled boy, reported news agency ANI. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has hailed the initiative to help free Rahim.

1. Rahim has been in jail in Saudi Arabia for 18 years. In 2006, after a 15-year-old boy died in Rahim’s car, he was held responsible for his death. Then in the year 2018, the court of Saudi Arabia sentenced him to death and later the Supreme Court also upheld this sentence.

2. The victim boy’s family was adamant about the death penalty, but they eventually agreed to pardon him if he paid ‘blood money’ (given to the victim’s kin to exonerate the accused) of 15 million Saudi riyals means Rs 34 crore. The arbitrators had given a deadline of 16th April to disburse this fund.

3. In Saudi Arabia, if you want to get rid of the death penalty, the option of ‘blood money’ is in front of the accused. If the family of the deceased accepts the blood money, the accused is acquitted. This amount is given in exchange for pardoning the accused.

4. Till last week, only Rs 5 crore could be collected. After that, 34 crore rupees have been collected by creating awareness in this regard. It is attended by various politicians, dignitaries and Kerala people living abroad.

No religious ideology can destroy our brotherhood – says Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan

“When the propagandists of hatred spread lies against the state, the Malayalees are raising their defence through stories of humanity and philanthropy. For the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, Malayalees all over the world have joined hands and collected 34 crore rupees,” said Kerala CM on social media.
Editorial Perspective

If this had happened in the context of a Hindu instead of Rahim, the first question is whether such brotherhood would have been shown ! As the definition of Indian Communism is ‘Hindu hatred and Muslim love’, the second question is whether Vijayan would have appealed to the Muslims to protect the suffering Hindus !

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