What an interesting thread, may I add my 2p worth.
Islamic view of witchcraft/magic/sourcery:
It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"Avoid the seven destroyers." They (the Companions) asked: "Oh, Messenger of Allah ! What are they?" He replied: "Shirk (associating partners) with Allah , sorcery, taking the life which has been prohibited by Allah , except in truth (i.e. in accordance with Islamic Law), devouring usury, consuming the property of the orphans, running away on the day of battle and making false charges against the chaste, unmindful3 women." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
Please note it doesn't say behead them. Punishments can be decided by three ways, the first is where the crime and punishment are clearly set out in the Quran and Sunnah and there is no room for a judge to decide otherwise. The second is where the crimes are set out in the Quran and Sunnah but the punishment is intended to be equal to the crime - therefore requiring a judge to decide what punishment is equal to the crime. Lastly discretionary which largely falls under the 'we make it up as we go along because there is nothing clear in the Quran or Sunnah about it' category.
Saudi has no written penal, judicial or criminal procedure codes so police and judges are largely left to their own 'discretion'. They also have a council of senior religious scholars that interpret Sharia according to the Wahabbi sect of the Hanbali school (the most conservative school based on the interpretations of a 14th century jurist ibn Taymiya, with the wahabbi sect being the most conservative within the school).
This is a very new and ugly episode in Saudi, the first to be killed (for centuries as far as I can find out) under witchcraft 'crimes' was an egyptian man who was beheaded in Saudi last year for sourcery - interesting to note he was having a bit of an argument with a Saudi prince over a lot of money he was owed at the time. Now if I was a cynic, I would think it was a great way to get out of a large debt and now it has reared it's ugly head others are jumping on the bandwagon and using this insanity to deal with 'undesirable' people.
From what I can find on this subject Islamic jurists outside Saudi have said 'yes witchcraft is a major sin but certainly not punishable by death as there is no way to prove witchcraft unless their home is decked out in satanic symbols and they chant a lot, etc'. Here we have the Saudi story, the woman was forced to confess and a confession is proof, therefore was deemed apostacy but then she retracted her statement which has to be accepted in Islamic law, so she was no longer admitting to any wrongdoing and left them in a spot of bother but of course they have the 'discretionary law' to fall back on and so will kill her anyway just to be on the safe side (well I mean what if another sex crazed madman becomes impotent society will go to hell in a handbasket??).
My conclusion - the Saudis are 9/10ths bonkers and are finding any way they can, no matter how much they have to twist the religion, to prove just how bonkers they really are.
Just to add, I love the expression 'no Mr & Mrs Islam to complain to' and believe me if there were they would be hearing from me on a few topics.