Noting the impossible contradictions Saudi society and law place upon women, Saudi columnist Lubna Hussain editorializes in Arab News about the ‘Qatif Girl’ verdicts. She’s not at all happy with what she finds.
A Slap in the Face of Justice
Lubna Hussain, forlubna@hotmail.comIt is a tale that is more reminiscent of the cruel callous punishments meted out to women in medieval times. And yet sadly it is a case that is making headlines in the 21st century.
For those of you who are not aware of the story, an 18-year-old girl from Qatif went to meet a man she had had a prior relationship with to reclaim photos that he threatened to blackmail her with. While they were standing outside a shopping mall, they were abducted at knifepoint. She was gang raped 14 times by seven men. The man accompanying her was also raped. In an extraordinary ruling, she was sentenced by the courts to 90 lashes for having been with a man who was not her male relative. When she appealed this verdict, expecting leniency under the extenuating circumstances, the court increased her sentence to 200 lashes and six months imprisonment. This increased sentence was delivered under the spurious pretext that the judiciary would not be “aggravated and influenced†through the media. Her lawyer has been suspended from the case, has had his license confiscated and is now being threatened with disciplinary action.
I will never forget reading about this case when it was first documented several months ago. I blinked hard in disbelief at the ridiculous contents of the article and the trite absurdity of the allegations. It was enough to offend the sensibilities of any reasonable minded human being and yet, it seemed at the time, that those who are in charge of our judicial system were totally devoid of any sense of justice. It is this peculiar irony that has subsequently subverted and distorted the outcome of a trial that will no doubt characterize the level of injustice that we can expect to be afforded through the courts.
…So what is the wider message being delivered to us citizens who may, God forbid, find ourselves at the mercy of the justice system here? Stay at home and keep our mouths shut. And to the outside world? I will leave this to your imagination. Suffice it to say that no amount of money spent on PR is going to be able to whitewash the irreparable damage caused by grave injustices such as this.
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November:21:2007 - 13:39
Saudi law claims it is based on Islam law, but it is so mixed up with Saudi traditions that the most unacceptable violations of human rights are committed and justified on the basis of Muslim law, whereas they are justified neither on Muslim law nor on any modern concept of justice, but only on medieval traditions which reflect tribal cultures centuries old.
Change could happen if the people concerned, particularly men with modern concepts of justice, or those concerned with the application of true Muslim law, did seize such cases to try to mobilize the conscience of the people on these issues.
Ideally, women organizations should also seize such cases and use them to expose the failings of the present system, and the need for change.