In a final blasphemy, Saddam Hussein, who spent most of his life as a
murdering secularist, went to his justified death holding a Koran and
offering his soul to God, if God would accept it. If God does, He will have
to commute the sentences of Saddam's mass murdering predecessors, including
Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.
These days, not much that makes religious sense comes out of Iraq, or
anywhere else in the maniacal Middle East, but one reasonable statement did
pass the lips of Sheikh Sadralddin al-Qubanjib in the Shia "holy city" of
Najaf. During a Friday sermon, the sheikh described Saddam's execution as
"God's gift to Iraqis" and prayed "Oh God, you know what Saddam has done. He
killed millions of Iraqis in prisons, in wars with neighboring countries and
he is responsible for mass graves. Oh God we ask you to take revenge on
Saddam."
That was a shorter summation than most prosecutors deliver in court, but in
the end Saddam's execution wasn't about revenge. It was about justice. Many
countries - from Britain, which has abolished capital punishment, to Russia,
where a moratorium on capital punishment now exists, have halted executions
because they believe, incorrectly, that doing so makes them more humane. It
does precisely the opposite and sends the message that innocent human life
has less value than the life of a killer. It is more than curious that
Britain and Russia, especially, have halted the death penalty for the
guilty, but do nothing to restrict incredibly high abortion rates that kill
the innocent. This reflects an inverted value system.
One of Saddam's lawyers, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, appeared
on the BBC shortly after Saddam's hanging was confirmed, complaining the
trial was a "travesty." No, the travesty would have been in not trying and
executing Saddam. Saddam mocked the innocent lives he took, showing
disrespect to the relatives of the dead who had a valid claim to see justice
done.
There may not be much to envy about Iraq these days, but the swiftness of
Saddam's punishment is admirable. Had he been in the American legal system,
lawyers might have clogged that system for years, allowing Saddam to die in
prison. Instead, on Nov. 5, Saddam was convicted of crimes against humanity
and sentenced to death. After the death order was signed, there was a 30-day
window in which to carry out the execution. The Iraqis executed him within
hours after the signing of the death order and just a few days after his
appeal was denied.