Saudi gang rape 'unjust', says lawyer
When her lawyer protested that the sentences against the men were too lenient, and she went to the media, the presiding judge did increase the men's sentences slightly (two to nine years) but also increased her sentence to 200 lashes with a jail sentence as well. The lawyer's right to practice is also being revoked.
You can read further details of the story at the BBC and updates at the Arab News.
I really can't find the words to express my disgust and outrage at this case. Who in their right mind would condemn a gang-rape victim to any kind of punishment, least of all 200 lashes? The higher court claimed that the rape was the victim's own fault for associating with men privately. What a ridiculous argument. In fact what a hateful heinous inhumane UNISLAMIC argument. This cannot be excused as Saudi Arabia's own customs and norms, which is the usual excuse that is used for their bizarre and unacceptable rulings. Judges must exhibit compassion and humanity as well as understanding what is right and wrong. The judge in this case clearly has no concept of such a thing.
I give credit to the woman for pursuing this, despite the trauma she must be facing, and also to her husband who appears to be defending her vigorously. You may say that this is the husband's job, and indeed it is. In a country where the pre-Islamic traditions of treating women as chattel still appear to be going strong, this is no easy task for a husband to oppose the weight of culture and tradition.
I am deeply angry, disgusted and horrified by this. As all Muslims should be. Rape is never, and can never be, the victim's fault.
This is NOT IN MY NAME.
P.S. This comes at the same time as news that the Saudi Ambassador to the UK is being sued for up to £3m unpaid bills which includes "hotel extra suite expenses, rooms for girls etc $1,465 ... girls party night 5 $2,500"
Labels: Muslim women, News
posted by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed at 12:25
3 Comments:
Can non-muslims really be blamed for their blinkered views on our beautiful religion, when they read stuff like this in the news?
Actually if you look at Islam and the actions of the most pious of Muslimahs, there are none that would have done what this woman did. In fact, it has now come out that she was having an affair with the man she was with in the car. Whether this is truth or distortion put out by the Saudi authorities to discredit her (I would not be surprised), she still did put herself in the situation of being alone with an unrelated man going who-knows-where, in a country where she knew socially and legally this is not permitted. I don't disagree with the judgements, and if you look at hard-line shar'iah law then her offenses (and those of ALL of the men involved-rapists or raped) would be punishable by stoning. Obviously this is not the punishment I would condone, but there is precedence for it.
If it had been a matter of an innocent girl abducted from the streets and submitted to such a terrible act then I would consider her a true victim undeserving of any punishment. But this woman was not innocent, and far from saying she DESERVED it (which I am not saying she did) she did however break laws socially, religiously, and, according to Saudi Arabia, legally as well.
1. From the reports received the woman had originally said she was in a public place, and was then abducted.
2. It is funny that her 'confession' about the 'affair' came out so much later. Besides, where were the four witnesses?
3. As far as I am aware there is no capital offence in Islam for being with someone of the opposite gender - so why create one? The guidance offered as far as I can tell is a moral guidance rather than a matter for capital punishment.
You are aware that in Saudi Arabia women are not permitted to drive, so as soon as a woman steps into a car with her driver, or into a taxi she immediately contravenes this incomprehensible law?
Finally, as the most pious of Muslimah's that you are, have you never been - even inadvertantly - in the presence of someone of the opposite gender?
But all of this misses the point - has she not suffered enough being gang-raped fourteen times? Where is the compassion that should underpin all Islamic behaviour?
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