Who is Mufti Musliyar? Indian cleric who has come forward to save Nimisha Priya from execution in Yemen, he is from…
New Delhi: There is still a ray of hope for Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse who is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, July 16 in Yemen. Priya, a nurse from Kerala, has been awarded death sentence by Yemen’s court for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi.
As a last-ditch effort to save her, Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar is said to lead a delegation to talk to and assure the victim’s family to accept blood money and pardon Priya, the only legal option left under Yemeni law to halt her execution.
Who is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad?
Officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar is the 10th and current Grand Mufti of India. He is also the General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama (the Indian Muslim Scholars Association) and General Secretary of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama of AP Sunnis.
What is the process to halt Nimisha Priya’s execution?
Talks between religious leaders of India and Yemen continue as according to a report, Grand Mufti of India A. P. Abubakar Musliyar of Kanthapuram and famous Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz of Yemen are talking on this issue. The discussions also include a judge of the Supreme Court of Yemen and the brother of the deceased.
Mufti Musliyar persuaded Sheikh Habib of Yemen for talks. This is also the first time that a close member of the victim’s family has agreed to the talks. It has to be noted that the entire conversation is taking place under Sharia law, which gives the victim’s family the legal right to forgive the culprit without any condition or in exchange for blood money.
When was Nimisha Priya convicted?
Thirty-seven-year-old Nimisha Priya was convicted in the 2017 murder case of her Yemeni business partner. Since then she has been on death row in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. According to Priya’s legal team, she gave sedatives to Talal Abdo Mahdi to recover her passport and escape what she described as prolonged abuse. However, Mahdi died of overdose, and Priya was arrested while attempting to leave the country.
What does her lawyer say?
Subhash Chandran, the lawyer representing Nimisha Priya, has confirmed that Mufti Musliyar has reached out to the family of Mahdi, the deceased and is also engaged in parleys with religious and community leaders in Yemen to reach a fruitful solution.
“We are trying our best so that the family accepts the blood money and the Kerala nurse is spared from death row,” said Chandran as cited by The New Indian Express.
Mufti Musliyar is said to have reportedly initiated personal communication with the victim’s relatives, as well as with Yemeni religious authorities who are in contact with the family.
In Yemen, execution is by shooting near the heart
In Yemen, the death penalty is given only by shooting. However, there is also a provision for stoning, hanging and beheading, but these are not used. Before shooting, the convict is made to lie face down on a carpet or blanket.
After this, the doctor makes a mark on the heart area on the convict’s back and then the executioner shoots him in the back with an automatic rifle. In some cases, the punishment of flogging is also given before the death penalty.
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