Shooting off your mouth can lead to trouble in Saudi Arabia, as we all know. Arab News reports on the case of a young man who, after boasting of his sexual prowess on a TV program, finds himself in hot water back in the Kingdom. While his unsavory comments deserve condemnation, we only have his word for it that he actually behaved in the way he bragged. That makes his arrest an arrest for thought crimes absent any evidence that he committed the acts he claimed. That is troublesome. In my experience, those who brag tend to exaggerate, sometimes rather elaborately.
Sure, if he were using language that was unlawful in Saudi Arabia, he might fall under a public indecency law. But according to this story, it appears that he was speaking in Lebanon. That presents a jurisdiction problem in that states and courts do not generally have power to punish crimes that take place in other countries. If he were calling in to the program from Saudi Arabia, there would not be quite the same jurisdictional problem, but that is not clear.
I’m sure that LBC will also be facing censure for having broadcast an objectionable segment, but that’s a slightly different issue: press freedom.
The article points out, however, that ‘speaking publicly about vice’ (I assume this means in a positive manner) is also a punishable offense. That is so completely antithetical to the concept of freedom to think that it’s creepy. But nothing new in the Kingdom, alas.
Bragging on TV about sex lands Saudi in hot water
Laura Bashraheel | Arab NewsJEDDAH: Lewd remarks about sex by a Saudi man in Jeddah that broadcast last week on LBC’s “Red Line” has led to his arrest, Arab News learned on Wednesday.
Mazen Abdul Jawad appeared on the program last week in a red button-down shirt and open collar bragging in graphic detail about his sexual conquests.
In the segment, Abdul Jawad talks about having slept with a neighbor when he was only 14 and how this got him interested in sex. After discussing sex and foreplay in graphic detail and providing a recipe for an aphrodisiac, Abdul Jawad is seen getting into his vehicle at night on a Jeddah street.
“It all starts with turning my Bluetooth on while cruising around in my car,” he tells the camera.
About 100 people have filed a complaint against Abdul Jawad at the summary court in Jeddah. They allege Abdul Jawad has not only confessed to pre-marital sex, but also violated another Shariah principle by publicizing his sinful behavior.
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July:23:2009 - 08:41
It broadcast on LBC, but the interview was done in Jeddah. The clip is on YouTube, but I’m not sure how to find it and it’s all in Arabic. (Somebody showed it to me.) But at the end of the clip you see him driving off into the night on a Jeddah street, purportedly to go cruisin’ for the chicas. (He really does come off as a slime ball, a harmless slime ball.)
As far as publicizing — there is some Shariah precedent that expressed “tolerance” for vice committed privately and there is Shariah-legal precedent that suggests it is unlawful (in Islam) to advertise vices committed privately.
The main point, I think, is that these are relatively minor crimes, but they are not hadd punishments, which means it’s up to the discretion of the judge. Ironically, the “publicizing” of vice has occurred on a major broadcast network, so the high public profile of this guy’s statements are likely to be used against him, if not also LBC. If LBC gets involved, then I think you’re right that there are questions about “crimes” committed in other countries.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that there seems to be no distinction between “adultery” and “pre-marital sex”, but — and I’m out on a limb here because I don’t study Shariah or the Qur’an — as I understand it, these crimes are minor — 25 lashes I think for publicizing and maybe a small number of lashes for pre-marital sex (in the context that back then this pre-marital sex occurred between you young adults who already had their family’s endorsement to marry). But clearly the adultery definition is for people who have sex outside of their marriage, which is not what this guy said he did.
On the other hand, as a Westerner with a liberal outlook, all of this makes me uncomfortable. As you said, he didn’t use profanity or violate other “FCC-like” rules for media. He just talked like a male chauvinist pig. That should not be a crime.
July:24:2009 - 06:45
It broadcast on LBC, but the interview was done in Jeddah. The clip is on YouTube, but I’m not sure how to find it and it’s all in Arabic. (Somebody showed it to me.) But at the end of the clip you see him driving off into the night on a Jeddah street, purportedly to go cruisin’ for the chicas. (He really does come off as a slime ball, a harmless slime ball.)
As far as publicizing — there is some Shariah precedent that expressed “tolerance” for vice committed privately and there is Shariah-legal precedent that suggests it is unlawful (in Islam) to advertise vices committed privately.
The main point, I think, is that these are relatively minor crimes, but they are not hadd punishments, which means it’s up to the discretion of the judge. Ironically, the “publicizing” of vice has occurred on a major broadcast network, so the high public profile of this guy’s statements are likely to be used against him, if not also LBC. If LBC gets involved, then I think you’re right that there are questions about “crimes” committed in other countries.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that there seems to be no distinction between “adultery” and “pre-marital sex”, but — and I’m out on a limb here because I don’t study Shariah or the Qur’an — as I understand it, these crimes are minor — 25 lashes I think for publicizing and maybe a small number of lashes for pre-marital sex (in the context that back then this pre-marital sex occurred between you young adults who already had their family’s endorsement to marry). But clearly the adultery definition is for people who have sex outside of their marriage, which is not what this guy said he did.
On the other hand, as a Westerner with a liberal outlook, all of this makes me uncomfortable. As you said, he didn’t use profanity or violate other “FCC-like” rules for media. He just talked like a male chauvinist pig. That should not be a crime.
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
July:24:2009 - 06:48
But John, does it suprise you that you can be punished for ”thought-crimes”??? I think you can even be arrested for ”suspected thought crime” And he didn’t keep it to thought-crime did he? He publicly spoke about his (probably imaginary) ”crimes”.
At the very least he should be arrested for unimaginable stupidity. Or perhaps he’s suicidal.. or perhaps he wanted to get some revenge on his family…
I can’t imagine being a Saudi citizen and airing stuff like this on television and not expecting to be executed for it… I think he thought this a neat way to commit suicide.
anonymous, Oh, but I think there defenitely should be a punishment for being ”male-chauvinist-pig”.
July:24:2009 - 08:18
Surprised? No, sadly.
Once prosecution of thought crimes is established, it’s a long road to freedom.