Muslims asked to pray for Nafeek

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 November 2010, 00:47 GMT]
Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana has appealed to the 1.5 million Muslims living in the island of Sri Lanka to conduct a special prayer to save the life of Rizana Nafeek, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. He said Muslims all over the world share the common belief in prayer and submission to the will of Almighty god.

Nafeek, a domestic worker was arrested on May 25, 2005 and since then has been languishing in jail after she was accused of strangling a four month old infant to death when she was only 17.

Moulana is scheduled to make a special prayer offering when he goes to perform the Hajj religious obligation in Makkah, Saaudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Basil Fernando, director of the Hong-Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission, which funded Nafeek’s appeal, said his organization is seriously concerned about the sentence. He urged the Sri Lankan mission in Riyadh to explore avenues that can reach the affected family to solicit a pardon from the father of the deceased infant.