Up close and personal - with Sharia law

My sentence was reduced to beheading.

Sandy Mitchell has terrifying first-hand experience of being on the wrong side of sharia law. Mr Mitchell, 52, was falsely accused of being involved in a car bombing in Saudi Arabia in 2000 when he was working there as an anaesthetic technician.

He was held in prison for three years and tortured until he eventually signed a confession, which he later had to read out on Saudi television.

A sharia court sentenced him to having his head partially severed, followed by public crucifixion. The sentence was later reduced to beheading, before the Saudi authorities finally conceded that al-Qa'eda terrorists had planted the bomb and let Mr Mitchell return home to Halifax, West Yorks.

Yesterday he accused the Archbishop of Canterbury of "betraying" Christians with his comments on Islamic law. He said Dr Rowan Williams clearly had "absolutely no concept of what sharia law is", because if he did, "he wouldn't have made such a foolish statement".

Mr Mitchell, a practising Christian, added: "I would like to see Dr Williams apologise to the people he is supposed to represent - the Christians in this country. His job is to serve the Christian community, and most of the Christian community will feel offended and betrayed by his comments.

"Sharia law is completely incompatible with a civilised society and I'm sure if Dr Williams had time to study it properly he wouldn't have been so stupid as to make the statements he has."