SUBSCRIPTION TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013 RAMADAN 14, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net At least 500 EU adds Ronaldo escape in deadly Hezbollah’s enjoys seaside Emsak: 03:22 assaults on military wing romp as Fajer: 03:32 Dohr: 11:54 Iraq prisons to terror list Real hit six Asr: 15:30 Maghreb: 18:46 7 9 19 Eshaa: 20:13 Court acquits 3 ex-MPs, Max 45º Min 31º 2 candidates arrested High Tide 00:33 & 11:22 Gulf rights groups blast abuse of women activists Low Tide 05:50 & 18:55 40 PAGES NO: 15878 150 FILS By B Izzak Ramadan Kareem KUWAIT: The court of appeals yesterday scrapped three- year jail terms against three former opposition lawmak- Forgiveness ers and acquitted them of charges of insulting HH the Amir at a public rally last October. Former MPs Falah Al- Sawwagh, Bader Al-Dahoum and Khaled Al-Tahous were in Islam declared innocent by presiding judge Anwar Al-Enezi five months after the criminal court sentenced them to three By Hassan Bwambale years in prison for undermining the powers of the Amir in public. uslims as well as some followers of other faiths The appeals court had in February suspended the invoke God (Allah) earnestly to forgive, overlook implementation of the jail sentence until it had reviewed Mand cover up their sins. As we crave for God’s for- the case but asked each of them to pay bail of KD 5,000. giveness, we should understand that it is incumbent on us The three former lawmakers were among a host of to forgive our fellow human beings who tend to wrong us. speakers who addressed the public gathering on Oct 10 Islam requires of a Muslim to be strong in this world and and had directed their addresses to the Amir, urging him thus wants him to react in the following manner when s/he is wronged by anyone or when injustice is meted out to not to amend the electoral law. The lower court consid- him/her: either to forgive when able to retaliate, or to retal- ered their remarks as being offensive to the Amir and iate rightfully and in accordance with the Islamic guide- handed them the heavy term. The government however lines. can still challenge the acquittal to the court of cassation, Forgiving, pardoning and overlooking were among the whose rulings are final. The three opposition figures were distinguishing features and characteristics of Prophet among dozens of former MPs and youth activists who Muhammad (peace be upon him). Abu Isha’q said: I heard have been taken to court on the charge of undermining Abu Abdullah Al-Jadali say: I asked Aisha - Prophet the status of the Amir. A number of them are in jail while Muhammad’s (PBUH)wife - about the general code of con- others are on trial. duct of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). She replied: “He was The same court yesterday reduced a two-year jail term neither vulgar or indecent nor oppressive. He would never to 20 months in prison against professor of law Rashed shout in market places nor would he reciprocate evil. He Al-Hajeri over tweets he sent last October deemed insult- would rather forgive, pardon and overlook.” (Imam Ahmad) ing to the Amir. The criminal court had sentenced Rashed An Arab poet says thus about this topic in what would HETUO, China: A resident cries on her collapsed house in this township in Dingxi in northwest China’s to two years over the tweets but suspended the imple- be translated as: “Be like a date palm that transcends Gansu province yesterday. — AFP mentation against a bail of KD 2,000. But the new jail vengeance, bitter feelings and revenge in that when peo- term must be implemented immediately unless the cas- ple pelt stones at it, it rather gives them dates.” A good sation court suspends the implementation until it has example of forgiveness is demonstrated by Muhammad At least 89 dead in reviewed the case. (PBUH). In the early stages of the Islamic propagation in In related developments, the public prosecutor yester- Makkah, Muslims were persecuted for no apparent reason day detained a second candidate and issued a warrant to except for their Allah. One of the reasons as to why Prophet arrest a third for interrogations over claims they are Muhammad (PBUH) chose to migrate to Madinah was that China earthquakes involved in vote-buying. Dozens of people have been the polytheists had resolved to kill him. rounded up so far in unprecedented police raids on sus- Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) together with his compan- LANZHOU, China: Rescuers battled through land- and so I ran to the yard of the plant immediately,” said pected hideouts of people organizing vote-buying for a ions stayed in exile in Madinah for 8 years. When he decid- slides and clogged roads in a bid to reach victims of the man, surnamed Ma. “Our factory is only one floor. number of candidates and seized large quantities of cash. ed to liberate Makkah and finally marched with zeal and twin earthquakes in northwest China yesterday which When I came to the yard, I saw an 18-storey building, Well-known businessman Saud Sahoud handed himself enthusiasm to fulfill that purpose, Makkan polytheists and killed 89 people, injured almost 600 and damaged the tallest in our county, shaking ferociously, especial- their cronies did not resist; Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in on Saturday after his name was mentioned on social more than 20,000 buildings. The tremors in Gansu ly the 18th floor.” An official at the provincial earth- networks and was interrogated and detained by the and his companions liberated the city without shedding province - with magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.6 - triggered quake bureau said more than 1,200 buildings col- blood. In a unique unprecedented event, Prophet prosecutor. He had denied all the charges. landslides which buried often crudely constructed lapsed and 21,000 were severely damaged, adding The prosecutor detained a second candidate from the Muhammad (PBUH) gathered all the Makkans and asked: local houses, government-run broadcaster CCTV that 371 aftershocks had been recorded. What do you think I will do to you today?” They replied: fourth constituency after he interrogated him over links reported. Pictures from the scene showed simple Zhu Wenqing, a 40-year-old farmer in Min county, “You are a noble brother and son of a noble brother - we to vote-buying while an arrest warrant was issued expect only goodness from you.” Then he shocked every- buildings reduced to rubble, with pieces of corrugat- told Xinhua news agency he had just got up when his against a third candidate in the fifth constituency. Lawyer one buy stating unequivocally that: “No reproach will be on ed metal roofing scattered over the wreckage. The house started shaking. “I escaped immediately on Adel Al-Yahya yesterday filed a lawsuit calling on the you today.” Then he went out of his way to tell them: “Go government of Dingxi city in Gansu said on a social hearing a ‘bang’ and feeling the tremor,” he said, court to disqualify the candidacy of Sahoud and the your way for you are free.” They didn’t believe their ears and media account that 14 people remained missing. adding that his house collapsed after several after- court set tomorrow as the date to review the issue. The eyes. They were in utter joy so much so that many of them Almost all the confirmed dead were in Min county, shocks. Nearly 3,000 firefighters, police, soldiers and court also set the same date to look into appeals filed by embraced Islam without any force. where a medicine factory employee told AFP he saw local government workers had been sent to the area, a number of candidates after the lower court upheld the tower blocks shake “ferociously” when the quake Xinhua said, but rescue efforts were being hampered interior ministry’s decisions to disqualify them. Question: What is the Arabic word for Prophet struck. “I was in the workshop. I felt violent shaking Continued on Page 13 Continued on Page 13 Muhammad’s (PBUH) migration to Madinah? a. Rihla b. Safar c. Hijra d. Intiqaal Courtesy TIES Center, a leading non-political NGO Kate in labour as world awaits baby promoting relations between Westerners and Muslims through dialogue, friendship and cultural LONDON: Prince William’s wife Kate was The baby will be born third in line to exchange. For more information. www.tiescenter.net admitted to hospital yesterday in the ear- the throne and in the direct line of suc- ly stages of labour as the world awaited cession after head of state Queen the birth of a baby directly in line to Elizabeth II’s eldest son and heir Prince inherit the British throne. A global frenzy Charles, and then his eldest son William. over the arrival of a new generation of “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of British royalty reached fever pitch as the Cambridge has been admitted this morn- couple, both 31, was driven from ing to St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, JULY 23, 2013 Kensington Palace to a plush London London in the early stages of labour,” hospital suite at around 6:00 am (0500 Kensington Palace said in a statement. GMT). They used a back entrance and “Things are progressing as normal,” a travelled without police protection, spokesman added. Kate has said the cou- meaning they were missed by the ranks ple does not know the sex of the baby. Its of international media who have camped title will be His/Her Royal Highness outside the private Lindo Wing of St Prince/Princess (name) of Cambridge.