Sharia Law Saves CIA Agent’s Skin, and Hillary Didn’t Inhale Either

Adil Najam

The funny part – probably the only funny part – of the entire Raymond Davis fiasco is US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton claiming that “the United States did not pay any compensation” or ‘blood money’ to secure the release of CIA operative Raymond Davis (who had earlier killed two Pakistanis in Lahore and caused the death of at least another two) under the Sharia Law provision of ‘diyat.’ Reminds one of her husband, Bill Clinton’s, famous line that he had smoked marijuana but did not “inhale.”

Not as funny for some, including Ms. Clinton (who, like her husband is also a well trained lawyer and does not inhale), is the fact that whether the US paid it directly or had some fixer of choice – maybe the Saudis (although they deny it) – to pony up the cash it was an arcane and less than endearing provision in Sharia Law that saved this CIA agent’s skin (see images above of court documents, based on Sharia law, detailing the deal and distribution of blood money along Sharia stipulates, paid to victims families – whether by the US or not, but certainly on its behalf).

One wonder’s how all the red state legislatures voting to outlaw Sharia Law in the United States will react to that little factoid.

Personally, I do not find this funny at all: As I suggested yesterday the precedent being set here – on diplomacy, on diyat and blood money, and just for the respect of law – is one that both the US and Pakistan will live to regret.

But so be it. Right now, it is being said that the the family of the third person killed (trampled by a US Consulate car) has also received a hefty payment and possibly US citizenship. Similar Sharia deals were stuck on the US’s behalf with the families of two who Raymond Davis had shot. The nature and structure of these blood money deals with the families are laid out in the court documents above (from Cafe Pyala, where I first saw these). In the case of  Faizan Haider’s family, the distribution of Diyat blood money comes to Rs. 100,000,002 (equivalent to US$1.166 Million); reportedly, the same deal was stuck with the family of the other person killed.

According to Cafe Pyala, the distribution is as follows:

Faizan Haider’s Mother: Rs. 33,333,333/-
Faizan Haider’s Wife: Rs.25,000,000/-
Faizan Haider’s Brother No.1: Rs. 7,575,758/-
Faizan Haider’s Brother No.2: Rs. 7,575,758/-
Faizan Haider’s Brother No.3: Rs. 7,575,758/-
Faizan Haider’s Sister No.1: Rs. 3,787,879/-
Faizan Haider’s Sister No.2: Rs. 3,787,879/-
Faizan Haider’s Sister No.3: Rs. 3,787,879/-
Faizan Haider’s Sister No. 4: Rs. 3,787,879/-
Faizan Haider’s Sister No. 5: Rs. 3,787,879/-

I am afraid that unsavory intended as well as unintended consequence of that bargain will soon engulf both in even more headaches.

Here is a parting question for those who may be US citizens and tax-payers: Will the man who sometimes goes by the name of Raymond Davis reimburse the US taxpayers for the reportedly over US$2.25 million paid under Sharia law to save his skin?