Pardoning a Rape Victim
The King of Saudi Arabia has granted a royal pardon to the Qatif girl. It would be laughable that he has done so , if it weren't a part of such an unbelievable backward state of affairs aimed at total injustice for women.
"Qatif Girl" as she has been named for the eastern province in which the crime took place, was found in a state of "khalwa" - being alone in a car with a male not related to her. The 19-year-old, married woman was pulled from the car, as was the male, by a gang of idealistically minded good citizens who then proceeded to gang rape both the woman and the male. After they had finished meting out their revenge for her offending their finer sensibilities, she was arrested. Sentenced to 90 lashes for being in a state of khalwa, the victim actually had the incredible courage to take her story to the media. The Genearl Court of Qatif increased her punishment, increasing the sentence to 200 lashes and jail time for attempting to "aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media". Her attorney, human rights lawyer Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem refused to give up and continued to press matters on his client's behalf. He too talked to the press, a move which cost him his license, for "faulty behaviour".
The sentencing raised cries of outrage around the world, with the Human Rights Watch, and even Saudi's usual good buddy, the White House, voicing the opinion that the whole situation is outrageous. The world's reaction is likely what spurred on the pardon. It is traditional for the monarch to grant pardons just before Eid al-Adha, which begins this Wednesday. Once the victim was pardoned, she was freed from jail and sent home to her family. Given the misogynist society in which she lives, however, it is questionable if there will be any quality of life available to her ever again, even the lesser quality normally granted to the women of this backward country. She has said that since the incident, everyone looks at her as though she were the one at fault, and the pressure has made it impossible for her to continue her studies. It has even caused her to attempt suicide twice.
To me, the fact that her attackers were given sentences ranging from two to nine years in prison means only that the justice system reacted to the rape of the man in the car. It makes no statement of hope for the women of Saudi Arabia. The king's promises of judicial reform made earlier this year have clearly been shown to be nothing more than the mouthing of empty words.
If the impossible could happen, the women of this backward regime would rise up as one. They would refuse ever again to don the yoke of second-class citizenship forced on them by the injustice that ensnares them now. It may well be the only possibility for the country to actually step forward into the 21st century.
"Qatif Girl" as she has been named for the eastern province in which the crime took place, was found in a state of "khalwa" - being alone in a car with a male not related to her. The 19-year-old, married woman was pulled from the car, as was the male, by a gang of idealistically minded good citizens who then proceeded to gang rape both the woman and the male. After they had finished meting out their revenge for her offending their finer sensibilities, she was arrested. Sentenced to 90 lashes for being in a state of khalwa, the victim actually had the incredible courage to take her story to the media. The Genearl Court of Qatif increased her punishment, increasing the sentence to 200 lashes and jail time for attempting to "aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media". Her attorney, human rights lawyer Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem refused to give up and continued to press matters on his client's behalf. He too talked to the press, a move which cost him his license, for "faulty behaviour".
The sentencing raised cries of outrage around the world, with the Human Rights Watch, and even Saudi's usual good buddy, the White House, voicing the opinion that the whole situation is outrageous. The world's reaction is likely what spurred on the pardon. It is traditional for the monarch to grant pardons just before Eid al-Adha, which begins this Wednesday. Once the victim was pardoned, she was freed from jail and sent home to her family. Given the misogynist society in which she lives, however, it is questionable if there will be any quality of life available to her ever again, even the lesser quality normally granted to the women of this backward country. She has said that since the incident, everyone looks at her as though she were the one at fault, and the pressure has made it impossible for her to continue her studies. It has even caused her to attempt suicide twice.
To me, the fact that her attackers were given sentences ranging from two to nine years in prison means only that the justice system reacted to the rape of the man in the car. It makes no statement of hope for the women of Saudi Arabia. The king's promises of judicial reform made earlier this year have clearly been shown to be nothing more than the mouthing of empty words.
If the impossible could happen, the women of this backward regime would rise up as one. They would refuse ever again to don the yoke of second-class citizenship forced on them by the injustice that ensnares them now. It may well be the only possibility for the country to actually step forward into the 21st century.
posted by aka.alias @ 9:17 AM 1 Comments 
1 Comments:
I don't even know where to start to express my sheer and utter loathing for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I loathe every thing about them and I can't even believe he had to "pardon" this girl. Those men were way more to blame and as always, she took the brunt of it. She had no blame here. Was she dumb to go and meet this guy? Yes. Did she deserve what she got and was subsequently put through? Hell no. this country is so backwards I think it would take a literal miracle to put it even in the 14th century.
They sicken me.
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