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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Rape victim fights Saudi syariah 200-lashing verdict

Yesterday I posted Wahhabi syariah law system in action!, a sorry stupid saga of unmitigated persecution by the Saudi Wahhabi Sunni clerical authorities against a minority Shiite woman.

It was also published in Malaysiakini blog corner.

Well, here’s the continuing saga, the AFP’s Gang-rape victim to fight lashings verdict from the Sydney Morning Herald. It's the usual story of blaming the rape victim, who so happened to be a persecuted minority in Saudi Arabia.


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A Saudi woman sentenced to six months in jail and 200 lashes despite being gang raped has vowed to challenge the ruling in a case that has received wide publicity, embarrassing the Saudi government.

The case "sums up the major problems that the Saudi judiciary faces," said the young woman's lawyer, Abdurrahman al-Lahem.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, applies a rigorous doctrine of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. It imposes strict segregation of the sexes and a host of restrictions on women, who may not mix with men other than relatives and must cover from head to toe in public.

The 19-year-old's identity has not been revealed but she has become known as "Qatif girl," after the Shi'ite-populated area of Al-Qatif in the Eastern Province she hails from.

After the rape in October 2006, she was sentenced to 90 lashes for having been in a car with a man who is not a relative.

The Higher Judicial Council granted a retrial, but, on November 14, a court toughened her sentence to six months in jail and 200 lashes.

The judges decided to punish the woman further for "her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media," a court source told the English-language daily Arab News.

The court also revoked the licence of Lahem, a leading human rights activist. He has also been summoned by the justice ministry to appear before a disciplinary panel next month.

In the court's view, the girl, who was 18 at the time of the incident, was guilty because she was in the company of a male stranger who apparently had pictures of her she wanted to take back.

Both were abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of seven men, newspapers said.

The court's "argument was that it was the girl's fault in the first place that (the rape) happened and none of that would have happened if she had not met up with the non-related male friend," Lahem told Arab News.

The young woman belongs to Saudi Arabia's minority Shi'ite community, while the rapists are Sunni.

The men were initially sentenced to one to five years in jail, but those terms were also toughened last week to between two and nine years.

A rape conviction carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, but the court did not impose it due to the "lack of witnesses" and the "absence of confessions," the justice ministry said on Tuesday.

The woman's husband told Arab News they would appeal, even though the judge had warned that the sentence could be increased if she loses the appeal.

The justice ministry noted that the law gives the right of appeal, but warned that "resorting to the media, which do not do justice or grant a right," has a "negative effect on the other parties in the case."

The punishment of the rape victim has been criticised in the United States and elsewhere.

Fran Townsend, US President George W Bush's adviser on domestic security and anti-terrorism, described the case as "absolutely reprehensible."

"I just don't think there's any explaining it or justifying it," she told CNN television yesterday.

New York-based Human Rights Watch slammed the ruling and urged King Abdullah to "void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer."

Lahem said the moves against him "contradict King Abdullah's quest to introduce reform, especially in the justice system."

Last month, the king approved a new body of laws regulating the judicial system in Saudi Arabia, which rules on the basis of sharia, or Islamic law.

15 comments:

  1. The rape victim's parents are jumping with joy that they are not living in malaysia, because there they would be punished too for not looking after their daughter and letting her stray on her own

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  2. Malaysia will be soon heading down the same road where the gomen makes their own rules/laws on-the-fly if we don't do anything to correct the issues on judiciary.

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  3. Now, that is a "one up" for an Islamic Country. This kind of injustices has been going on too many years. What about other incidences which we did not get to know of? Can we imagine how life would be like in an Islamic Malaysia? Please don't let Malaysia become an Islamic country.

    dissapointed lad.

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  4. Malaysia is already an islamic state - UMNO says so and MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP etc all agree.
    Menj doesn`t of course. he thinks more can be done.

    So let`s enjoy:
    Exclusive: Saudi Rape Victim Tells Her Story
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=3899920&page=1

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  5. As order slides, Palestinian women face honor killings
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071120/wl_csm/ohonor_1

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  6. many muslims would tell u that this is 'wahhabism', 'tribal culture', and don't blame it on islam.

    but it's really quite simple.

    JUST TELL US THAT SAUDI ARABIA IS NOT APPLYING ISLAMIC LAW, AND NOT PRACTISING ISLAM. THAT WAHHABISM IS NOT ISLAM, BUT DEVIANT TEACHINGS.

    in other words, just call the saudis/wahhabis KAFIRS/ MURTADS.

    it's every muslim's responsibility to REJECT THE HERETICS and KILL THE APOSTATES OR MUSLIMS WHO HAVE ABANDONED THE TRUE ISLAM, correct?

    so, just do it then.

    all together now - THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS A KAFIR/ MURTAD NATION.

    or else, if any muslim refuses to draw a clear boundary away from them/ the wahhabis, WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER the 'silent, moderate majority' muslims AS ONE OF THEM, I.E. BOTH ARE MUSLIMS, BOTH ARE PRACTISING ISLAM.

    there's no other way - because this is playing by the rules muslims themselves have set.

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  7. Our own Islamists are planning for the country to head that way too, nay may even go for the Taliban style of Islamist state.

    As I have always said/written, Islam is controlled and governed by men. Women just don't have any say.

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  8. Good follow-up article, KTemoc.

    Saudi Arabia is hardly the best example of Islam in practice, I must admit.

    In the past Islamic states have existed, but like in Malaysia, they practice laws that are fair to all, regardless of faith, with freedoms that we do not see nowadays.

    While some punishments are quite harsh, these punishments are reserved for repeat perpetrators, and require a great deal of substantiation.

    To dontplaygod, I must disagree with your statement that "Islam is controlled and governed by men. Women just don't have any say."

    In the Quran, women are given as much respect as men, sometimes even more. However, in any male dominated society (especially Arabian), this view is often abused.

    People will be people, regardless of religion. And some people can be cruel beyond belief.

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  9. Vijay Kumar,

    "In the Quran, women are given as much respect as men, sometimes even more. However, in any male dominated society (especially Arabian), this view is often abused."

    1, those who 'ABUSED' the teachings in the Quran r NOT true muslims, correct?

    2, those who do not APPLY THE TRUE/CORRECT islamic teachings r NOT true muslims, correct?

    3, muslims r ALWAYS told to uphold the integrity of their religion, to reject deviationist/false teachings, correct?

    therefore, THESE WAHHABIS ARE KAFIRS, MURTADS, MUNAFIQUN, THEY ARE NOT MUSLIMS, CORRECT???

    in fact, they SHOULD BE KILLED!! (or AT LEAST sent to rehab camp to 'teach' them the 'true' islam, like what happened to our murtads in malaysia.)

    so, 'silent, moderate, progressive majority' muslims, WHAT R U PEOPLE WAITING FOR?!?!!

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  10. This is strange decision,victim goes to court to seek protection and justice,and not to be penalised, who dare to make report if they are punished? any wonder why statistics is low there!

    Btw,who was this 17th century founder Abdul Wahab? was he a reformer, caliph or saint? check this out at google 'wahabism'

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  11. Ah, another post by you, FK. Please read my previous comment before you read this first, though.

    Now as to your questions, I must say you got me at a tight spot here :) Can I truly answer that for all Muslims? Definately not, as you clearly know that not all Muslims are cut from the same cloth.

    But if you are asking my opinion, the answer is "yes".

    Those who abuse the teachings of Islam, say that those who abuse Islam, who do not aplly the correct teachings of Islam, and who are not able to uphold the integrity of their religion are not truly Muslims.

    The rehab camp you're speaking about, I don't know how that came about, but Islam teaches that matters of faith are strictly between an individual and God.

    Yes, I know many will hold up some 'excerpt' from the Quran, but remember, English translations from are not wholly correct. That is why Muslims are supposed to know Arabic (which is similar to Aramaic).

    As to your query to 'silent, moderate, progressive majority', that's a myth. There are no moderate Muslims, nor are there extremist Muslims.

    There are those who are Muslims, and those who claim to be Muslims (but aren't).

    And many of those who are Muslims are on their feet now, decrying madness perpetuated by people who claim to be Muslims.

    Unfortunately there aren't many here in Malaysia. We're too caught up with our troubles with the ruling coalition, but there are many, many Muslims across the world who have stood up.

    My respect to you for voicing your opinions, FK. Hope I did not offend, but I did need to try to get my viewpoint across.

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  12. vijay kumar wrote:

    "......but Islam teaches that matters of faith are strictly between an individual and God."

    Is that so? That is news to me. Everywhere in the Muslim world, including non-Muslim world(but where there are a sizeable number of Muslims), the Muslim leaders are playing God. The Islamic state rulers mete out punishment on behalf of God. From which version of the Koran did you quote the above?

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  13. Vijay,

    yes, i've read, & replied, to your comments elsewhere.

    before i respond to your comments, let me just say this for u to give it some thinking:

    there is a reason why many people do not want to become a muslim IN A MUSLIM MAJORITY COUNTRY, where the so-called 'Islamic Law' is applied, even though they, for all intents & purposes, consider themselves a believer of Islam.

    because in these muslim political communities, where Islam has been USED for political purposes, "Islam teaches that matters of faith are strictly between an individual and God" SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE.

    even if YOU r able to take it, i.e. live under the so-called 'shariah law' like we have in malaysia, THINK ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN & THEIR CHILDREN. especially your DAUGHTERS & GRAND DAUGHTERS. at the rate we r going right now in malaysia, by the time your daughter reaches puberty, THIS SAUDI ARABIA STORY WILL HAPPEN TO OUR WOMEN IN MALAYSIA.

    so, think twice before u want to jump on the so-called band-wagon of 'muslims' in this country. if u truly believe that the religious relationship is between individual & god, THEN KEEP IT THAT WAY - IN YOUR HEART, n DON'T make it 'official' (as in involving the state, such as changing your names & IC description).

    trust me, many r doing that... (this is genuine advice)


    now,

    "Those who abuse the teachings of Islam, say that those who abuse Islam, who do not aplly the correct teachings of Islam, and who are not able to uphold the integrity of their religion are not truly Muslims."

    i expect u & your friends to DEFEND islam & tell the whole world that they r NOT MUSLIM/ISLAM, next time...

    "The rehab camp you're speaking about, I don't know how that came about, but Islam teaches that matters of faith are strictly between an individual and God."

    if u don't know how they come about, then obviously u still need to LEARN, & KKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP LEARNING what 'Islam' is about when it becomes a political/social phenomenon, & no longer just about 'faith'.

    fyi, they r found in the 'Islamic' legislation of ALL states in malaysia. recent cases in malaysia (including an Indian lady called 'Revathee', i think) have shown that islam is NOT about the touchy-feely, 'personal', 'individual', 'loving' relationship between man & god when it becoms 'official'. if u want that kind of relationship with god, either u LEAVE malaysia or pick some other, NON-official religion.

    i wish u peace...

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  14. Look at Malaysia truly asia:

    “ You India keling pasti masuk lokap, kamu akan hilang kerja, tak payah ada ID, Ini negara Islam, apasal you ada sini, kalau mau curi balik India “

    http://malaysiansabroad.net/blogs/2007/11/23/youth-cries-assault-racism/

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  15. "The rape victim's parents are jumping with joy that they are not living in malaysia, because there they would be punished too for not looking after their daughter and letting her stray on her own"

    Are you talking about the Nuri case? Yeah, that's quite stupid of the police. The parents are already devastated about what had happen to their littl girl and the police still want to sue them for neglect. I hope the police as drop the stupid idea bye now. The parents need emotional support, not extra aggravation. And it's the police duty to ensure that the country is safe so that little girls can walk to the nearby pasar malam without getting kidnapped. But, it's still not as outrageous as Saudi sentencing a rape victim to flogging. At least, in Malaysia, you cannot flog women.

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