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28 March 2024

Egyptian who cut off both hands wants to visit Saudi

Ali Afeefi (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Staff

An Egyptian man who cut off his two hands by placing them under a travelling train nearly four years ago so he will stop stealing has appealed for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to let him visit the Gulf kingdom.

Ali Afeefi, 28, said he believes that he is the first man in the world to enforce Sharia (Islamic law) on himself by severing his hands as a punishment for theft.

“Afeefi is appealing for King Abdullah to host him in Saudi Arabia as the first Muslim in the world to apply Islamic law against himself,” the Egyptian daily Al Ahram said.

Before deciding on the horrifying act of self-punishment, Afeefi asked his father, a mosque preacher, to help him stop stealing. His father took him to a group of local Muslim scholars but they refused his request to have his both hands cut off.

He then went to Cairo’s train station and waited for the train to come his way before inserting his hand under the rail to the horror of passengers at the crowded station. Although his left hand was severed at the wrist, Afeefi did not stop stealing.

“A year later, he went again to the station and placed his right hand under the train…he was determined to repent to God…he said he decided to have the second hand cut off because he believed God would not accept his repentance for cutting off one hand.”