2nd Man charged in whipping attack in Australia

**Ramadhan** · 07-21-2011

The title of this news article from AP is really tendentious.
There's still quite a few gaps in the story and I feel there's something missing. However, the refusal of the victim to sell out Islam is admirable.

2nd Muslim charged in whipping attack in Australia

http://news.yahoo.com/2nd-muslim-cha...091005736.html

SYDNEY (AP) — A second Muslim man has been charged in connection with an attack on a recent convert to Islam who was allegedly whipped 40 times as a religious punishment for drinking alcohol.
Wassim Fayad, 43, was freed on bail after being charged Wednesday with aggravated breaking and entering with intent to commit an indictable offense. The same charges were laid against Tolga Cifci, 20, on Tuesday. Neither man has entered a plea.
In granting bail, Magistrate Tim Kebby ordered Fayad to stay away from the alleged victim, saying the attack was "quite particular, arising from religious motivation."
The incident has created a furor in the Australian media, reflecting the friction caused by the expanding Islamic migrant community in a country whose citizens are predominantly of Christian European background.
Australia relaxed its immigration policies in 1973 when it opened its doors to nonwhites, attracting a flood of immigrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard weighed into the debate Wednesday, telling reporters there is no place for religious punishments in Australia.
"There is only one law in this country — the law of Australia. That's what binds us together and everybody has got to abide by that law," she said.
Fayad and Cifci are among four people who are accused of breaking into Christian Martinez's house on Sunday, holding him down on his bed and whipping him 40 times with an electric cord. The court was told that Martinez, a recent convert to Islam, was targeted for "religious reasons."
Islamic Sharia laws, which prohibit alcohol, recommend whipping as a punishment for several offenses.
No trial date has been set pending investigations. If convicted, the two could face up to 20 years in prison.
Martinez, 31, was allegedly whipped for 30 minutes but did not need hospitalization. Local media have reported that the alleged attackers attended the same mosque as Martinez, and administered the lashing as a punishment for going to a pub.
Cifci, a Muslim, was born and raised in Australia. Fayad's background is not immediately known, except that he is married and has six children.
In an interview with community forum MuslimVillage.com published Wednesday, Martinez said he had a drinking problem that he has been trying to overcome. He said he was drinking on the day of the alleged attack, which he said was "about some individuals, not religion."
He said one of the attackers was a friend. "I will never forgive him but I guess Allah will judge him ... and Allah can forgive him," said Martinez, who converted to Islam about three years ago.
He described Islam as a "a beautiful religion," which helped him get through his past. "I mean, I'm not perfect ... and now I believe I'm a better person because of Islam," he said.
He also said the "mainstream media" had been hounding him and had offered him money to tell his story, which he rejected.
"I feel like a victim twice over," he said.

**Ramadhan** · 07-21-2011

This is the interview by Muslimvillage. http://muslimvillage.com/2011/07/21/...aria-whipping/

EXCLUSIVE: “I will never forgive them” Interview with the victim of the ‘Sharia whipping’

by Ahmed Kilani
Source: MuslimVillage.com

MuslimVillage.com has managed to secure an exclusive interview with Chris Martinez the Muslim convert who was the victim of a savage vigilante style attack misguidedly attributed to Sharia Law by a group of 4 offenders.
AK: Firstly, thanks very much for granting us this interview in these very hard circumstances. Can I start by asking you, how long have you been Muslim for?
CM: About 3 years, I’ve been reverted to Islam.
AK: I understand that one of the guys that was allegedly involved in the attack was someone that you knew?
CM: Yes that’s true.
AK: Was it someone who helped you convert, and talked to you about Islam?
CM: Yes.
AK: So you were friends with him, in other words?
CM: Yes. 100%. We were friends.
AK: And how do you feel about him now?
CM: Words cannot describe the anger at the moment that I have. I will never forgive him but I guess Allah will judge him on the Day of Judgment, and Allah can forgive him.
AK: Can you describe to me what happened on the night you were lashed?
CM: I have a problem with drinking that I have been trying to overcome. I had been drinking at home with a friend that morning. I am not sure how, but I know that somehow somebody must have seen me drinking. I went to bed at about 7:30. At 1am in the morning, I was woken up by my so-called friend who had another 3 individuals with him.
CM: What did he say to you?
AK: He told met that basically I would be getting 40 lashes as punishment for drinking alcohol.
AK: What went through your mind when he said that?
CM: At first I thought he was joking. But once they grabbed me and put me on the bed, I knew they were serious. They started whipping me. I was crying, screaming. In a lot, a lot of pain.
AK: I understand it was the neighbours that called the police because they heard the screaming?
CM: I believe so, yes.
AK: Did you need hospital attention?
CM: The ambulance came, but I was more in shock than anything else. I was in shock, I was in a lot of pain. I sought medical attention afterwards, but I didn’t go to hospital.
AK: What has been the reaction from members of the Muslim community to what happened to you?
CM: I’ve had nothing but full 100% support with this situation. They are in shock and can’t believe what happened.
AK: You were saying to me earlier that you didn’t want this to be reflective of Islam or Muslims, that Islam’s helped you a lot in your life.
CM: Yes of course. Islam is a beautiful religion, it’s a great guideline to life, it’s a real way to live your life. I mean I’m not perfect. I’ve done things in the past that I shouldn’t have done. But in saying that, Islam help me get through all of that, helped me get through my past, and I now I believe I’m a better person because of Islam. This was about some individuals not religion.
AK: How does your family feel about it?
CM: My wife is upset. Alhamdulilah my kids are too small to understand what’s going on at the moment. My wife has been very supportive and helpful. She is very, very hurt about what’s happened.
AK: Your family wasn’t there the night it happened?
CM: No.
AK: What would you like to see happen now?
CM: I would like to see all of them convicted by the legal system we live by, by the law of Australia, and to make sure this doesn’t happen to anybody else again.
AK: I understand the mainstream media’s been really hounding you. Can you tell me about what they’ve been doing and saying?
CM: They’ve been very pushy. Extremely, extremely pushy. They’ve made false comments, they’ve published my name, put out pictures of me without my permission, got my phone number somehow and rang me at crazy hours. They are parked outside my house day and night and threatening to release stories about my past. I feel like a victim twice over from their hounding and threats of blackmail.
AK: Have they offered you any money?
CM: Yes, they have. I did not accept any money. This is not about money. I only decided to go to the media, at this moment, with the right people, yourself and Robert Ovadia from Seven news just to get my story out there, so people that want to know, they [will] get it, and I can move on with my life, and just end it.
AK: May Allah (God) make it easy for you, Chris.
CM: InshAllah (God Willing) He does.
AK: Thank you very much for your time. Assalamu Alaykum (Peace be with you).
CM: Wa alaykumusalam (Peace be with you as well)

**Who Am I?** · 07-21-2011

Well I can relate to the brother's struggles with alcohol as that has been something I struggled with even before I converted to Islam.

I just hope nobody decides to whip me for it...