Sharia Judge Caught with Drugs

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates) A Saudi Arabian judge and head of a Sharia Court, Hamad Salim bin Naif, and his wife, a 42-year-old Moroccan, were arrested Friday night for allegedly possessing and using hashish.

Currently in the custody of Bur Dubai police station, Hamad Salim bin Naif, the accused was arrested from a hotel in Bur Dubai. Some hashish was allegedly found in his possession at the time of his arrest, the source added.

The police acted on a tip off that the suspect had arrived in the UAE recently on a visit had hashish in his possesion. The police CID officials tracked down the suspect and raided his room in the hotel on Friday night after seeking permission from the Dubai Public Prosecution, the source added.

The police recovered 4 grammes of hashish from his bag. Both the accused and his wife were then referred to the Bur Dubai Police Station.

During interrogation, the accused said that he had brought the hashish from Saudi Arabia.

Hamad said that he and his wife use drugs and the confiscated hashish was for personal use only. In the UAE, drug use customarily carries a four-year prison term whereas trafficking carries the death penalty.

Notably, use of hashish among Arabs should hardly surprise anyone since Middle Eastern populations have a long history of affinity for the drug. In fact, the English word "assassin" is etymologically derived from the Arabic "hashshashin," an order of drug-crazed Muslim killers who terrorized Christians during the Crusades.

Curiously, I wonder how many people are doing time for drug possession after being sentenced by Judge Hamad the Hashhead. Or, better yet, how many people are serving light sentences imposed by the judge.

Also: The Jawa Report