Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man - Times Online
A 37-year-old American businesswoman and married mother of three is seeking justice after she was thrown in jail by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks coffee shop in Riyadh.
Yara, who does not want her last name published for fear of retribution, was bruised and crying when she was freed from a day in prison after she was strip-searched, threatened and forced to sign false confessions by the Kingdom's ??Mutaween? police.
Her story offers a rare first-hand glimpse of the discrimination faced by women living in Saudi Arabia. In her first interview with the foreign press, Yara told The Times that she would remain in Saudi Arabia to challenge its harsh enforcement of conservative Islam rather than return to America.
Related Links
* Does Islam fit with our law?
* Saudi King spares rape victim from lashes
??If I want to make a difference I have to stick around. If I leave they win. I can't just surrender to the terrorist acts of these people,? said Yara, who moved to Jeddah eight years ago with her husband, a prominent businessman.
Her ordeal began with a routine visit to the new Riyadh offices of her finance company, where she is a managing partner.
The electricity temporarily cut out, so Yara and her colleagues ?? who are all men ?? went to a nearby Starbucks to use its wireless internet.
She sat in a curtained booth with her business partner in the café's ??family? area, the only seats where men and women are allowed to mix.
For Yara, it was a matter of convenience. But in Saudi Arabia, public contact between unrelated men and women is strictly prohibited.
??Some men came up to us with very long beards and white dresses. They asked ??Why are you here together?'. I explained about the power being out in our office. They got very angry and told me what I was doing was a great sin,? recalled Yara, who wears an abaya and headscarf, like most Saudi women.
The men were from Saudi Arabia's Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, a police force of several thousand men charged with enforcing dress codes, sex segregation and the observance of prayers.
Yara, whose parents are Jordanian and grew up in Salt Lake City, once believed that life in Saudi Arabia was becoming more liberal. But on Monday the religious police took her mobile phone, pushed her into a cab and drove her to Malaz prison in Riyadh. She was interrogated, strip-searched and forced to sign and fingerprint a series of confessions pleading guilty to her ??crime?.
??They took me into a filthy bathroom, full of water and dirt. They made me take off my clothes and squat and they threw my clothes in this slush and made me put them back on,? she said. Eventually she was taken before a judge.
??He said 'You are sinful and you are going to burn in hell'. I told him I was sorry. I was very submissive. I had given up. I felt hopeless,? she said.
Yara's husband, Hatim, used his political contacts in Jeddah to track her whereabouts. He was able to secure her release.
??I was lucky. I met other women in that prison who don't have the connections I did,? she said. Her story has received rare coverage in Saudi Arabia, where the press has been sharply critical of the police.
Yara was visited yesterday by officials from the American Embassy, who promised they would file a report.
An embassy official told The Times that it was being treated as ??an internal Saudi matter? and refused to comment on her case.
Tough justice
?? Saudi Arabia??s Mutaween has 10,000 members in almost 500 offices
?? Ahmad al-Bluwi, 50, died in custody in 2007 in the city of Tabuk after he invited a woman outside his immediate family into his car
?? In 2007 the victim of a gang rape was sentenced to 200 lashes and six years in jail for having been in an unrelated man??s car at the time. She was pardoned by King Abdullah, although he maintained the sentence had been fair
for everyone that thinks america cares about human rights, we blindly support terrorist in saudi arabia, and we support people that abuse human rights. what happened to the real america that actually cares about human rights
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas grass
for everyone that thinks america cares about human rights, we blindly support terrorist in saudi arabia, and we support people that abuse human rights. what happened to the real america that actually cares about human rights
"what happened to the real america that actually cares about human rights"?
What happened is: They're using Arab oil to drive their brats to soccer practice in their SUV's.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
I'm not going to start a firestorm by pointing out the reasons why Islamic countries act this way, but I can tell you that they're not going to change. There are so many who are quick to demonize what they call "fundamentalist Christians", and make all sorts of baseless arguments about how terrible they are... but then they turn a blind eye to a culture that can base instances like these, and many that are far worse, on words found in their most holiest of books.
Compassion isn't going to make women equal in these countries. Good will is never going to restore the basic human rights that they never even had to begin with. There will never be peace within a culture that embraces violence as an integral part of their religious influence.
Sadly, actions like these are becoming more prevalent among numerous Islamic governments. Many of whom are banding together under these extremist forms of Islamic law, and viciously promoting its adherence. You might as well get used reading about it, because it won't be stopping any time soon. Think about this: For every case like this one, where the woman lived to share her story... think about how many had their lives cut short before they could share theirs.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
I think it's sad how these things happen in Africa every day. Worse than these things almost.
But nobody hears about that. Cause we aren't fighting 'terror' there. This has been happening since the dawn of their civilization. And we never heard of it over here. We knew it. But never heard it.
That's sad man.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
I can't just surrender to the terrorist acts of these people,? said Yara
Terrorist acts?????? uhh? no. Thats clearly part of their government.
I'm for equality for all women!! :thumbsup:
..but , please, let's not confuse the issue and blame `terrorists` in place of the legitimate government and judicial system in their country.
If people realised how unhealthy it was to compare Islamic Law to terrorism maybe they wouldn't do it. (the double reversal was unintentional, but I'll leave it in there, people need to think, change?, not blame)!
Peace,
Denial
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
in iran and saudi arabia they have recently gotten more strict about these laws. the level of enforcement goes in phases. its not a blanket polocy for the entire country for saudi arabia or iran, there are areas that are more tolerant of women acting more freely in public in both countries.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
the only thing i am trying to point out is that we preach about human rights and civil liberties and every country better have that stuff but actually support governments that are against human rights and civil liberties
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by denial102
..but , please, let's not confuse the issue and blame `terrorists` in place of the legitimate government and judicial system in their country.
If people realised how unhealthy it was to compare Islamic Law to terrorism maybe they wouldn't do it. (the double reversal was unintentional, but I'll leave it in there, people need to think, change?, not blame)!
Peace,
Denial
Dude I didn't blame terrorists at all. I said the only reason you hear about that part of the world is because of 'the war on terror'. I didn't say terrorists did it.
Not confusing it with anything. just remarking how you wouldn't have heard that if we weren't over there..that sorta of thing never really got news coverage.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas grass
the only thing i am trying to point out is that we preach about human rights and civil liberties and every country better have that stuff but actually support governments that are against human rights and civil liberties
So you are going to belittle the United States for "not" doing anything to influence Saudi Arabia, because you feel we could help improve those peoples lives?
Are you going to be the first on the "I hate America" bandwagon when it comes around too, and say that the United States is "policing the world" and that we have no right to and that we are evil blah blah.......
Which is it?
I am confused as to what you think our role should be in the world.
:wtf:
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by 8182KSKUSH
So you are going to belittle the United States for "not" doing anything to influence Saudi Arabia, because you feel we could help improve those peoples lives?
Are you going to be the first on the "I hate America" bandwagon when it comes around too, and say that the United States is "policing the world" and that we have no right to and that we are evil blah blah.......
Which is it?
I am confused as to what you think our role should be in the world.
:wtf:
i think our cia and military does not need to go around the world causing havok. and if people are evil we should not trade with and act like they are our good friends. and america should not police the world and we should not have an empire. i am for the origional non interventalist america that didnt kill presidents and cared for its liberties. not america that takes away liberties and kills leaders and lies to its people every which corner you go around. lets remember our military is in about 140 out of 160 nations in the world and our black ops are in even more nations. again there is no such thing as lesser of evil theres evil and theres no evil
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
But in Saudi Arabia, public contact between unrelated men and women is strictly prohibited.
When in Rome,Do as the Romans Do.
Anyone who has lived overseas in another Country knows,You are not in your own backyard.Your in a diffrent place with diffrent rules and ways of life.She cant expect to go to japan and drive on the right side of the road,just cause we do it here.Customs are diffrent and so are the people and their views.
I think what happened to her was Harsh,but at the same time.......
...The middle east is still on the brink of change,Best thing to do is play it safe and do things the way the locals do.
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas grass
the only thing i am tryg to point out is that we preach about human rights and civil liberties and every country better have that stuff but actually support governments that are against human rights and civil liberties
I totally understand what you're saying. I recently read a news article where a woman in Saudi Arabia got raped by 3 men and then she got 3 years of prison and the men only got 1. The sentence: she was riding in a car with a man that wasn't related to her! :( Its sad but we can only take over the middle east one country at a time! (sarcastic) haha :stoned:
Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man
Quote:
Originally Posted by FreshNugz
Dude I didn't blame terrorists at all. I said the only reason you hear about that part of the world is because of 'the war on terror'. I didn't say terrorists did it.
Not confusing it with anything. just remarking how you wouldn't have heard that if we weren't over there..that sorta of thing never really got news coverage.
hey dude, i'm stoned as hell right now; but seriously, I never said you did blame terrorists at all :-) :thumbsup:
Peace,
Denial
