Father of murdered eight-year-old rejects Dh621,000 blood money offer

The father of eight-year-old Obaida Al Aqrabawi, who was raped and murdered in May last year, has refused to accept a Dh600,000 settlement, or blood money.

Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi said that some people thought he was waiting for the right price in compensation for his son’s blood – shed by Nedal Issa Abdullah, a Jordanian man.

“But not for all the money in the world would I sell my son’s blood, that’s why I refused a 120,000 Jordanian dinar [Dh621,500] cheque offered by the killer’s family and tore it up into pieces,” Mr Ibrahim said.

He had been approached by Abdullah’s family a few months ago. They had offered the money to settle but he refused.

Another meeting was held on Saturday, in the city of Al Zarqaa, Jordan. A delegation from the killer’s family, reputable elders and high-profile personalities, including the Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki, gathered to strike an agreement to prevent retaliatory attacks.

Mr Zaki spoke on behalf of Abdullah’s tribe and condemned the crime. Representatives of the two families signed an agreement that would ensure no revenge killings.

Obaida was kidnapped by Abdullah on May 20 while playing outside his father’s garage in Sharjah’s industrial area. His body was found two days later under a tree close to Academic City Road, Al Warqa, by a Dubai Municipality worker.

Abdullah, 50, was sentenced to death by the criminal, appeal and cessation courts in Dubai and the sentence was carried out on November 23. The death sentence in the UAE is carried out by firing squad.

Mr Al Aqrabawi said Abdullah asked for forgiveness in the moments before his death but he refused. “I told Dubai’s attorney general that I would never forgive him,” the father said.

Settlement meetings related to murders are known in Jordan as “atwah”. In such cases an offer of money in compensation for a grievance is made by the family of the offender to prevent retaliation.