This is the woman who is facing 40 lashes for wearing pants. PANTS.
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What an extraordinary story. It's all too easy to forget that there are women suffering unimagineably draconian laws in some countries. Laws governing what they can wear, who they marry, whether they can drive. So many basic freedoms that we take for granted…..
A Sudanese journalist facing 40 lashes for wearing "indecent"
trousers vowed on the eve of her judgment that she is ready to be
whipped 40,000 times in her bid to change the country's harsh laws. Lubna
Ahmed al-Hussein, who works for the media department of the United
Nations Mission in Sudan, is to be judged tomorrow after waiving the
immunity granted to UN workers.
She is to be judged
under Article 152 of Sudanese law, which promises 40 lashes for anyone
"who commits an indecent act which violates public morality or wears
indecent clothing".
Hussein, who is in her 30s and
whose husband died of kidney failure, said in a telephone interview:
"I'm ready for anything to happen. I'm absolutely not afraid of the
verdict."
Police arrested Hussein and 12 other women
wearing trousers at a Khartoum restaurant on July 3. Two days later 10
of the women accepted a punishment of 10 lashes, but Hussein is
appealing in a bid to eliminate such rough justice. The other two women are also facing charges.
"If
I'm sentenced to be whipped, or to anything else, I will appeal. I will
see it through to the end, to the constitutional court if necessary,"
Hussein said.
"And if the constitutional court says the law is constitutional, I'm ready to be whipped not 40 but 40,000 times."
Hussein
invited scores of journalists to her first court hearing on Wednesday,
when she made a point of wearing the same clothes she wore when she was
arrested – moss-green slacks with a loose floral top and green
headscarf.
Hordes of people, many of them female
supporters and some also wearing trousers out of solidarity, crammed
into the courthouse for the hearing.
"My main
objective is to get rid of Article 152," Hussein said. "This article is
against both the constitution and sharia [the Islamic law ruling
northern Sudan]."
Adding insult to injury, some of
the women whipped in July were from animist and Christian south Sudan
where sharia law does not apply.
"If some people
refer to the sharia to justify flagellating women because of what they
wear, then let them show me which Koranic verses or hadith [sayings of
the Prophet Muhammed] say so. I haven't found them."
Unlike
many other Arab countries, particularly in the Gulf, women have a
prominent place in Sudanese public life. Nevertheless, human rights
organisations say some of the country's laws discriminate against women.
"Tens
of thousands of women and girls have been whipped for their clothes
these last 20 years. It's not rare in Sudan," Hussein said.
"It's
just that none of them would dare complain, because who would believe
that they were whipped just for wearing trousers? They're afraid of
scandal, of raising doubts about their morals.
"I want people to know. I want these women's voices to be heard."
By
bringing the practice into the public eye "I've already won half the
battle," she said, vowing to wear the same "indecent" clothes to her
judgment tomorrow.
What a brave woman. And what an extraordinary law. If anyone reading this is aware of organisations that work to help women in these kinds of situations and knows what we can do to help, please let us know….
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I should be arrested for many of the things I have worn. Like stirrup pants for example.
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A woman wearing skinny jeans cannot be raped. Discuss.
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Stop the world. Michelle Obama is wearing shorts.
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I’m going to start wearing my clothes. Really.
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Control pants. Please discuss.
It has been an interesting debate! I like the idea proposed by Roz:) If that indeed could be organised I would go!
One thing that bothers me, however, is that women themselves are the staunchiest keepers of such archaic laws and punishments. It is interesting that India was mentioned. I remember reading somewhere about the whole phenomenon of women marrying and becoming a ‘second class citizen’ in their husband’s family, and it is often a mother-in-law who becomes the most eager perpetrator of humiliations and oppression. Mother-in-law jokes aside, some think that in societies where women are far less powerful then men, older women can only experience a sense of being an equal or superior by exterting power over another woman. Therefore they are only too eager to hold on to ‘traditions’ what serve as a tool of exercising control.
It is interesting that when decline of morality in our society was mentioned, it was young girls, not boys, that served as an example. I think that deep inside collective subconscious there is a notion that women are the root of all evil. Adam and Eve phenomena? Hence the witch hunts and stake burning, hence the genital mutilation, hence the wrapping women into head-to-toe burkas, hence the persecution of each and every woman in Australian politics. I think we all need to realise that until we women become more forgiving towards other women and express more female solidarity, nothing in this world will change.
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Inspiring.
A woman making a difference in the world.
I’m wearing cargo pants today… and not a lashing in sight…. how privileged am i.
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MissManly, I’m generally with you and the crimes against women in particular conducted under the banner of sharia law.
But unfortunately you don’t have to look much further to see countries with horrific levels of violence against women – China has a terrible human rights record and the women into slavery issue is a serious problem. Then there is Bangladesh, and India (disputes over dowries, acid throwing etc), genital mutilation in North Africa. It’s depressing how much longer I could go on….
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April- interesting re reading when capitals are used- the word warped as you have used it could indicate a verb or an adjective. I assumed you meant it as an adjective when I read it.
MissManly- you do make some very valid points and I am not one for political corrctness for the sake of it myself.
On a side point you mention in what other country would a woman be punished for immodesty in dress. To some in this country and others like ours, it would appear that immodesty in dress is a perfectly legitimate reason/ excuse to rape a woman. If this is not society meting out ‘punishment’ then maybe I am drawing a long bow.
Mungo- cultural relativism does not have to mean that everyone in that culture shares the same understandings, experiences and values as those in authority, as is obvious with Lubna Ahmed speaking out against such practices.
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TQ – re-read my comment – “a COUNTRY has so WARPED a RELIGION” not ‘a WARPED RELIGION”. It saddens me immensly when organised religion is WARPED by a COUNTRY or its LEADERS, not the religion itself…
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What an amazing woman.
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I fully support this poor woman – an individual’s right to choose (assuming it does not cause damage to another individual) should be engrained in a global law that no leader or religious group has the right to overturn. I wish it was possible to organise 20 million free-thinking woman from all over the world to be in Sudan at this time, demonstrating for freedom and equality. Then we could move on to the next country…and the next and…
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Anyone who thinks women have finally acheived equality in the world? Check your head.
Stepford Dreams – I actually think there’s a lot of apathy to these kinds of stories, hence the lack of comments to your story originally. The size of Jessica Simpson’s arse or pics of Ange and Brad are often far more interesting. It’s quite sad, really.
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Mungo, I will venture what laws are right.
Human right laws are right.
There are violations of human right laws in many countires governed by extremist religious governments. This is not imposing ‘western’ culture. This is about striving for every country to honour basic human rights. Turkey is a Muslim country but not radical – and it million miles away from countries like Afganistan or Somalia in terms of human rights.
I don’t understand when people mention ‘complete decline of morality” and ‘slutty’ teenage girls in one sentence. Really, we should leave young girls alone to dress whatever way they like. I think every generation thinks that the youth are morally appaling. They will all grow up to be respectable adults just like us.
Last I checked, most people in Australia were enjoying comfortable, pleasant lives where everyone relished their personal freedoms and enjoyed access to equal opportunities regardless of gender. If there was a ‘complete decline of morality’, our lives would be total chaos, no?
Just looked out of the window, still the same happy country. Parents with strollers and pensioners with small dogs…
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I agree that Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is an incredibly brave woman. I wish her all my very best.
I take heart in that she can appeal her judgement and take it to the constitutional court if needed. Hopefully progress can be made.
I know this is NOTHING like what Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is going through and I am not trying o compare it but just out of interest maybe to the younger ones, in my first city office job in the late 80s I was not allowed to wear trousers/slacks of any kind.
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I’m all for equal rights – for everyone – so please don’t get the wrong idea about the questions I ask in the next few lines. I am neither a lefty, a muslim, or a sexist. But there is always another point of view to think about.
What is the solution here? Do we impose western values on this culture? Is that going to make them better off? And which parts of western culture should they take, and which should they leave?
As a hard-line Islamic leader, what would you think when you look to the west and see pre-teen girls dressing like hookers, and a complete decline in morality? Would you want to tighten the grip on your society? Would your people look across and see the mess we’re in and follow the leaders even more blindly? Abso-fu**en-lutely
I’m not saying it’s right in any way to even put these restrictions on women – let alone throw corporal punishment into the mix. I guess it just sickens me when ever I see people judging another culture based on their own experiences. FFS, that’s what Muslim extremists do when they look at us.
My point is, who is to say which laws are right or wrong? There are many unjust laws here that we don’t even pay attention to. How many of you give a toss about the injustices the Australian government dishes out to our indigenous people?
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And here I am sitting in front of my laptop wearing my trusty old jeans….we are definitely living in the ‘lucky country’ though we should never forget those less fortunate than ourselves.
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Sorry one more thing…irrespective of the context of Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein’s stance, it is nothing but pure heroism. She is making a sacrifice for her beliefs, and it because of people like her that humanity has made the progress over the centuries. It is because of people like her slavery was abolished and workers were granted industrial rights, etc etc…This leaves me in total awe….
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TQ – at a risk being branded a very politically incorrect person – which is by no means an offense to me – barbaric punishments like this one seem to only exist in countries rules by Sharia law. I struggle to think of another counhtry where a woman’s ‘immodesty’ would call for such a severe punishment. I know Quran only stipulates that the dress should be modest without going into specifics, but as a whole, it aims to govern every aspect of people’s life. Many critics of Islam find such amalgamation of religion and state opressive and the root of many of those countries’ problems. A good example is Afganistan, where after installation of Sharia under Taliban government, women were banned from working. No wonder the country is in ruins as female emancipation seems to be a great indicator of the overall development of the country. Many critics have called for the religion to be reformed, including Salman Rushdie. I think it does say something about it being somewhat out of touch with the economic and social progress the world as a whole has made.
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I am with you Miss Manly, read all the the books by
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, vonderfull and courages womens, and I do have lots and lots rispect for Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, if the success that Susan Boyle had, thanks to the internet can be turn in something more positive that would be great, even tough thing do not change in Sudan straigh away, those womens will know that they have the support of other womens from the rest of the world, I call it love in action, do not know how to go about this, any ideas?
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Well said Natalie.
Maybe we should send Kyle and Jacki O to Sudan…
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April- Lubna Ahmed makes it very clear that Article 152 of Sudanese law which prohibits the wearing of indecent dress, punishable by 40 lashes, is NOT related to Islam, and cannot be found anywhere in the Koran or Hadith, nor embodied in Shariah law.
Islam is not a “warped religion”, any more so than Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. People, and nations, have a right to follow their religious beliefs.
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I, like many others, was so sad when I read about this. And what an incredibly brave woman. Like Kerri, stories like this make me so grateful to live in such a wonderful country. Few people realise how truly lucky we are. MissManly, in regards to your feminism comment; I think many women who dismiss feminism simply dislike the elements of feminism which restrict choice rather promote it. But that’s another discussion altogether =)
Courtney, the UN’s powers in cases like this are actually quite limited. The concept of state sovereignty means that the UN can very, very rarely intervene in domestic matters without negating the UN Charter and the principles of the UN. Also, I don’t think it’s entirely fair to make that statement about the US; the Iraq invasion, for example, caused serious debate within the UN, with the Secretary General denouncing it as illegal.
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What an incredibly brave woman Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is. I hope she wins as the thought of her receiving 40 lashes and other women like her sickens me.
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There are a lot of countries operating in some kind of time warp – they haven’t noticed it’s the 21st century.
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It gets worse…look up the laws for Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan etc its disgusting what they think of women. Such backward thinking I’m surprised it even existed in the bible days.
Jayne I think the UN do have opportunities to exercise more power but sadly if its not in US interest they don’t
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She’s incredibly brave.
I went on a date once where the guy emailed me after berating me for wearing jeans…on a BOAT. He was merely white American and couldn’t understand why any woman would choose to wear pants over a skirt.
I only ever saw him the once…
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You know Mia I was so sad about this, I posted about it on my blog last week expecting other women to have a similar reaction but hardly anyone commented. I’m not sure which is more sad- that women are are still being subjected to such injustices or that other women are so apathetic to it… or maybe it’s just certain demographics.
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wow – see this is the kind of role model I want my daughter to have – but to have to explain to her that a country has so warped a religion to hurt people seems very hard…So amazingly impressed by her.So brave and strong and sure. its …nup no words.
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MissManly, I totally agree with your statement about the dismissal of feminism these days. I have recently been involved in many debates on a forum where women are saying “we have enough, we don’t need to ‘do’ feminism anymore”. WTF??!!
THEY might feel like they have “enough” but feminist issues which are encompassed in human rights are not just a local issue. What’s the saying? Act local, think global?
This woman, and the many others like her, have my utter admiration, respect and support, in any way I can. I don’t want my 8mo daughter having to read articles like this when she has grown up. Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is trying to change that for my daughter, and everyone else’s daughters. I am extremely thankful women like her exist.
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She is so inspiring.
I often feel grateful for my tremendous luck to be born in this country, when so many others are destined to live lives of persecution and/or poverty elsewhere in the world.
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to add to MissManly’s comments.. some of those rights and freedoms we take for granted aren’t actually what we think they are- it was not until I watched the (excellent) ABC program ‘Q and A’ last week that I realised that abortion is not actually legal in Australia- that a “woman’s right to choose” is predicated on her ability to find a doctor willing to perform the abortion as a medical procedure, or to prescribe RU486.
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exactly what Natalie said!
And also, thank you too MissManly, i’m going to read up the info you posted.
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It’s amazing that things like this still happen. I wish the UN had more power to stop this kind of treatment and the ‘laws’ that allow it.
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Imagine if the Sudanese police came to Sydney for a holiday – all these young girls wearing TIGHTS as pants!
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Wow. What an amazing woman..
There I was thinking I was a badass for getting my lip pierced back when I turned 16 and thinking I was hard done by with my curfew time. Ha!
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A donation to an organisation like Amnesty International in your respective countries would certainly go some way to addressing such gross violations of women’s rights (and all human rights) the world over.
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It is a topic I always follow with keen interest in media – the fight for human rights by people originating from countries oppressed by the Muslim Sharia law. It is very interesting that a lot of outspoken critics of Islamic regimes are women, save for Salman Rushdie. There are many women who have risked their lives by speaking out. Both British and German branches of the Council of Ex-Muslims (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/jun/19/thecourageoftheirconvictions) are women. Living in Europe does not make it safer for them to follow their conviction. Another great example of women taking personal risk is Hirsi Ali. I am sure we have all seen her books on bookshelfs. To my knowledge, she still lives in secret, protected locations due to threats against her life.
There is a trust “Foundation for Freedom of Expression” that has been set up to protect Hirsi Ali and other dissidents in the Muslim world. Perhaps, that could be something of interest, Mia, if you would like to help. Also, Amnesty International generally works to protect all human right victims in all countries.
And lastly, it really angers me when us women dismiss feminism as some misconception that is outdated and irrelevant. We do take for granted the rights and freedoms we enjoy, and think we are a thousand light years away from the brutal opression women experience in some countries. But it was not until early 20th century that women were allowed to vote in Australia. Wasn’t it only in the 50s that women were expected to resign once married?
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It never ceases to baffle me how this sort of behaviour is still acceptable in our society.
However this isn’t the worst of it for women in Sudan. The 2007/2008 Amnesty International Report for Sudan speaks in great detail about the use of rape as a weapon of war, particularly in the Darfur region. The Janjawid militias, who are supposedly bringing peace to the land, continually rape women and are never brought to justice. Read about it here http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/sudan/report-2007.
Very few charities and NGOs work in the region due to it’s high volatility.
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Wow, this story is amazing. I was actually a little shocked when I first read it yesterday. We came very close to moving to Dubai and when I read about all the ‘conditions’ of the culture it was actually a little unnerving.
Let’s hope this amazing woman can make a change for the better. Like Natalie said this brave woman makes you never want to complain about your life again.
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How very civilised. Obviously a very forward looking country. The leaders of Sudan, should take a damn hard look at themselves, and realise this is the 21st century, for God’s sake ! We haven’t progressed very far, have we ?…..
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I’m stunned. Go her! These are the sorts of women I want to hear about and have as role models – not vacuous morons like Paris Hilton (who probably doesn’t even know where the Sudan is anyway)
Girl power always
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What an incredible woman. It’s people like this we should be hearing more about in the news instead of celebrity love lives and talentless wannabes.
I don’t know where Lubna Ahmed gets her courage from but she puts all my little gripes and stresses to shame.
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