Monday, March 9, 2009

Sharia in Practice: 75-Year-Old Woman Sentenced to 40 Lashes after Men Bring Her Bread

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 9 (UPI) -- A 75-year-old Saudi Arabian woman has been sentenced to receive 40 lashes for hosting two unrelated men in her house, local media reported.

The Saudi daily newspaper al-Watan said the woman, Khamisa Mohammed Sawadi, has appealed her sentence after being charged with offenses against Islam by the religious police, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, CNN reported Monday.

Sawadi says the two men in her house were a man she considers her son because she breast-fed him as a baby and a friend who was escorting him as he delivered bread to the elderly woman.

"It's made everybody angry because this is like a grandmother," Saudi women's rights activist Wajeha Huwaider told CNN. "Forty lashes -- how can she handle that pain? You cannot justify it." Source.

14 comments:

Michelle Qureshi said...

Absolutely sick.

Michelle Qureshi said...

David, you missed this gem:

"The U.S. broadcaster reported that Saudi religious police last week also detained two male novelists for questioning after they approached a female writer, Halima Muzfar, for an autograph at a book fair in Riyadh."

Stephanie said...

They might as well be sentencing her to death. I don't know her physical state, but I can't imagine a 75-year-old woman enduring 40 lashes--and I'm guessing it won't be a "light" beating either. That's ludicrous.

Royal Son said...

You can be sure they won't be using a toothbrush. What a completely vile religion.

So what happened to the men who brought the bread?

El-Cid said...

" I can't imagine a 75-year-old woman enduring 40 lashes"

:-( :-( You're right Stepanie. There is a very good chance the damage will kill her.

"So what happened to the men who brought the bread?"

Excellent point Royal Son. I'm guessing they were told, "Bad! Bad Muslim!", slapped on the wrist and sent away freely. Islam is a system from men, and for men. I can't imagine being a Muslima in Saudi Arabia.

Bfoali said...

I Really Hate The Saudi Goverment. They Are So Evil And Cruel. The Goverment Is Far From Islamic For Sure. Forty Lashes To A 75 Year Old Female? I Wonder What Was Sliiped Into The Coffee Of The Person Who Made That Ruling.

DAN12345 said...

Women are the biggest victims of islam,they are treated as property and not humans.Im waiting for an muslim to write the usual " this is not islam!" when it is!

Michelle Qureshi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fernando said...

Whait... I think that we ain't undestanding thee deeper meaning off this action and, accordinglie, we all might be misreading this subject...

surely the whip they'll use to flogg her will be made of cotton candie... it will make her onlie more sweetie...

p.s.: how sick must be someone to believe this's a normall proceadure? Oh... I se: it's donne in accordance to allah's will... Ok... let's suppose it is... I'll rephrase mie words: how sick can be a god to wish suche thing?

Javier said...

Guys. I'm a Christian. But I have a few points to make, if Islam is true...then its good and right for this woman to be lashed isn't it? So these Muslims are only being consistent with Islam, and we are limiting our critique to an external one based on our Christian assumptions, right?

Fernando said...

Javier... as sommeone sayde: any faithe thate disconectes faith and reason is againste God and against humanity...

this actions are against God because they're against humanity (beatting a 74 hears olde woman for reaciveng to men in her house who went there to give her food is dusgusting in itself weather we leave in a muslim or a christian backgroun countrie...), God's biggest treasure...

but then: the fact I'm, lets suppose, french (with oure pennal code... which allowas women to habe hair under theire armpits...) does not grant me the right to speak against what british people (who habe theire own mentality... specialy when dealing with food...) do if whatt they do is againste what can be councieved a strutural value? I feel, and I know, I have all the reight to critiseze them... our post-modern cultural relativism is appaling... not ebery pennal code is the same...

But then... we "frensh" all know that "british" pennal code is false... don't we? then we habe another reason to speak it out lound to gibe a voice to what these frensh human are suffering...

Stephanie said...

Javier,

Yes, Muslims do believe that such punishment towards women is justified because it's allowed in the Quran. However, there are also people in America who believe that cold-blooded murder is completely justified; despite their personal beliefs and afflictions, there are still rules and standards that keep a civilization, well...civilized. This can be, however, circular reasoning: To Muslims, their behavior is civilized and justified since they don't believe man was born with a sin nature. What one defines as "right" and "wrong" comes down to one's system of beliefs. I'm sure you've heard the expression "Well, that works for you, but not for me" - a pure example of relativism. But not everything can be right! For just about everything there must be one right answer; especially when you have so many conflicting views.

Christians know that such violence is wrong. Even Americans with alternate religions and beliefs know it's wrong. But Muslims don't see it that way since the Quran entails violent behavior (jihad, physical "correction" of women, etc). It all comes down to conflicting core beliefs.

A lot of Muslims who are born into the religion don't question their beliefs--and they're actually told NOT to:

Surah 5:101-102 says, O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. Some people before you did ask such questions, and on that account lost their faith.

So most Muslims don't question their beliefs and blindly argue in favor of Islam. The most common argument I've heard was for the "scientific accuracy" of the Quran; but as I was reading a couple of days ago, some of these scientific "proofs" were taken from ancient Greek scientists. One particular example that stood out was Hippocrates' theory about semen: he believed that semen originated from all the fluids in the body, came out of the brain, passed down the spinal cord, through the kidneys, and lastly out of the body. Today, we know this is not true. Surah 86:6-7 claims, "He is created from a drop emitted--proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs." How are Muslims going to respond to that? Either 1) reject this particular interpretation of that passage or 2) reject modern science.

But really, Islam is a violent religion, even though some Muslims claim it's a religion of peace. That of itself seems like a contradiction: Either these Muslims are blaspheming the Quran (when making claims of the texts entailing peaceful behavior) or they really believe that such violent behavior is wrong. Any and every Muslim in the Middle East who came to Christianity was more than likely in danger of losing their lives. A professor of mine who was once a Sunni Muslim that became a Christian mentioned that he received (and probably is still receiving) numerous death threats just because he left Islam. He was ostracized by his own family (until they--with the exception of his father, unfortunately--came to Christianity themselves). His only family were the Christians who witnessed to him. He, once being a very devout Muslim, came to see that Islam was not right. It's unfortunate that there are many Muslims not willing to investigate Christianity, or their own beliefs.

So again, it comes down to a conflict of values.

ubiquitouserendipity said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ubiquitouserendipity said...

i feel the need to apologize to all, but most especially david wood and nabeel qureshi, whom administer this board. my previous comment, which i have deleted, was in poor taste. i don't apologize for my emotions, but for my inappropriate expression of my emotions on this, david's and nabeel's apologetics outreach ministry to the mohammedan community.

i don't believe that my comment has a place in such an important endeavor, so again, i apologize and ask your forgiveness for demeaning the nature of your site and ministry. though i hardly post, i will assure all that any further posts on my part will be edifying to the intent of this board.

G d bless you all for your loving commitment to the Lord's work.

Peace to all who bow the knee to Jesus Christ, our Lord, our G d, our Savior, and our King,,, in His love, joe