There's an interesting (?) article at MEMRI about one of Saudi Arabia's executioners, including details of his swords (execution is by beheading in that country). For the text of the interview, see here. For video of the interview, including a display of his swords, see here.
A few extracts:
A few extracts:
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "I started to work in this field after the death of my father - about a week or 10 days after his death, in 1412 [1991-92]. I was surprised that the people who supervise this field summoned me, saying I had a mission. Allah be praised. Of course, I did not have swords or anything back then, but I used the swords of my father, may he rest in peace, and carried out the execution. My first mission was to execute three people."
Reporter: "Abu Bader's swords have cut off a hundred heads and more. His eldest son, Badr, is training in the same profession. He inherited this profession from his father, Sa'id Al-Bishi. He remembers how, when still a small boy, he accompanied him to the beheading of a criminal in Mecca. That sight, Abu Badr says, was the turning point in his life."
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "I was at school, and an execution was set for my father in Mecca. It was to take place in front of the King Abd Al-'Aziz Gate. Before all that happened at the Al-Haram Mosque, the executions were held there. We showed up. I was a little boy. The first thing that came to my mind when people talked about executions was the digestive system. I wanted to see it. At that time, we had an exam at school on the digestive system, and we had to explain about the digestive system and whatever... So I came along, and the moment my father executed the man, I ran to see the digestive system, but all I could see was the man's head flying, and where the neck used to be, there was a kind of well. It went down. That's it. I couldn't take it anymore. I woke up in the car on the way home. At night, I tried to go to sleep, but couldn't. I had nightmares, but only once. Then I got used to it, Allah be praised. "
Abdallah Al-Bishi [showing a sword]: "Let's start with 'the Sultan.' I began with this Sultan. This is the sword I used on my first day at work. This is an old sword. This is a 'Jowhar' sword. All my swords are 'Jowhar.' 'Jowhar' are the strongest swords used for beheadings. It is not affected by the number of people beheaded with it. It is made of strong iron, not the kind that breaks or anything.
[Shows another sword] "This sword is also a Jowhar. Every sword, of course, is different in its own way, and is suited for its task. We have a sword - this 'Qaridha,' to be precise - which is used for vertical strokes. This stroke is, of course, different from the horizontal one. The horizontal stroke goes like this [demonstrating]. These are different strokes."
First TV host: "Do you cut off hands, or do you just do beheadings?"
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "Yes, yes. I carry out the punishment of cutting off thieves' hands, as well as the cutting off of a hand and a leg on alternate sides, as is written in the Koran."
Second TV host: "Abdallah, when you carry out the punishment of cutting off limbs, do you anesthetize the condemned person, or is it done without anesthesia, like beheadings?"
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "With regard to the cutting off of a hand, or of both a hand and a leg, it is done with local anesthesia only."
Second TV host: "But the person who is being beheaded is definitely not anesthetized, right?"
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "No, he is not anesthetized at all."
First TV host: "When you behead more than three or four people at once, does it affect you? My second question is: Do you need a break between executions? Does it affect you or not?"
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "Allah be praised, there is nothing to it. Three, four, five, or six - there is nothing to it. It's entirely normal. An execution is an execution, and as long as the person stands straight... As long as the person stands straight, it makes our job much easier."
Second TV host: "Abdallah, we've heard that one day, you were executing several people, and the sword broke. Is that true? Tell us that story, please."
Abdallah Al-Bishi: "It was the handle that came off, not the blade."
