Brutality

Saudi Arabia defends sentence for rape victim

Saudi Arabia has condemned Western interference in the case of a rape victim who was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison.

The Saudi Justice Ministry today confirmed that the flogging sentence would be carried out after the 19-year-old admitted to cheating on her husband in violation of Islamic laws.

The case sparked an international outcry after a Saudi court sentenced the girl to 90 lashes and a prison-term because she was in a car with a man who was not a close relation.

When her husband then publicly criticised the judicial system, an appeals court judge increased the sentence to 200 lashes.

Her offence was in meeting a former boyfriend, whom she had asked to return pictures he had of her because she was about to marry another man.

The couple was sitting in a car when a group of seven Sunni men kidnapped them and raped them both, lawyers in the case told Arab News. The former boyfriend was also sentenced to 90 lashes for being with her in private.

A review of the sentence was ordered after condemnation from the international community and human rights groups.

However the Saudi Justice Ministry today maintained that the ruling was legal and followed the "the book of God and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad".

The Justice Ministry's account of the incident differed substantially from that given by the woman and her lawyer.

It largely glossed over her rape, focusing instead on her plan to meet her lover in his car "in a dark place where they stayed for a while".

"Then they where spotted by the other defendants as the woman was in an indecent condition as she had tossed away her clothes, then the assault occurred on her and the man," the statement said.

"The Saudi justice minister expressed his regret about the media reports over the role of the women in this case which put out false information and wrongly defend her.

"The charged girl is a married woman who confessed to having an affair with the man she was caught with."

Under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, women are not allowed in public in the company of men other than their male relatives.

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I hardly have the words to describe my outrage for this. I can't believe the USA calls this country an "ally" against terror-- WTF??? Can this administration not see that this is state sponsored terror. The Bush administration is an embarrassment for not being the first and loudest to condemn this type treatment. Being raped is one of the worst things that can happen to a person I cannot even fathom being publishly punished for it. I'm pretty sure that these "lashes" are done on the naked body.

Pundints are saying that some of the reasons the USA/Bush administration isn't loudly speaking out against this is because they consider SA an "ally" against terror (although I would say this is governmental terror), the USA wants SA as a cooperative country in the middle east peace talks, and OIL. It seems that this administration's moral values are hand picked for the situation. Imagine if this story was about Iran (not that they don't have their own autrocities, including executing gays) Bush would probably use that as further reason to justify a war against them.

I wish there was something I could do except.

from pastor martin niemoller:

first they came for the jews,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a jew.

then they came for the communists,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a communist.

then they came for the trade unionists,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

then they came for me,

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.

OMG Sam, that's frightening. Do you know what the punishment is?

I agree Sam, that it's the interpretation that's the problem. I certainly didn't post this to suggest that Islam was and worse or more violent of a belief than any other.

I try not to be prejudice, but the last place I'd want to go is the middle east-- somehow I think they'd have a lot to arrest me for.

She has been pardoned! I guess there's something to say for public outcry. She's a brave woman for risking going public with her story.

I agree with you Dotti-- I have a problem with who the US is allies with and when they look away while some other countries with similar injustices (is there an even stronger word) we call "terroristic" and brutal.  You probably know the chinese government killed some guy that was in charge of inspecting things after he was found "guilty" of being too lax. He was killed within a week. Even if I wasn't antideath penalty--the punishment seems way out of line. I wonder how fair his trial was too and obviously he had no appeals.

I wonder if that woman will be safe or if she will be killed  by either her husband or someone else. I also bet that if a man is seen with a woman who isn't his wife, he is not punished. There was a case on 20/20 about a young man in Dubai (sp?) who was gang raped and jailed for homosexuality- which is a crime in that country. Absolutely blows my mind.