Female Flogging in Sudan, Lubna Hussein | 08/05/2009 9:00 am

Female Sudanese Journalist Risks 40 Lashes for Protesting Arrest of Women Wearing Pants (Audio)

UN worker and other women were arrested by Sudan’s ‘morality police’ for wearing pants in public; now she wants her trial and ensuing punishment to show the world how oppressive the laws are.

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

You see them everywhere on streets in this country — women and girls of all shapes and sizes wearing pants. Gone are the days when women are expected to wear only skirts or dresses.

But in the Sudan, where Sharia law rules, wearing pants will get you flogged. And one brave Sudanese female journalist is risking 40 lashes in a public flogging to protest women being arrested for so-called "indecency."

Lubna Hussein, 43, was one of 12 women arrested last month by the country’s "morality police" for wearing pants in public. She could receive 40 lashes if she’s found guilty of violating that country’s indecency laws. The country abides by a strict interpretation of Islam, or Sharia law. Hussein called the law "oppressive" and she has received support from many women in her country who turned out to protest her trial yesterday — many of the women in pants. Sudanese police reportedly fired tear gas at them and beat women protesters. Hussein was granted immunity as a United Nations worker — she worked in the media department in Sudan — but she waived that immunity to continue with her trial, defend herself and send the message that there was nothing wrong with her clothing. Hussein’s new trial date is September 7.

"I am indeed enthusiastic to take a stand whatever the court decides. I am not looking for an innocent verdict," Hussein said on Monday. "I am taking a stand to change the unconstitutional law, which contradicts the peace accord terms."

Hussein wants to be the mouthpiece for the over "20,000 girls and women" arrested for their choice of dress, those women arrested and flogged, those who have been forced to pay fines. She invited people to attend her trial and public flogging to bring attention to the plight of women.

"I’m not afraid from pain … flog is not pain. Flog is insult — insult to humans, insult to women," Hussein told the BBC. "This happened in Khartoum … for only wearing trousers and sitting in a restaurant … What can be happening to women in Darfur? This is my message."

Listen to Lubna’s interview with the BBC here.

20 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I am surprised that no one else has yet to post on this heinous topic.

The article mentions (glibbly I might say) ‘women aren’t expected to wear skirts and dresses…’ WRONG. In Sharia governed countries, there IS NO CHOICE OF DRESS…women MUST wear the burqua…or suffer the consequences of the ‘morality police.’

Why I think this thread has been avoided, here on WoW…is that it clearly and succinctly expresses what has happened in Great Britain; in Denmark; and what is ramping up in Canada. The larger the Muslim population…the more ‘pressure’ on the PC mainstream to ‘tolerate’ Sharia. Beat your wife…why its cultural; imprison your daugher, why its my beliefs; honor killing, why its my rights as a dishonored male relative.

No one wants to do the heavy lifting, short of Lubna Hussein, to call out the horrors being dealt women (and permitted!!!) in the name of faith. And guess what…Sharia is coming to your community soon too…if American law makers don’t stop pandering, and tolerating, and take a stand that women are equal citizens HERE!!!

Historically maybe a good long look at the ‘melting pot’ mentality is what is is needed; rather than ‘celebrating’ the wonders of the Sharia diversity.

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 08/05/2009 9:41 am

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This is so horrible! This woman is a criminal because she wears pants. UNBELIEVABLE!!

By Kristy B on 08/05/2009 10:13 am

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"I’m not afraid from pain … flog is not pain. Flog is insult — insult to humans, insult to women," That is so true!

By Grande Camper on 08/05/2009 10:36 am

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its outrageous that in MY life time Women are still told by men ,, regulations,and religions what they can and not wear

By Sandra Sitara on 08/05/2009 10:45 am

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The clothing is not the outrage. The outrage is the ‘whistling and looking the other way’ in the name of almighty diversity. Honor killings have occurred even here in the US (remember the Islamic TV Network owner, in upstate NY, who killed his wife—an honor killing—because she wanted a divorce?)

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 08/05/2009 1:07 pm

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I see this as a possible win-win situation for the Obama administration and humanitarian negotiator in-chief Bill Clinton.

By sending Bill there, Obama could get credit for the diplomatic resolution to a humanitarian crisis with an Islamic extremist state without preconditions and Bill Clinton is on hand to witness the spanking.

It’s a beautiful thing.

By Martha Vinyard on 08/05/2009 1:08 pm

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Where are the feminists? Where is the outrage? If this was some conservative Christian sect that beat their women for wearing pants, can you imagine the coverage this type of thing would get?

By Beth Pie on 08/05/2009 3:21 pm

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Flogging is a public beating that is extremely painful and humiliating. I feel so bad for this woman and all the women who are being dictated to by ‘moral police’ about what to wear, when and where they can go and with whom, and even dictating that they must have sex with their husbands and how often.

I have a friend who did a tour of duty in Afghanistan a few years ago. He said he actually saw an idiot pull out his sword and behead his wife all because she had spoken to her husband and another man had heard her voice in public.

I’m also horrified at the acceptance of this type of ‘culture’ in our own borders. I don’t know the laws in NY state, but being charged only with manslaughter, instead of murder with special circumstances, for beheading his wife is a gross misconduct of justice.

If it were a stanger who had beheaded someone, they would have thrown the book at him.

By K M on 08/05/2009 4:57 pm

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One can be appalled by this and one should but judging another culture by one’s own is not realistic nor accurate at all IMO. We tend in the US and the west to judge other countries by our own standards. It really doesn’t work. And it shows our own ignorance of their culture and history; but blessedly it shows our compassion too and that is a damn sight more important than bemoaning the fact that this does exist and has for thousands of year. We are not going to change it, and condemning it may be/is unrealistic, for who there in the Mid-East and Africa is really going to listen to us. No one in the Sudan, Saudi, Iraq, Iran etc. O

By F P on 08/05/2009 5:13 pm

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The idea you are missing is, that in the West this IS UNACCEPTABLE. Yet, in the all inclusive mantra of ‘diversity’ WE in the west are being expected to ‘look the other way’ when this misogynist horror comes to our countries. What doesn’t work is bringing 6th century thinking to the 21st century world. Yet it is. Shari’a is to be ‘honored’ as part of the ‘culture.’ BS!!!

Those who leave those Islamic lead countries for the west MUST BE TOLD that Shari’a and its absolute terror/jihad over women WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Beat your wife…face criminal assault charges and jailtime; ‘honor’ kill your daughter…first degree murder. Period.

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 08/06/2009 11:12 am

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The idea you are missing is that we cannot force our beliefs, our ethics on anyone else. That leads to Vietnams and Iraq-type wars which serve no purpose but to create terrorists as is more than evident today.

By F P on 08/06/2009 11:33 am

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Force our ethics on anyone else? So, if somebody—in the name of profound diversity—believes sharing the wealth (bank robbery) is a tenet of their faith, well then, lets all forego the dye in the money bags, and let the true believers have at it?

No. We culturally dictate what is acceptable. Beating and killing women is unacceptable, lawless, punishable behavior IN OUR COUNTRY…or in the western world. Period. What is the difference of the ‘creating of terrorists’ that will flogg a woman for not dressing as ‘they’ dictate…or flying a plane into a building (in the name of their ‘g-d’)? It is their religious believes run amok on others liberties…to argue anything else is regressing to the 6th Century. Shari’a law cannot exist in a free society!!!

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 08/06/2009 11:45 am

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Of course Shari’a cannot exist in a free society—no argument there—but..who says we dictate what another country should do re freedom? If heinous acts against women occur here in our country or the west we deal with it—severely. As to your second sentence—it’s a specious argument and analogy because it’s not what I stated at all. Again, we cannot force our beliefs on another country—we have tried and look where it’s got us—Iraq. We dictate to no one but ourselves what is acceptable behavior in our citizens.

By F P on 08/06/2009 12:17 pm

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I find it frightening that some people expect us all to accept the mistreatment of women just because it’s ‘culture.’ Heinous acts are heinous no matter what culture you are from. That’s like saying the North should have accepted slavery going on in the South because that was ‘culture’ or we as Americans should have totally stayed out of Germany because the Hollocust was their ‘culture.’ It’s scary that some people think that just because it’s not right in our front yards we should over look it.

By K M on 08/25/2009 3:45 pm

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the funny thing is that tactically, for a lady’s safety, pants are the best option…… I wonder why no one ever addresses that issue. If I go out on the town, I always wear pants and comfortable shoes. Try fending off an attacker in a skirt and heels…. it may be difficult. Yet, some customs dictate a woman wear skirts and dresses. Hm… these same cultures view women as "less then" …

By aud b on 08/05/2009 9:17 pm