He's "going home to die" in the company of family, friends, and well-wishers. His victims were not so fortunate.
An update on this story. "Terminally ill Lockerbie bomber released," from CNN, August 20:
(CNN) -- Convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi is to be released and allowed to return to Libya on compassionate grounds, Scotland's justice minister said Thursday.
Al Megrahi, 57, is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. He is serving a life sentence for bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.
Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill told a news conference in Edinburgh the prisoner was "going home to die" and could be released within an hour of the announcement.
"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available," MacAskill said. "Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown."
The Pan Am flight exploded December 21, 1988, as it flew over Scotland on its way from London to New York. All 259 people aboard the plane died, along with 11 Scots on the ground.
A Scottish court ruled in 2003 that al Megrahi must serve at least 27 years of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Al Megrahi first appealed the conviction in 2002 and lost.
Families of the Lockerbie victims have been divided on whether al Megrahi should be ever be released.
The United States has made clear to the British government and others that it believes al Megrahi should spend the rest of his time in jail. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called MacAskill last week to stress the U.S. opposition to an early release....
"Blood is thicker than water, and oil is thicker than blood."
Discuss. Please use only one side of the Blue Book.
"Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion available," MacAskill said. "Our beliefs dictate that justice be served but mercy be shown."
I wait for the jihad to reciprocate.
I actually saw the entire pathetic statement made by Scotland's "Justice" Secretary, an endless and tiring stream of mumbo-jumbo which he could easily have replaced with a brief "I love mahoundian terrorists, and therefore it's with great joy that I'm awarding this dirtbag the opportunity to go back to Libya and receive a hero's welcome from his fellow inbred bedouin savage mahoundians. And just in time for Ramadan 2009 (or 1430, as your average dune-dweller would rather refer to the present year), mind you!!!"
That would at least have done away with his hypocrisy.
The judge also said this according to BBC:
"Mr al-Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them. But that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days."
So even though this person has never shown any compassion to his victims, the judge thinks it is important for us to show him compassion because we are morally superior. Meanwhile, this remorseless fellow will go home to be comforted by his family, and to celebrate another example of the stupidity and gullability of Infidels.
Is this another case of winning the hearts and minds of Muslims? How many Muslims will look at this judge and say, wow, look how moral he is for doing that; that's something we'd never do; maybe we can learn from Western culture and incorporate that into our own culture and be just as compassionate to Infidels that are our prisoners. How many Muslims are instead saying, what a dope!
We in the West keeping on making this mistake. That's the mistake that Israel keeps on making in fighting their local Muslims. Israel keeps on trying to prove to everyone it's morally superior by fighting a humanitarian war, while its enemy has no moral qualms at all.
Let's stop worrying about proving how morally superior we are; let's start fighting to win.
What I do find comforting in this story is that this unrepentant bomber is dying a slow and agonizing death. Poetic justice. Isn't Allah the merciful truly unmerciful to him in his last hours?
From article: So even though this person has never shown any compassion to his victims, the judge thinks it is important for us to show him compassion because we are morally superior.
'Here come da judge'
No, not 'we' are superior, the judge is superior...He knows way better than 'we' what is right and what is wrong...that's why they call him 'judge'. Why do you think they call it 'The Supreme Court'?...A court is a place where royalty hangs out...Royalty always makes better decisions than you common people...
Perhaps he will croak as soon as he steps out of the prison gate. And after eating a salad that had bacon bits accidentally put in it. Oops.
Ah, the evil prick will probably get lots of morphine to dull the pain. I hope it is worthless Chinese copycat medicine and he feels everything.
This is wrong on every level. I am so angry at this. I am ashamed of my Scot heritage (I'm 50% Irish, 25% Engligh and 25% Scot).
I am happy to know that, once dead, the evil scum bag will be with his Mo and Allah in hell, burning for the rest of eternity.
kuta
I'm scratching off my bucket list visiting Scotland. So much for the country that invented the modern world. Apparently, they'd decided to go backwards in time. Backwards in the respect that they are obviously NOT learning anything from history.
Kenny Macgaskill will hope to be seen as a hero and is probably looking for favours to enter Janaat.
He does not know that kaffiran are not allowed to enter janaat.
Al Maghrai will be seen by the best doctors and he will make dua...and may last another 27 months rather than 2 months....we shall see
Thanks to Christianity mercy is an important element in our Western post-Christian culture.
However, mercy is not a quality we expect to see much these days. Instead, our eyes, ears and emotions are assaulted daily, even hourly in the case of radio and TV news items, by violence, injustice, willful stubbornness, intransigence, bigotry, scams, prejudice and intolerance. Acts of mercy are so rare that, when they do occur, they make headline news, replete with pictures, in newspapers and magazines and on television.
This is not to say that mercy is not admired. It indeed is, which accounts for it making headlines when the media hear of it happening. Though people admire the merciful and wish they were more like them, they rarely take the opportunity to express mercy when such a chance arises.
Perhaps because the Bible is so readily available in the Western world, our culture admires mercy. Ancient Rome did not share our admiration. Romans spoke of four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance and courage — but not mercy. The Interpreter's Bible states that the Romans despised pity! The Greeks held similar views, thinking that mercy indicated weakness rather than strength. Aristotle wrote that pity was a troublesome emotion.
The Pharisees, harsh in their self-righteous judgments of others, showed little mercy. Jesus saying of them in Matthew 23:23, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the other undone." This difference makes apparent how far apart God and men are on the value we should place upon specific qualities of character.
The number of revengeful comments from "Pharisees" is legio in this debate. That´s a shame and disgrace of our culture.
My understanding was always that compassionate releases were for terminally ill drug dealers or white-collar criminals--people who were unlikely to do further harm after their release.
Not mass-murdering Jihadists. I agree with JeffS--this is an instance of the West showing how 'morally superior' they are. Of course, most Muslims will just interpret this as weakness--and it is, no matter its intent.
Here's one of the most offensive statements, from
Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill:
"Megrahi now faces a sentence imposed by a higher power. It is terminal, final and irreversible. He is going to die."
How obscene. How many completely innocent, decent people contract terminal illnesses every year? This has nothing to do with "a sentence imposed by a higher power".
More weirdness--at least some PC Brits are claiming that "Mr. Megrahi" has suffered a "gross miscarriage of justice", and vaguely hint that there is new evidence--in which case this would not be a "compassionate release" at all--but an indication of a failure of the Western judicial system.
Yet more weirdness--Al Megrahi's family, until recently, lived in Scotland--or at least retained a home there. They have only decamped to Dar-al-islam recently.
I have no doubt that this mass murderer will receive a hero's welcome back in Libya.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Lockerbie-Bomber-Abdelbaset-Ali-Mohmed-Al-Megrahi-Released-Reaction-To-The-Decision/Article/200908315365927?lpos=UK_News_First_UK_News_Article_Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15365927_Lockerbie_Bomber_Abdelbaset_Ali_Mohmed_Al_Megrahi_Released%3A_Reaction_To_The_Decision
I doubt they would show as much compassion to an Israeli soldier whom they would seek to convict for "warcrimes" against terrorists and supporters of terrorists.
I seriously doubt if anyone in this administration regrets this release. They seem more up to appeasing the islamic terrorists than fighting them.
Todays' Quiz: How long will it be before this perp commits another atrocity against the west before he "dies"?
So this disgusting judge chose to make the families of the victims suffer even some more, even more outrage, more hurt & frustration, all so he can feel all warm & fuzzy that he has been merciful. How nice of him - and Christian too! I think Europe somehow is full of such bleeding heart morons that would allow Western Civilization to be crushed out sensitivity, compassion & forgiveness by peoples who aren't about to be sensitive, compassionate & forgiving. I can't help wonder if this is all the legacy of the weakening effect that I believe Christianity has had on people. I'm sure our Islamic enemies laugh at the thought of such absurd gentility.
This is like freeing Charles Manson on "compassionate grounds" only several hundred times worse.Manson at least has been "honest" enough to say he'll kill again if released.He's on record as saying "they'd be crazy to let me out of here". This also shows the weakness of the American government that Scotland did not fear the US and went ahead and freed this filth on "compassionate" grounds.FOX news has said this filth will likely receive a "hero's" welcome in Libya. Do you think Scotland was not aware that could happen?
"The number of revengeful comments from "Pharisees" is legio in this debate. That´s a shame and disgrace of our culture."
Posted by: Ipso Facto
I agree. This man cannot be show enough mercy for murdering 270 innocent people. It was enough that he had to be shelted, clothed, and fed by his victims' friends,family, and neighbors. The court never showed him any mercy. For his crimes, he paid his debt to society with 21 work-free years of enjoying music, television, books, and the company of family and friends. Like you, I'm glad the Scottish courts were finally merciful as to release this mass murderer to his homeland where he can receives well wishes from admirers and be led through prayers of contrition with his favorite cleric and die in peace. Now that's justice coupled with mercy.
What are those "Pharisees" thinking? That mass murderers should serve a penalty befitting the crime? How medieval and backwards! Truly enlightened and righteous people, like you and I, know that justice is for the criminals and not for the victims.
"I doubt they would show as much compassion to an Israeli soldier whom they would seek to convict for "warcrimes" against terrorists and supporters of terrorists."
Or a Serbian "ethnic cleanser" of precious Bosnian Muslims; or a South African Afrikaaner convicted of massacring 200 black Africans; or pick any other white or Honorary White equivalent.
God willing his plane crashes into his home town!
Anything good can be transformed into an irrational excess. Any irrational excess can be further twisted into a morbid perversity. Any morbid perversity can mutate into a suicidal disease.
Such is the good of Western mercy in this dry-heavingly nauseating travesty.
testing
There is a difference between mercy and compassion, and graven appeasement of and groveling before the jihad. The lesson that will be learned here is not that the Europeans are kind, gentle, compassionate people (so please, pretty please, don't blow up their trains and buses), but that the Europeans are weak and pathetic and will do anything to appease the Muslims. This is not compassion on part of the Scottish government, but appeasement of evil, which is itself evil.
What REALLY bothers me is he will get a hero's welcome in Libya, be feted and adored and all the fat old ignorant Muslim cows will be ululating for joy for this human fiend.
Ipso Facto:
Mercy is for someone who owes me a debt and does not pay. Mercy is for someone who cuts me off on the freeway. Mercy is for those who repent; and not those who not only think they did nothing wrong, but that their moon-god will reward them for it.
You are a "contemporary" Christian who propogate the castrati Jesssusss who wants to give everyone hugs and butterfly kisses. You and the liberals forget that we are at war with a violent moon-god religion that wishes only to kill non-believers or die in the attempt. This vermin deserved to be shot, as do all the blood-thirsty schwein that we have currently in Gitmo. No, you who know better want to send them to the Club Fed. Then, when you wish to outdo each other, you release them after abscribing "rights" to those who deny such for others.
I hope, I really, really hope that he is actually terminally ill and doesn't make a surprise 'recovery' once back at home drinking camel urine.
Prostate cancer in a 57-year-old Middle Eastern man is unusual; in addition, the survival rates for treated cancer in all age groups is quite high; the five-year survival rate is 70%.
I could be wrong, but I smell a rat.
Britain has finally jumped the shark.
I thought saner heads would prevail when I first heard they considered releasing the terrorist.
If they have evidence he is innocent (as if Libyan intel collector in the 1980's could be innocent of terrorism), they should show it.
Otherwise, the releasers are criminals of the worst sort. They should be treated like they were aboard flight 103 also, and dropped from 30,000 feet without a chute. They are degenerates. Because of them, Britain is a land of naive Eloi and Islamic Morlocks.
I am all for showing compassion, especially since my own Father died from prostate cancer. But this is not a very wise way to show compassion, as it sets a terrible precedent for other prisoners and would-be terrorists.
Hey, offering him the gas chamber would be compassionate, and then he doesn't have to suffer to the end. But for crying out loud, don't release him, thereby sending the wrong message to the world.
MrsJ -- My Father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at (around) age 60, so it's highly probable that the 'bomber' has it at his relatively young age. Gosh, cancer is no respecter of persons, because my Father was a good and decent man, unlike this pathetic loser; who apparently wants to put his family through his final agonizing days. He seems to be thinking only of himself and no one eles. Gee, how selfless of him to want to die at home / sarc.
He will probably go to Libya and maary a baby like Muhammad did. He can thigh her and then wait until she is 9 Ann have intercourse. allah is pleased.
Isn't he a good candidate for a suicide bomber? If he really is terminal he could strap a vest on and kill a few birds with one stone. Himself, some infidels and a ticket to paradise.
Champ, I'm sorry to hear about your father. I was talking statistics and probabilities. Most prostate cancers are diagnosed in age 65 and over, and Middle Eastern men have less prostate cancer than Caucasians - so there's a double doubt. He may indeed have the cancer, and he might well be meeting his maker in 3 months time, but I can't help be a little suspicious.
He will live happily ever after.
Mark my words. He will have a miraculous recovery.
And the corrupt, complicit judge along with the political creeps who filled up their bank accounts by releasing him will enjoy their ill gotten wealth.
This terrorist should have died in a pig stall and be buried in their dung!
I won't be surprised if other terrorists are soon freed from their prisons.
The people of Scotland and others who have been following this over the past few of years know that this has absolutely nothing to do with compassion and much to do with putting an end to the second appeal. An appeal that by all accounts Megrahi was going to win. This would have led to some very red faces in very high places. People would start asking questions like, "well then who framed him and why?". Next would come demands for the truth about the Ticonderoga class AEGIS guided missile cruiser, USS Vincennes and the brave Captain Will Rogers III who fearlessly defended his ship from an attack by the Muslim filled, Iran Air Flight 655 all whilst in Iranian waters.
I'm delighted to see people up in arms about this. It means they are not going to be able to sweep it out of sight.
One of the worst terrorist ever, having never shown any remorse nor taken any responsibility, being released. You must be kidding.
Nope, I think the doo doos' about to hit the fan. Should be interesting.
"Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill."
--William Shakespeare, Henry VI
Now, let me clarify, I do not wish to foolishly slander God or His Son by saying Either is "nutless." Whether or not I believe, such a statement would be a foolish assertion. Rather, I am asserting that the contemporary construct of God or the Jesus of the Bible (as put forth by Ipso Facto above) is one of some castrati avatar who wishes to endlessly turn the cheek. You contemporary Christians have become infected with the left's "Social Gospel" and with such notions that tend to excentuate the "loving" aspects of the God of the Bible; but yet at the same time ignore the charateristics of "justice" that are likewise exhibited in the Bible.
Letting some pig who blasted two hundred people out of a plane go free, after sitting in a cushy British jail with medical treatment for nine years, is not justice. Letting animals who slit the throats of unbelievers, blew up innocent women and children just to kill an "infidel," and so on likewise sit in cushy Federal prisons (where they can convert others, eat hallel food, watch tv, read jihadi books, and play soccer all day) is likewise not just. My feminant Post-Christian let us quote the good book and say, "If a man takes a life [or two hundred lives]so shall his be taken, for blood calls for blood."
Remember when Britain freed Pinochet of Chile on compassionate grounds and he had a miraculous recovery as he was walking on the airport tarmac in Chile?
I would like to say a few things in defense of Christian love, mercy, and compassion. For over a thousand years devout Christian men defended Europe from the various savages and barbarians (including Muslim Turks and Moors). Men like Charles Martel, Richard the Lionheart, and John III Sobiesk wielded their swords to drive back the armies of Islam and defend Christendom. Indeed, medieval Christian Europe had a strong tradition of knighthood and chivalry, which includes taking up the sword to defend the helpless and oppressed.
As far as capital punishment and Christianity are concerned, theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas endorsed it for certain crimes (of which terrorism would qualify). Christ, by his own confession, did not come to abolish the moral laws of Moses and the other prophets, and those laws demand capital punishment for certain crimes. The forgiveness that Christ spoke of was for the individual, not the state.
When these European liberals talk about compassion and mercy, they are not doing so from a traditional Biblical perspective, but from their own invented religion of multiculturalism and political correctness. They hate the traditional and Christian roots and heritage of the West and seek to destroy it. In the doublespeak of the modern liberal-left compassion and mercy are just a cover for pushing their radical agenda, with anyone not approving of their brand of compassion being deemed a bigot and fascist. They take blessed concepts and twist and distort them to serve their own evil ends.
I do hope the diagnosis of terminal cancer was not made by a mosser. We have had terrorist Dr Bilal Abdullah for example, practicing in a Scottish hospital.
British medicine is flooded with them as is the whole country.
This decision to release him is more about post-Christian decadence, Not Christian values at all.
"The forgiveness that Christ spoke of was for the individual, not the state."
Exactly! ...excellent post, Virgil.
'Todays' Quiz: How long will it be before this perp commits another atrocity against the west before he "dies"?' - comment from above
It's not so much whether the perp, personally, commits another atrocity, but whether others are inspired to do so on account of all the publicity this release action has received. As posters above have noted, the man will receive a hero's welcome when he returns home.
This simple act of "mercy" and "compassion" appears to have less to do with the murderer than it does with the judge's precious "conscience." It is devoid of any recognition whatsoever of possible unintended consequences, and amounts to redefining what a "life sentence" is supposed to mean. If there were any justice at all the murderer and all his accomplices should have been executed long ago.
If the judge had truly been merciful he would have offered to take the murderer's place in prison and serve out the man's life sentence for him.
I just saw the video footage of the released Libyan jihadist receiving a heroes welcome on his arrival in Libya. Now, why would the Muslims of Libya consider this man, a murderer and terrorist, a hero? Would Ibrahim Hooper or Ahmad Rehab care to explain that to us?
Virgil,
Christian love, mercy, and compassion: Richard the Lionheart
At his coronation:
“Jewish courtiers stripped and flogged the Jews, then flung them out of court.”
“When a rumour spread that Richard had ordered all Jews to be killed, the people of London began a massacre. Many Jews were beaten to death, robbed, and burned alive. Many Jewish homes were burned down, and several Jews were forcibly baptised.”
“He therefore ordered all the prisoners executed.” 2,700 Muslims under his control.
But its all good:
“A 13th century Bishop of Rochester wrote that Richard spent 33 years in purgatory as
expiation for his sins, eventually ascending to heaven in March 1232”
So much for the “Christian love, mercy, and compassion”
Peace
Abdullah
Virgil,
Christian love, mercy, and compassion: Richard the Lionheart
At his coronation:
“Jewish courtiers stripped and flogged the Jews, then flung them out of court.”
“When a rumour spread that Richard had ordered all Jews to be killed, the people of London began a massacre. Many Jews were beaten to death, robbed, and burned alive. Many Jewish homes were burned down, and several Jews were forcibly baptised.”
“He therefore ordered all the prisoners executed.” 2,700 Muslims under his control.
But its all good:
“A 13th century Bishop of Rochester wrote that Richard spent 33 years in purgatory as
expiation for his sins, eventually ascending to heaven in March 1232”
So much for the “Christian love, mercy, and compassion”
Peace
Abdullah
Virgil
Ahem...
At his coronation:
“Jewish leaders arrived to present gifts for the new king....(Richard's )courtiers stripped and flogged the Jews, then flung them out of court.”
Just to relay it properly...
Peace
Abdullah
One has to wonder what William Wallace
would have thought about this.
This has nothing to do with compassion.
It has everything to do with the reason they released the other 22 prisoners.
They do not have to manage his end of life care. Just like Obama's bureaucrats ("health care professionals"), the state (UK) has to decide how much care to provide this murderous Muslim. Too little, and they will be excoriated by Muslims and human rights organizations. Too much and the citizenry will be appalled how much effort is being given to sustain his life.
Let him go, and they leave it to Libya to figure it out.
Except in the United States, if you're part of what eventually becomes rationed care, there's no Libya to be released to.
AM,
Does the year 1232 figure into your thinking anywhere? Are you admitting that the correlary of Muslim enlightenment is roughly 900 years behind the times?
I hope he dies soon . . . the sooner, the better.
Nakal:
He's not a shizo, he's a psycho.
Nakal:
He's not a schizo, he's a psycho.
Ladies and gentlemen
over at the New English Review blog, there is the perfect comment upon this decision, courtesy of the Daily Mail cartoonist.
Says it all.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/22538
I really, truly desire that this piece of human scum (Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahidies)dies a terrible and painful death! Opposite of the garbage Ispo Facto is spewing with his/her bullsh*t views (on the nature of Christian/American 'mercy' and 'compassion').
True story. I was there, in Frankfurt, the day after, 22 Dec 1988, on the sister flight Pan Am 105, to New York. The flight crew were very agitated and "mean". I didn't know why until shortly before departure. Then I learned the truth of what happened the night before.
By the Grace of G-D YHWH did the dysfunction of the Italian train system put me (and my friend)in Frankfurt one day late.
Once again, people escape UK to get healthcare.
I have a prescription to his prostate troubles. A little C4 suppository should work just fine.
This man spent the equivalent of just less than 14 days in jail for the 270 innocent passengers on board that flight.
I heard this old British gent with a dhimmi heart saying "the poor fellow has paid his price, let him go and be with his family...he's dying". Then one of the passenger's family spoke out and said "isn't that nice...my brother would have loved to come home to his family too but he can't...he's dead thanks to that terrorist".
Dhimmi Brit leftists! A gutless lot!
Boneshack -- wow, what a chilling story, glad you lived to tell it; and Ipso is an anti-christ-opportunist, so don't let him get under your skin. Whatever is wrong with the world, he finds a way to blame it all on Christianity and/or Islam.
Virgil wrote of PC MCs: "They take blessed concepts and twist and distort them to serve their own evil ends."
So do millions of Western Christians today -- look at the PC blather of the National Council of Churches representing dozens of the major denominations of Protestantism in America. Look at the Catholic church's catechism about Islam. Look at how the Pope expressed sympathy with the Ayatollah Khomeini with regard to the death fatwa against Rushdie (and the liberal theologican Hans Kung agreed with the Holy See -- for once in his life!). Etc. The problem of the West's irrationality about Islam is larger and deeper and more complex than merely a problem about "liberalism".
Showing an Islamic terrorist compassion is insane. What assurances do we have that al-Megrahi won't go out in a blaze of suicide-bombing glory? He has nothing to lose, and 72 virgins to gain.