Today at the United Nations, the International Humanist and Ethical Union’s (IHEU) director of advocacy, Elizabeth O’Casey, read out a poem that is banned in Saudi Arabia on the grounds of ‘apostasy.’ The poem was delivered iin front of the delegation from Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Human Rights Council.
IHEU was highlighting the case of Palestinian poet, Ashraf Fayadh, who is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia (for eight years, with 800 lashes) for ‘apostasy’. The charges include “spreading atheism” and insulting “the divine self”. O’Casey said she was using her statement during a debate on ‘human rights situations of concern’, to speak the words of Fayadh himself, since he is banned from speaking them in Saudi Arabia, where he lives.
When discussing the reasoning behind the statement, O’Casey said, “Not only did we want to raise his case and give him a voice, but we were also keen to see whether Saudi Arabia would tolerate ‘blasphemous’ words they have punished so severely at home, being spoken uninterrupted at the UN.”
Her statement, including one of Ashraf Fayadh’s poems, follows below in full.
ORAL STATEMENT
International Humanist and Ethical Union
UN Human Rights Council, 32nd Session (13th June – 1st July 2016)
General Debate on Item 4 – Human Rights Situations of Concern
Elizabeth O’Casey
Ashraf Fayadh is a Palestinain poet who is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia – a country where atheists are legally defined as terrorists. He was accused of “spreading atheism”, of insulting “the divine self”, and objecting to concepts of fate as acts of God. He was also linked to exposing brutality by the Saudi religious police.
For this, he was sentenced to death for “apostasy”, to be carried out via beheading by sword. Earlier this year, Fayadh’s death sentence was overturned, and he was re-sentenced to eight years in prison and 800 lashes.
We have of course, raised Fayadh’s case with this Council before, as we have been raising, like many, the cases of Raif Badawi, Waleed Abulkhair, Ali al-Nimr and others
And many times argued that, as a member of this Council, the pre-eminent body tasked with protecting and promoting human rights, Saudi Arabia has a clear and uncompromising responsibility to uphold and respect the highest standards of human rights.
But our arguments and words have fallen on deaf ears.
There has been no change.
So, instead we end this statement today with Fayadh’s own words; the words for which he is currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, and for some time threatened with state murder.
Since Ashraf Fayadh cannot speak them at home, I trust I can read them here, in the very forum created to promote all rights – including freedom of expression and belief – universally and unashamedly with the freedom Fayadh himself deserves as a human being just seeking to add a little reason and beauty to the world.
| Prophets have retired so do not wait, for a prophet to be resurrected for you. And for you, for you the observers bring their daily reports and earn their high wages. How much money is necessary for a life of dignity. |
”الأنبياء تقاعدوا.. |
أشرف فياض شاعر فلسطيني يقبع حاليا في سجون المملكة السعودية، الدولة التي بنص القانون تجرم الملحدين، والأدهى من ذلكتعتبرهم إرهابيين. فياض إتهم ب ”نشر الإلحاد”، المس بالذات الإلهية، والإعتراض على القضاء والقدر والمشيئة الإلهية، كما نُسب له أيضا ”فضح وحشية الشرطة الدينية بالسعودية”
لأجل هذه التهم، تم الحكم عليه بالأعدام عن طريق قطع الرأس بالسيف. خلال الشهور الأخيرة من هذا العام، تم تغيير الحكم إلى 8 سنوات سجنا و 800 جلدة.
بطبيعة الحال، سبق ورفعنا قضية فياض أمام هذا المجلس، وأيضا قضايا عديدة أخرى كرائف بدوي، وليد أبو الخير، علي النمر، وأخرين.
كما سبق وأكدنا، أن هنالك دور يفرض حماية وتعزيز حقوق الإنسان على جميع أعضاء هذا المجلس، وبالتالي فإنه من مسؤولية السعودية أن تدعم وتحترم أعلى معايير حقوق الإنسان.
للأسف كل حججنا وكلماتنا لم تلقى سوى أذان صماء
ليس هنالك أي تغيير على الإطلاق.
لذلك سأختتم، هذا البيان اليوم بكلمات للشاعر فياض، الكلمات التي من أجلها يقبع الان بسجون المملكة السعودية، وبسببها أيضا هٌدد قبل شهور بالقتل.
وبما أن أشرف فيضا لا يستطيع نطق هذه الكلمات بوطنه، أثق أنني أستطيع أن أقرأها هنا، في المجلس الذي كان الهدف من وراءه دعم حقوق الإنسان وحرية التعبير والمعتقد كما هو متعارف عليها دوليا. وحرية أمثال أشرف فياض الذي كل ما كان يطمح له هو إضافة القليل من العقلانية والجمال لهذا العالم.
”الأنبياء تقاعدوا..
فلا تنتظروا نبيا يبعث لكم.. ومن أجلكم
من أجلكم يقدم المراقبون تقاريرَ يومية
ويتفاضون أجوراً عاليةً
كم هو المال ضروريٌ
من أجل حياة كريمة”