RIYADH: A Saudi economist has welcomed the recent government decision to raise diyyah (blood money) to SR400,000 for murder and SR300,000 for accidental killings, but warned this alone would not be enough to provide long-term care to families left behind.
Fadl Abu Al-Ainain told Al-Riyadh newspaper Saturday that the decision to raise blood money needed to be coupled with a revision of insurance law to cover the present and future needs of dependents, particularly children.
Diyyah, which was originally SR110,000 for murder and SR100,000 for accidental death, remained static for more than 29 years. The diyyah for women is half these amounts.
The decision to raise diyyah was recommended by the Supreme Court and approved by the authorities.
“Amending the limit of blood money to be commensurate with the high prices of camels was logical. However, we must understand the Islamic law that stipulated diyyah as equivalent of 100 camels focused beyond the financial value. Diyyah was actually a long-term investment for the dependents of the deceased,” Al-Ainain said.
During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers, the dependents of a murdered person were compensated with 100 camels.
Al-Ainain said 100 camels those days signified immense wealth.
“Whoever owned this number of camels was classed as a rich person. For this very reason, when the heirs of a murdered person were given the camels, they would be financially secure for a long time and could live comfortably,” he said.
He said diyyah in the old times was a long-term investment as these camels would breed.
“The beneficiaries would use the meat and milk of the camels for food and their hair to build houses in addition to using them for transport. This was definitely a long-term investment,” he said.
He said SR400,000 is not a big amount today and it would dry up before the children of a killed person reached maturity.
“Therefore we have to cover them with a comprehensive insurance policy until they grow up and are able to take care of themselves,” he said.
Al-Ainain said the tribe of the murderer used to band together to collect the camels, as it was not possible for a single individual to have this high number of animals.
He said insurance companies have taken over this role, so their policies must be reviewed. He called for issuing new rules to combine diyyah money with tailored insurance policies to ensure dependents of murder victims lived comfortably.
“The heirs, especially children, must be paid monthly benefits and provided with accommodation until they are able to take care of themselves.
