Voiceless in Saudi Arabia

[Dr. Richard Grossman]

Hi everybody,

Two disturbing news items from Saudi Arabia:

From Feb. 2009:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?contentID=2009020828735&method=home.regcon

Girl gets a year in jail, 100 lashes for adultery
By Adnan Shabrawi
JEDDAH – A 23-year-old unmarried woman was awarded one-year prison term and 100 lashes for committing adultery and trying to abort the resultant fetus.
The District Court in Jeddah pronounced the verdict on Saturday after the girl confessed that she had a forced sexual intercourse with a man who had offered her a ride. The man, the girl confessed, took her to a rest house, east of Jeddah, where he and four of friends assaulted her all night long.
The girl claimed that she became pregnant soon after and went to King Fahd Hospital for Armed Forces in an attempt to carry out an abortion. She was eight weeks’ pregnant then, the hospital confirmed.
According to the ruling, the woman will be sent to a jail outside Jeddah to spend her time and will be lashed after delivery of her baby who will take the mother’s last name. – Okaz/SG

From 2007:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/11/20/saudi.rape.victim/index.html

Saudi: Why we punished rape victim


If this hasn't sickened you enough, you may want to read:

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009110253314

including this excerpt:

"The campaign will educate the public on the Kingdom’s legal procedures and instructions that protect their rights, he said, warning against any violation of human rights in the Kingdom.

One of the goals of the campaign is to check all government employees’ behavior with the public against the principles of human rights, Al-Obyan said.

The dissemination of the human rights culture in the Kingdom is, in fact, clear evidence of the King’s vision for promoting peace, security and integrity for all people living in the Kingdom, he added."

As long as you're not a woman.


Best,

Richard

[BonesMS]

That makes me SO ANGRY that women are treated like that!!!!!!   

Bones

[sunblue]

How in the world can any politician or world leader state with a straight face that we have made progress??????  And why is not everyone screaming at the top of their lungs this must be stopped?  What an incredibly sad statment on the priorities of our society and those of the world's countries.  If only a fraction of the time we spent debating Britney Spears, the 2016 Olympics and Balloon Boy and other "news" was devoted to helping victims like this poor woman, imagine what a difference could be made.

Truly, truly horrible. 

[lighter]

That's terrible, Dr. G.

Just evil.\

Mo2

[cantors.counter]

How sick. I cannot even begin to understand how people believe this is justice.

[CB123]

This is horrifying to me, and I dont understand how we (as a nation) look the other way when faced with it.  I have often thought that throughout history, there have been various scapegoats and only a few are consistently cast in that role.  Women are one of them, and I just dont get it.

Saudi Arabia is not the only country that perpetrates this kind of abuse--or worse--China is a major offender, and the United States seems to be crafting its trade relations and political alliances without any regard at all for that.

CB

[Hopalong]

I agree, CB...and it makes me angry and so sad.

Human rights does not seem to equal women's rights.

Because women's lives are secondary--the money and the power is concentrated with one gender, so that gender makes decisions with its own interests first in mind...

Certainly corporate entities and governments reflect that.

Hops

[bearwithme]

If they hate and disrepect women's lives so much, why don't they let them leave the country?????

[sunblue]

Why don't they let them leave the country?  Well, because, just like Ns, they "need" those women.  They need them to raise their children, cook, clean, take care of their every whim and wish. They "use" their women just like Ns "use" the sources of their narcissistic supply.  They don't value or respect them, but they need them for their own selfish reasons.

[Ami]

In  Arab countries woman are considered property. Our dogs have laws which protect them. Woman do not have the simplest of such laws . They can be killed and it is not  considered a crime. I think I am right about this. If not, maybe s/one else knows  differently.                  Ami

[bearwithme]

Why don't they let them leave the country?  Well, because, just like Ns, they "need" those women.  They need them to raise their children, cook, clean, take care of their every whim and wish. They "use" their women just like Ns "use" the sources of their narcissistic supply.  They don't value or respect them, but they need them for their own selfish reasons.

I'm with you on all of that, Sunblue.  My question was facetious  

I wonder about the women who have been able to leave Saudi Arabia and gone to a western civilization style of life, I wonder what they think?  How were they able to leave?  I'm sure that the United States (where I live) has a good population of Saudi women and I'm curious as to how they came here, why they came here and what they think of the women here???  We have so many cultures and so many different women from every walk of life in this country and each one is allowed the same freedoms as the girl next door, what do they think about that??

Bear

[Ales2]

This is awful stuff, thanks for pointing it out Dr. G.  If the concept of voicelessness around the world is an interest of yours, you must read IN THE HOT ZONE by Kevin Sites. He's a nationally recognized war correspondent who traveled for one year to 20 war zones covering collateral damage, i.e the victims of war. He has numerous chapters on victims without a voice. Also, the book comes with a stunning DVD documentary of his travels.