A court in the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia is punishing a female victim of gang rape with 200 lashes and six months in jail, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
The 19-year-old woman -- whose six armed attackers have been sentenced to jail terms -- was initially ordered to undergo 90 lashes for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape," the Arab News reported.
But in a new verdict issued after Saudi Arabia's Higher Judicial Council ordered a retrial, the court in the eastern town of Al-Qatif more than doubled the number of lashes to 200.
A court source told the English-language Arab News that the judges had decided to punish the woman further for "her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media."
Saudi Arabia enforces a strict Islamic doctrine known as *******sm and forbids unrelated men and women from associating with each other, bans women from driving and forces them to cover head-to-toe in public.
Last year, the court sentenced six Saudi men to between one and five years in jail for the rape as well as ordering lashes for the victim, a member of the minority Shiite community.
But the woman's lawyer Abdul Rahman al-Lahem appealed, arguing that the punishments were too lenient in a country where the offence can carry the death penalty.
In the new verdict issued on Wednesday, the Al-Qatif court also toughened the sentences against the six men to between two and nine years in prison.
The case has angered members of Saudi Arabia's Shiite community. The convicted men are Sunni Muslims, the dominant community in the oil-rich Gulf state.
Lahem, also a human rights activist, told AFP on Wednesday that the court had banned him from handling the rape case and withdrew his licence to practise law because he challenged the verdict.
He said he has also been summoned by the ministry of justice to appear before a disciplinary committee in December.
Lahem said the move might be due to his criticism of some judicial institutions, and "contradicts King Abdullah's quest to introduce reform, especially in the justice system."
King Abdullah last month approved a new body of laws regulating the judicial system in Saudi Arabia, which rules on the basis of sharia, or Islamic law.
Punishing a victim of a rape has nothing to do with sharia law. Whoever allowed that through the system is a complete jack-ass.
I can only hope that one day, Saudi will get kicked in the rear end and start implementing sharia properly. Though, seeing as it is ruled by a filthy rich king who's busy hi-fiving his western allies it probably won't happen any time soon.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
If you read the article properly you will see she is being punished for breaking the law before she was raped, not for being a rape victim.
You might still disagree with it, though it is an important distinction.
True and thank you for pointing it out. I still think that the law in this particular case was wrong - they should have overlooked that part seeing as she was raped an' all. It seemed to me that the court was being too dogmatic as opposed to being just.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
True and thank you for pointing it out. I still think that the law in this particular case was wrong - they should have overlooked that part seeing as she was raped an' all.
Actually, it is not your fault. The article got it wrong, I did not realise that at first. They are implying that she was in the car alone with a boy during the rape. (Which doesn't make sense because it was a gang rape). However I clearly remember the whole story being that she was alone with a boy (who was not involved in the rape itself) before the rape occurred.
for breaking the law before she was raped, not for being a rape victim.
You might still disagree with it, though it is an important distinction.
My question would be its every girl checked up with who is she walking in the streets. Are they been punished at lashes when they are catch with an unrelated boy
Case I(i will search for more ):
JEDDAH - The District Court here made an African girl who was caught driving a car in northern Jeddah sign an undertaking not to drive in Saudi Arabia.
Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia.
A police patrol had caught the girl while she was driving a car in the company of a boy seated next to her.
The court sentenced the boy to two months in prison and 100 lashes.
In this case the woman was in the company of a man, unrelated man and she got nothing.
I agree she didn't satisfied some men pleasures like the other "lucky woman".
The rape aside, beatings and jail time for riding in a car with a boy is a bit overdone. There are better ways of handling a situation like that. It is also very upsetting that her attackers only got 2-9 years. One would think that a crime like that would have a harsher sentence to it.
"The only thing neccesary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - E. Burke
"We have just enough religion to hate but not enough to love one another" -Jonathan Swift
The rape aside, beatings and jail time for riding in a car with a boy is a bit overdone. There are better ways of handling a situation like that. It is also very upsetting that her attackers only got 2-9 years. One would think that a crime like that would have a harsher sentence to it.
For some weird reason, the punishment for rape never seems to be harsh enough - in the UK it's only a couple of years in jail and in saudi it's a max (in this case) of 9.
Under true sharia law I believe the punishment is far more harsher - and it should be.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
For some weird reason, the punishment for rape never seems to be harsh enough - in the UK it's only a couple of years in jail and in saudi it's a max (in this case) of 9.
Under true sharia law I believe the punishment is far more harsher - and it should be.
Under true sharia isn't it punishable by death?
"The only thing neccesary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - E. Burke
"We have just enough religion to hate but not enough to love one another" -Jonathan Swift
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
First off, I would like to acknowledge as many others have on this thread that Saudi doesnt practice Islamic law, although it does take things from it
With that said, I have to say if you live in a land and you know the laws and your break them you should expect punishment, although on the other hand this poor girl was raped by 6 men, which I cant imagine is a walk in the park for any woman (maybe some from south L.A.). I guess I just feel bad for her given the circumstance, but hey that is just the world we live in
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand Russell
"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the
enemy." - George Washington
The rape aside, beatings and jail time for riding in a car with a boy is a bit overdone. There are better ways of handling a situation like that. It is also very upsetting that her attackers only got 2-9 years. One would think that a crime like that would have a harsher sentence to it.
I remember a case in Australia were a man raped his own daughter and only got something like 4 years. Talk about shocking!
And yes, rape can carry the maximum penalty of death however in order for death to be handed out there must be 100% certainty that the rape was committed and the woman had done absolutely nothing to incite the rape. (Note- incite used only for lack of better term).
Before any one jumps down my throat, it is simply a principle of Islamic law that the maximum punishment can't be handed out in any case were the crime is made easier. For example, if a person gets out of his car, leave the keys and does not lock or close the door, and the car get stolen, the thief would actually get a lighter punishment than if the car was turned off and locked since the crime was made more tempting for him.
I remember a case in Australia were a man raped his own daughter and only got something like 4 years. Talk about shocking!
And yes, rape can carry the maximum penalty of death however in order for death to be handed out there must be 100% certainty that the rape was committed and the woman had done absolutely nothing to incite the rape.
Before any one jumps down my throat, it is simply a principle of Islamic law that the maximum punishment can't be handed out in any case were the crime is made easier. For example, if a person gets out of his car, leave the keys and does not lock or close the door, and the car get stolen, the thief would actually get a lighter punishment than if the car was turned off and locked since the crime was made more tempting for him.
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