There is an urgent and immediate need for forceful and sustained social pressure against the inhumane laws for rape victims (amongst others) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With a judicial system based on sharia, dating back a thousand years and worse than anything that was probably practiced in those times, the arbitrary sentencing by the judges has hit a new low.The fate of the 19-year-old Shia woman from Qatif, who was gang raped last year along with a male companion, is one of injustice beyond belief. Originally sentenced to 90 lashes for meeting with "an unrelated male" without the presence of a relative, her sentence has been upped to 200 lashes and six months in prison, apparently for daring to voice her concerns to the media and attempting to influence the judicial process.The seven men who attacked her have been sentenced from two to nine years on kidnapping charges due to an "inability" to prove the rape charge, in spite of a video recording of the attack on the cell phone of one of the attackers, that was ignored by the judges.The victims lawyer, Abdulrahman al-Lahim, who contested the sentencing of his client and advocated higher sentences for the convicted men (in Saudi Arabia, rape is usually subject to a death sentence, as it falls under 'hiraba,' or crime against society), has had his license revoked and is no longer permitted to defend his client, as ordered by Judge Saad al-Muhanna from the Qatif General Court. Lahim has declared his intent to pursue this conviction as he believes this is "judicial mutiny against reform that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz started and against Saudi women who are being victimized because of such decisions.""Barring the lawyer from representing the victim in court is almost equivalent to the rape crime itself," said Fawzeyah al-Oyouni, founding member of the newly formed Saudi Association for the Defense of Women's Rights. Human Rights Watch has called on King Abdullah "to immediately void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer."The actions of the court have left the victim isolated and a "crushed human being" according to her husband, who said her experience left her broken and depressed and interrupted her education. He also feels his wife was treated in an unjust manner by the courts. "From the outset, my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime," said her 24-year-old husband. "She was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes."Her lawyer has indicated that he will pursue the matter to justice. "Currently she doesn't have a lawyer, and I feel they're doing this to isolate her and deprive her from her basic rights," he said. "We will not accept this judgment and I'll do my best to continue representing her because justice needs to take place."This case is an important concern not only for her, but also for all the women in Saudi Arabia. This kind of justice will give more impetus to rapists, while women will become fearful of reporting their rapes. The silence and fumbled protests from major democracies have been shockingly inadequate. King Abdullah, are you listening?
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Great article Sam, very important topic.
2 - Ted
The muslims are barbarians. Islam is a fear based false religion. Why don't "moderate" Muslims speak out against this butchery? Because they are afraid? Where is the outcry from the feminists in this country?
3 - Sam
"The muslims are barbarians. Islam is a fear based false religion. Why don't "moderate" Muslims speak out against this butchery? Because they are afraid? Where is the outcry from the feminists in this country?"
Sweeping generalisations are hardly likely to result in productive dialogue. And I say this as a moderate Muslim speaking out against this butchery.