Saudi court to gang-rape victim: How does 200 lashes sound?
posted at 12:25 pm on November 15, 2007 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | regular view
She’d originally been sentenced to 90 lashes for the crime of being in a car with a man to whom she wasn’t related prior to being attacked and gang-raped 14 times by a group of seven. Why the new sentence on appeal?
For complaining, that’s why.
The General Court in Qatif yesterday doubled the number of lashes for a rape victim as well as jail terms for her assaulters. In its verdict, the court also suspended the victim’s lawyer from defending her…
The Appeals Court sentenced the victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison. The seven rapists had their sentences increased to between two and nine years. The verdict came in as a shock to everybody.
A source at the Qatif General Court said that the judges had informed the rape victim that the reason behind doubling her punishment was “her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media.”
The curious thing about the Saudis is that they make no bones about their reasoning. When Iran executes gays, they pay nominal respect to the west’s disgust by trumping up some other charge as a pretext for the sentence. Here you have the royal family’s own house organ, the Arab News, not only reporting on the barbarity but exposing the court’s corrupt motive for elevating the sentence. Which makes me wonder what sort of internal political game is being played here. The royals have never been quite the Wahhabi nutjobs that the Saudi clerics are, but each tolerates the other in exchange for a relatively free hand. It may be that Abdullah is afraid of antagonizing them by reversing the sentence outright, but not afraid of trying to turn popular opinion against them by publicizing the story. Or am I giving him way too much credit?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Well it sounds like justice to me.
liberrocky on November 15, 2007 at 12:28 PM
No. He has to deal with fundies who want to stop his modernization efforts. They want to kill him, remember? This is a wonderful opportunity to shock the population.
AlexB on November 15, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Where is the outrage from US feminists? Where is the outrage from the liberals in the US about such atrocities? Where is the outrage from the left around the globe? The silence is deafening.
katieanne on November 15, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Going from 0 to 90 is the issue. Absolutely disgusting, amoral, horrific…..Libtards don’t care, of course. Funny how only the conservatives get outraged over the abuse of women and homosexuals by our Muslim friends.
RW Wacko on November 15, 2007 at 12:31 PM
I’m sure some Liberal could equate “don’t ask don’t tell”,to “get raped don’t tell”.
Islam – the choice faith to defend of Liberal women. All rape and no abortion.
Hening on November 15, 2007 at 12:37 PM
NOW has asked, as friends of the court, for 300 lashes. She was with a man, NOW considers that a crime.
right2bright on November 15, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Yes. You are.
lawhawk on November 15, 2007 at 12:40 PM
How dare we in the west try to stifle and interfere with their culture!
We here have our own issues and priorities – such as banning Nativity scenes!
Hoodlumman on November 15, 2007 at 12:40 PM
Actually, I often hear from liberal acquaintances that Saudi Arabia is the real enemy and that we should go after them. Of course, this chest pounding is usually conducted as part of an anti-Iraq diatribe.
MikeZero on November 15, 2007 at 12:41 PM
The Mutaawa is under a lot of pressure in Saudi Arabia. Been lots of complaints aobut them.
And Saudi Arabia is trying to modernize their judiciary. By that I mean keep the old laws but build new buildings.
I think this is a message to the islamics that while changes are coming they wont be very big changes. And to send a message to the people to stop critisizing the enforcement of Islamic law
William Amos on November 15, 2007 at 12:41 PM
That should read “anti-Iraq War”.
MikeZero on November 15, 2007 at 12:42 PM
They are all focused on the waterboarding we do (all 3).
Rick on November 15, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Ah – there it is! My own favorite question. Where indeed?
I suppose the answer is that its not politically expedient to acknowledge atrocities that don’t help your politics.
Remember: a John McCain supporter used the “B” word. Now that’s an atrocity worth getting upset over.
This whole whipping and raping thing? Eh. Not so much.
“The Silence of the Liberals,” a story of whimsically horrific hypocrisy – coming to a theater near you.
Professor Blather on November 15, 2007 at 12:48 PM
And here in the US “oppression” of women is not allowing them to join Augusta National Golf Club.
kiakjones on November 15, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Something something about uncovered meat that dog’s wouldn’t otherwise eat…
doriangrey on November 15, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Currently living in Augusta and just yesterday heard these two broads at the recently opened Coldwater Creek yacking about that exact thing! I happend to be behind them in the check out line and I said, “Yeah, we’re really oppressed here in the US, I mean at least you were able to drive here to do your shopping with your husband’s credit card!”. As they say in the Christmas Story, they looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my head.
Catie96706 on November 15, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Bailiff, whack his pee pee
Kini on November 15, 2007 at 12:56 PM
That’s Bush’s fault…
Rick on November 15, 2007 at 12:56 PM
George Bush is much worse; he make’s terrorists feel uncomfortable.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I would much rather receive 200 lashes than be in a cold room.
Jared_MA on November 15, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Priorities.
What isn’t?
kiakjones on November 15, 2007 at 12:58 PM
What wasn’t reported was the name of the victim, Crystal Gail Mangum.
Bill C on November 15, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Maureen Dowd’s secret fantasy? Didn’t Sean Connery and Candace Bergen make that movie already?
JiangxiDad on November 15, 2007 at 12:59 PM
Yes, true. The real torture is when they start playing the loud music in the cold room (those damn Red Hot Chili Peppers – demons).
Rick on November 15, 2007 at 1:01 PM
Pop Quiz:
200 lashes or Hillary in her birthday suit?
Jared_MA on November 15, 2007 at 1:03 PM
Why did you have to bring the “b!%(h” into this??
Rick on November 15, 2007 at 1:08 PM
If it was someone else, the answer wouldn’t be so tough.
Jared_MA on November 15, 2007 at 1:09 PM
Oh, our wonderful Middle Eastern allies.
Saudi Arabia
Egypt…Remember Karim?
Memnon on November 15, 2007 at 1:15 PM
How about we negotiate a deal with the Saudis for every gang rape victim or whatnot they want to lash, we’ll take them in. Lord knows these poor girls are going to be basket cases for a long time.
Defector01 on November 15, 2007 at 1:25 PM
That is shocking, the rapists are actually getting sentenced!
4shoes on November 15, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Do you know what happened to sandmonkey? Is he safe?
JiangxiDad on November 15, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Sandmonkey has been back to blogging.
Memnon on November 15, 2007 at 1:46 PM
BREAKING NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, November 15, 2007
KARL ROVE TO BECOME NEWSWEEK CONTRIBUTOR
New York–Karl Rove, the former White House deputy chief of staff, will become a Newsweek contributor, offering occasional opinion pieces to the pages of the magazine and to Newsweek.com.
“Newsweek has a long tradition of asking practitioners and opinion-makers to offer our readers the benefits of their experience in occasional opinion essays,” said Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham. “Whether one agrees or disagrees with Karl, there is no arguing that he has been a critical player in the political world with insights and experiences that we think will give our readers something unique. A great recent example is George Stephanopoulos, who did terrific work for us after he left the Clinton White House in the second term.”
CommentGuy on November 15, 2007 at 1:51 PM
Actually, Amnesty International has been on this case since March. You can join their Urgent Action Network if you want to do something about this or other human rights abuses worldwide.
Meanwhile you can also take action by reducing your oil consumption. At nearly $100 a barrel, oil is what keeps the Saudi regime rich and the populace complacent. Each time you gas up your car, you are helping to fund a regime that tramples the most basic human rights. Get a more fuel efficient car, walk, bike, take the bus, telecommute if you can.
I appreciate your concern and your desire to do something for basic human decency.
factoid on November 15, 2007 at 1:51 PM
Dude, don’t you think associating Rove with a rape story is a bit beyond the pale, even for a far-left partisan nutroot?
factoid on November 15, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Actually, Christians are just as bad. They force the women to make cakes for a bake sale…forced labor, and keeping them in the kitchen. In all fairness, we allow women to wear shoes, and not have as many kids.
But Christians are just as bad and dangerous.
right2bright on November 15, 2007 at 1:57 PM
Right. That’ll show ‘em.
How about we start drilling in the U.S. like our lives depended on it and built a few dozen freaking nuclear reactors? Oh–that might actually solve the problem.
TexasDan on November 15, 2007 at 1:59 PM
Dude, don’t you think associating Rove with a rape story is a bit beyond the pale, even for a far-left partisan nutroot?
factoid on November 15, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Nope just using the quickest method to hopefully get Allah’s attention and yup he has a post up about it now.
CommentGuy on November 15, 2007 at 2:04 PM
Not funny. Or maybe I just don’t get the joke where a fake victim who perpetrates a fraud is compared to a real victim who gets punished for being gang raped.
Buy Danish on November 15, 2007 at 2:15 PM
The Islamists need a major pantsing. I think if they were sufficiently humiliated, perhaps they may abandon their uncivilized ways. Perhaps bombing Mecca would be a good start?
stonemeister on November 15, 2007 at 2:29 PM
This is the kind of thing that gets people like me to want to join the military for a chance to go to Iraq and shoot some of these psychotic Islamists.
Lawrence on November 15, 2007 at 2:36 PM
I would think she’ll be lucky to survive this–200 lashes sounds as if it could kill a person. I suppose they think they’re magnanimous because they didn’t sentence her to be stoned to death.
DrMagnolias on November 15, 2007 at 3:05 PM
The problem is islam and the sick people who worship the moon god (Satan)
abinitioadinfinitum on November 15, 2007 at 3:12 PM
The judge was Sister Mary Elephant!
abinitioadinfinitum on November 15, 2007 at 3:13 PM
All cultures are equal!!!
thirteen28 on November 15, 2007 at 3:27 PM
For the amount of oil we actually get from Saudi Arabia( not much) we could easily get it from Alaska…ooops sorry that’s sacrosanct, isn’t it? We actually import much more oil from Canada, Mexico and Venezuela… yeah Chavez’s hole….
MNDavenotPC on November 15, 2007 at 3:57 PM
Justice???!! The VICTIM OF RAPE gets 200 lashes and a prison sentence, and you call it JUSTICE??!!!????
I pray that I never meet you in person, especially in some dark remote place.
leepro on November 15, 2007 at 5:10 PM
Speaking of Sharia justice -
Here’s Grim milestone.
Buy Danish on November 15, 2007 at 5:49 PM
I think the commenter was being sarcastic. ;)
wytammic on November 15, 2007 at 5:51 PM
I think someone should strap a bomb to their chest and run into The General Court in Qatif.
SoulGlo on November 15, 2007 at 6:02 PM
So, does anyone believe that there is any will for “reform of Islam” in the Magic Kingdom?
That they are sophisticated people that can be trusted?
That some rotating list of “rogue Princes” exist that are fiercely pro American if we just reach out to them?
BL@KBIRD on November 15, 2007 at 6:19 PM
Not true. Their fathers or brothers will “honor kill” them as soon as she gets home because she allowed 8 armed men to disgrace her family.
Nuke Riyadh.
thejackal on November 15, 2007 at 7:09 PM
200 lashes to a Saudi girl isn’t a big deal to a U.S.liberal, as long as we don’t drill in Anwar or off
U.S. coastlines.
gary on November 15, 2007 at 7:13 PM
That is one of the most disturbing stories I have read in a while. Islam is truly a religion of the vilest most cowardly men. Those rapist bastages should be executed, slowly, after being castrated and watching their members be fed to pigs and dogs. I would willingly carry out the sentence. Rapists are one of the lowliest forms of life on the planet. Any woman who can say anything nice or supportive about Islam has a bad case of cranial rectal inversion.
deepdiver on November 15, 2007 at 9:17 PM
I’m no believer in the global warming religion, but it is time to get off the Mid-East Oil, and stop being dependent on these barbarians.
p40tiger on November 16, 2007 at 1:04 AM
Why not just take their oil fields and let them return to being the nomads they should be?
Tim Burton on November 16, 2007 at 10:37 AM
.
That’s exactly right, abinitioadinfinitum. The moon god Baal (pronounced “bale”) was the “god” that Mohammad “the prophet” worshiped. It’s amazing how the one act of disobedience to God (the real one) led to the bastard child of Abraham, and the entire bastard race of Arabs.
.
Just amazing to think how our mistakes on any given day, can lead to such unintended calamitous outcomes, thousands of years later.
.
This has got to be the greatest example of all time, for demonstrating the Biblical principle of generational sin.
.
Keith_Z on November 25, 2007 at 9:22 AM
Comment pages: