DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)
A 26-year old Algerian man tried to strangle his mother before shaving her hair, causing injuries to her skull as the 59-year old parent refused to leave the family house for the son and his wife, according to press reports.
The ungrateful son used to demand money from his mother to buy drugs, reported Algerian daily Al-Shourouk Al-Youmi.
The mother filed a law suit immediately and the son was arrested. He is still in custody awaiting trial for parent assault.
The newspaper has stated earlier that cases of violence against family members are remarkably starting to invade Algerian courts. "This is becoming a daily occurrence," Professor and lawyer Ibrahim Bahlouli stated.
"Algerian lawmakers tried to impose the harshest penalties on undutiful sons. Article 267 of the penal code stipulates that deliberate beating and injuring of biological parents without causing a disability is punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison. If the beating causes mutilation, the penalty is 10 to 20 years and a life sentence in case of the victim's death."
In case an offence was premeditated, the maximum penalty is applied. As for name calling and insults, there is no law for parents in particular.
Bahlouli is against dropping the charges in case the parents forgive the sons: "They should be punished regardless of whether the parents forgave them or not. That's how they learn the lesson."
An imam from the capital emphasized the importance of respecting parents in Islam: "Isn't it enough that God linked that with worshipping Him?"
"Whoever disrespects his parents is corrupt," he added, "no matter how much knowledge or intellect he possesses. Knowledge without respect is a curse. Disrespecting parents is an extreme form of ingratitude that deprives its perpetrators from God's blessing."
"Beating parents is a sign a disintegrating society," he snapped.
Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid |
