If you’ve ever spent time reading tarot cards, playing with a Ouija board, or working for a psychic hotline, I suggest you avoid Saudi Arabia as a travel destination. Recently, Amnesty International has been trying to pressure the government to release a man by the name of Ali Hussain Sibat, who was sentenced to death in November 2009 for the supposed crime of “sorcery”. Sibat had a show on a Beirut satellite TV channel where, before a studio audience, he would predict the future and give advice. If that sounds familiar, it’s basically a Lebanese ripoff of “Crossing Over with John Edward” (if diplomatic relationships fail, can we send them Edward in exchange?).

Now because Islam is a political religion, there’s no rational legal body at work here; instead, a religious court based in outdated and superstitious laws are responsible for punishing offenders, and punish they do. A court in Medina convicted Sibat of witchcraft, and in accordance to their holy text, his sentence is nothing less than execution. There you have it folks, the Koran doesn’t mess around with issues of legality, human rights or even common sense; as far as the book and its murderous peddlers are concerned, you need to kill witches, and fast (Sibat tried to appeal this decision, but it didn’t take long for them to be overturned)!

I can’t imagine a clearer example of why religion and politics don’t mix; a father of 5 is being sentenced to death for the crime of reading dumb people their fortunes on TV. Yep, the world is officially fucked up.

(Update: Sibat was apparently allowed to return to his native country of Lebanon, but that has yet to be confirmed)