JEDDAH, 3 April 2005 — A grieving father has granted clemency to the man sentenced to death for killing his son.
About 20,000 people from various tribes in Najran assembled around the house of Ali ibn Saleh Al-Rawwas to plead for his mercy to pardon Ibrahim Ali Al-Khareem, who was sentenced to death, for killing the man’s son.
Al-Khareem reportedly killed Muhammad Al-Rawwas by mistake as a stray bullet from Ibrahim’s gun hit the victim’s chest while they were on a pleasure trip during Eid Al-Fitr holidays six years ago.
The crowd gathered at Rawwas’ house at the height of a mediation campaign led by Sheikh Hussein, the head of Al-Makarima tribes. After an hour of negotiations with Sheikh Hussein, Al-Rawwas, the father, stood over Hussein’s van and declared that he had pardoned the killer of his son.
The unexpected declaration made the whole of Najran happy as the news spread throughout the region. “I have pardoned Ibrahim seeking the pleasure and reward of God and in response to the mediation efforts made by prominent people in Najran and for the sake of all of you,” he told the crowd.
Al-Rawwas did not accept any blood money. However, he insisted that 40 persons from the family of Ibrahim take oath that the man had killed his son unintentionally and that Ibrahim should leave Najran forever. Sheikh Hussein had made many efforts over the past months to persuade Al-Rawwas.
Thousands of people had gathered around the house of Al-Rawwas since 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Many openly wept after hearing the pardon. People expressed happiness by raising white flags and praying for the family of Al-Rawwas for the humanitarian gesture.
“Ibrahim was a piece of my heart,” said Al-Rawwas, the father. “We pray to God that He may bestow on us His choicest blessings,” he added.
A brother of Muhammad, the victim, said he believed that the murder that took place six years ago was predestined. “We should all believe that and pray to God that He may enter our brother in paradise,” he added.
The father of Ibrahim thanked the Al-Rawwas family, Sheikh Hussein and all others who contributed to saving his son’s life from the sword.
