Sydney Morning Herald 17 Nov 07
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Rape victim's harsh sentence shocks Saudis
Rasheed Abou-Alsamh in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
November 17, 2007
A SAUDI court has more than doubled the number of lashes that a female rape victim was sentenced to last year after her lawyer appealed against the original sentence. The decision, which many lawyers found shocking even by Saudi standards of justice, has provoked a rare public debate about the treatment of women.
The victim's lawyer, Abdul Rahman al-Lahem, a human rights activist, drew the court's ire because of his strong public criticism of the handling of the case. He has called his client's conviction unjust and said the sentences of the seven men who raped her were too lenient.
He is also known for his past defence of critics of the monarchy.
The victim, who was 19 at the time and whose name has not been released, was raped about 18 months ago in Qatif, a city in the Eastern Province.
Her case has been widely debated since the court sentenced her to 90 lashes a year ago for being in the same car as an unrelated man, even after it ruled she had subsequently been raped. For a woman to be alone with a man who is not her husband or a relative is a crime in Saudi Arabia, whose legal code is based on a strict Wahabi interpretation of Islamic law.
Adding to the charged political nature of the case, the victim is a member of the kingdom's Shiite Muslim minority.
Mr Lahem's licence to practice law has been suspended and he is facing a hearing before a Ministry of Justice disciplinary committee on December 5 in Riyadh for appearing regularly on television and talking about the case.
Judges of the Qatif General Court have accused him of trying to tarnish the court's image by talking to the media.
The woman's offence was meeting a former boyfriend, who she had asked to return pictures he had of her because she was about to marry another man. The couple were sitting in a car when a group of seven men kidnapped them and raped them both, lawyers in the case told the Arab News.
The woman and the former boyfriend were originally sentenced to 90 lashes each for being together in private. The attackers received sentences ranging from 10 months to five years in prison, and 80 to 1000 lashes each.
Mr Lahem appealed against the attackers' sentences, saying they were too lenient and that the treatment of the victim was too harsh. In its decision issued on Tuesday, the court increased the victim's sentence to 200 lashes and six months in jail. It also increased the sentences of her attackers to prison terms of two to nine years. The woman remains free for the time being and has not yet been lashed.
"I don't agree with this judgment," Bassem Alim, a lawyer in Jeddah, said of the woman's sentence. "I think it's overly severe. She should not be punished for going to the media and explaining her case." Dr Alim, a friend of the victim's lawyer, said the standard punishment for adultery was 60 to 80 lashes, so the sentence was unusually harsh, even for Saudi Arabia.
Abeer Mishkhas, a columnist who writes frequently about women's rights, wrote in Arab News that the woman seemed to have been singled out for particularly draconian treatment.
King Abdullah last month approved new laws regulating the judicial system, which rules on the basis of sharia, or Islamic law.
The New York Times |
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/rape-victims-harsh-sentence-shocks-saudis/2007/11/16/1194766968246.html
Saudi Arabia, for all it's wealth, is still an incredibly backward country when it comes to ethics. I think the sentence is just WRONG. Quranic laws are fine but what have to be kept in mind is that society has changed since those laws were written. Till how long can the inevitable change be resisted? Judgements like the one here will only hasten the changes, I hope.
You Americans are pathetic. I just saw this story run on CNN and your w****r government spokesman simply said it was amazing.
You waged war on Iraq for no valid reason and yet you hardly dare to criticize your good muslim ally Saudi Arabia no matter how much they ignore human rights. But then again, they own your country, Ha ha. If you upset them your whole economy could collapse.
I do realise that not all Americans hold the same views as the government but it does prove that America is not the champion of democracy it claims to be.
| paul_indo wrote: |
| I do realise that not all Americans hold the same views as the government but it does prove that America is not the champion of democracy it claims to be. |
Then it would be appropriate not to make statements such as...
| paul_indo wrote: |
| You Americans are pathetic. |
Also, this topic is not about America. | paul_indo wrote: |
You Americans are pathetic. I just saw this story run on CNN and your w****r government spokesman simply said it was amazing.
You waged war on Iraq for no valid reason and yet you hardly dare to criticize your good muslim ally Saudi Arabia no matter how much they ignore human rights. But then again, they own your country, Ha ha. If you upset them your whole economy could collapse.
I do realise that not all Americans hold the same views as the government but it does prove that America is not the champion of democracy it claims to be. |
exactly Paul,,, a war against the clown rulers of Saudi Arabia in order to establish true democracy is what I have been crying for since day one. | ThePolemistis wrote: |
| paul_indo wrote: | You Americans are pathetic. I just saw this story run on CNN and your w****r government spokesman simply said it was amazing.
You waged war on Iraq for no valid reason and yet you hardly dare to criticize your good muslim ally Saudi Arabia no matter how much they ignore human rights. But then again, they own your country, Ha ha. If you upset them your whole economy could collapse.
I do realise that not all Americans hold the same views as the government but it does prove that America is not the champion of democracy it claims to be. |
exactly Paul,,, a war against the clown rulers of Saudi Arabia in order to establish true democracy is what I have been crying for since day one. |
You guys are the pathetic group - expecting the US to fix everything for you. Whine to your own governments about such injustice. The US does what it can.
Don't be a fool believing the US invaded Iraq just to free its people. Sadam was seen as a threat so they went in when they could. It's up to the Saudis to make change if that's what they want.The tone of this thread is so hypocritical.
Indonesia does the same type of public canings.
Yet, this OP thinks the US should intervene in some other country that does it?
I guess it must only be OK to do it in Indonesia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/world/asia/01indo.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Firstly, I am not Indonesian. I am a New Zealander.
jwellsy Indonesia does not carry out caning. Only Aceh, which is the only area in the country under sharia law.
horseatingweeds
| Quote: |
| You guys are the pathetic group - expecting the US to fix everything for you. Whine to your own governments about such injustice. The US does what it can. |
I do not expect the US to fix anything. So why the hell did they try to fix Iraq and just cause a huge problem for Irag and the US?
horseatingweeds
| Quote: |
| Don't be a fool believing the US invaded Iraq just to free its people. Sadam was seen as a threat so they went in when they could. It's up to the Saudis to make change if that's what they want. |
I guess that was because of all the WMD's they had stored away. Oh damn, they never actually found any did they!
ThePolemistis
Right on.
Arnie
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| Also, this topic is not about America. |
Actually Arnie it is. I am commenting not just on Saudi Arabia's lack of ethics but on the US hypocrisy, and now Australia has I believe joined in the chorus of silence on this issue. And as I started the thread I can make it about whatever I like. 
| paul_indo wrote: |
| Actually Arnie it is. I am commenting not just on Saudi Arabia's lack of ethics but on the US hypocrisy, and now Australia has I believe joined in the chorus of silence on this issue. And as I started the thread I can make it about whatever I like. |
Being the topic starter is a lousy excuse to go off-topic. If you want to bash America, there are many other topics here for that. And in those, your statement would still be inappropriate anyway.
Come one paul-indo, are you one of these????
Sadam was seen as a threat regardless of WMD. This thread is not about world news.
It needs either moved to the political forum or deleted for trolling.
| Quote: |
| Being the topic starter is a lousy excuse to go off-topic. |
I was just joking Arnie.
But I don't see why commenting on the American and Australian Governments attitude to this human rights case is Saudi Arabia is "off topic".
jwellsy, read the news. This story, including the political aspects, has been on nearly every major news network in the world for the last few days, so how can you say it is not about world news?
News can, and often does, have a political side.
Anyway back to the "topic".
It seems that many American and Australian citizens are mad at their governments over the non reaction they have shown towards the Saudi government.
The Presidential candidates are now also condemning the court so the situation may improve as far as the possibility of a better outcome for the girl.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/21/saudi.rape.reaction/index.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/gangrape-victim-to-fight-lashings-verdict/2007/11/22/1195321896352.html
http://blogs.news.com.au/news/ourview/index.php/news/comments/save_this_rape_victim/U.S cannot touch Israel and Saudi Arabia. Too much money to consider. But, as some of you said, this isn't about America.
So. Saudi Arabia makes me sick. 40% of national rent belongs to the royal family. Bloody bastards.
An update on the story:
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IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
Image
"Issues like that, bad judgments by the courts, happen everywhere, even in the United States," Faisal said. (Reuters)
WASHINGTON — Distancing his government from the much-publicized gang-rape case, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal criticized the sentences given by the Supreme Judicial Council.
"Bad judgments occur in legal systems," Prince Saud told reporters in Washington, where he is attending the Annapolis Mideast peace conference, Reuters reported on Tuesday, November 27.
"Unfortunately, these things happen."
In November 2006 a 19-year-old married woman was sentenced to 90 lashes while her seven rapists were given jail terms from two to five years.
The unidentified woman was kidnapped at knife-point and raped along with a male companion in the Qatif region.
The story hit international headlines last week when the Supreme Judicial Council, which was reviewing the woman's appeal, increased her sentence to 200 lashes and six months in prison.
It also increased the jail sentences for the rapists to between 2 and 9 years.
The increase in sentence to the woman drew heavy coverage in the international media.
Several Western governments, the latest of which was the US, and human rights groups have condemned her sentence and urged it to be lifted.
The Justice Ministry later issued a statement saying the increase came after the married woman had confessed to adultery, one of the most heinous sins in Islam.
She reportedly admitted they were having sex in the car before they were both raped by the seven people.
Review
The foreign minister said the disturbing thing in the case was using it to tarnish the Saudi people.
"Issues like that, bad judgments by the courts, happen everywhere, even in the United States."
Prince Faisal distanced his government from the whole case, adding that courts in the kingdom are completely independent.
However, he affirmed that a revision process was underway through the judicial system.
"It is a process that is still going on. This is being reviewed by a legal process and we hope it will be changed."
The "Qatif Girl" her husband told local media they would re-appeal, even though the judge had warned that the sentence could be increased again if she loses.
The court has revoked the license of the woman's lawyer, who has also been summoned by the Justice Ministry to appear before a disciplinary panel next month.
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source:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1195032688292&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout Lesson: don't appeal in a Saudi court.....
I really liked this: "even in the United States."
The Saudi king pardoned the woman for the "interests of the people." link
So it seems that these media scandals bring results after all. OMG...Billy Hill hasn't come to the rescue to flame Islam yet?
Nope, but you managed to flame him. He must have really hurt your feelings, hu?
