SUDANESE police arrested 13 women in a raid on a cafe and flogged ten of them in public for wearing trousers in violation of the country’s strict Islamic law.
Despite her country's trousers prohibition, Miss Sudan, participating in the Miss Arab World contest in 2007, defiantly wore jeans. What a tramp!
The 13 women were at a cafe in the capital, Khartoum, when they were detained last Friday by officers from the public order police, which enforces the implementation of sharia law in public places.
Similar to the Saudi religious police, the Sudanese “morality” police randomly enforce an alcohol ban and often scold young men and women for mingling in public.
According to this report, one of those arrested on Friday, journalist Lubna Hussein, intends challenging the charges, which can be punishable by up to 40 lashes.
Islamic Sharia law has been strictly implemented in Sudan since the ruling party came to power in a 1989 military coup.
Public order cases usually involve quick summary trials with sentences carried out shortly afterward, as was the case with 10 of the women arrested Friday. They were flogged and fined 250 Sudanese pounds, or about $120.
Hussein and two other women chose to go to trial. On Monday, she was summoned for questioning and now she awaits a decision from the prosecutor on when the case could go to trial.
Women in northern Sudan, particularly in Khartoum, dress in traditional outfits that include a shawl over their head and shoulder. Western dress is uncommon.
Still, the raid on a Khartoum cafe popular with journalists and foreigners was unusual.
Hussein’s lawyer, Nabil Adeeb, said action by the public order police is often arbitrary and aims:
From time to time to let people know that Big Brother is watching you.
Hussein said she decided to speak out because flogging is a practice many women endure in silence. She even sent printed invitations to the press and public figures to attend her impending trial.
Hat tip: Barriejohn
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 14th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Anyone ever come across a case where a Muslim man was flogged or otherwise punished for being improperly dressed?
July 15th, 2009 at 6:44 am
I have seen reports that young men in Iran are periodically rounded up for having "inappropriate" haircuts, and are given a brutal barbering.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I heard that a football team was whipped for wearing shorts…. Maybe its urban myth… but still funny
August 6th, 2009 at 9:30 am
The authorities did what was right according to their law. The real problem is the disgusting females these days who want to have no rules when it comes to their conduct and want to do whatever they please, no matter how offensive it is to others. This is why giving equal rights to women has proven to be an aberration. Look at women in the West…feminists and lesbians are taking over and men's rights are trampled upon. This is what women do when they're given power. Many in the UK criticise certain countries re. their treatment of women, but look at the West!! A man is just supposed to accept any and all of the changes that give women more and more rights while men's rights are ignored. What hypocrisy for those in Western nations to get on their soapbox with their morally superior attitude and denounce countries like Sudan.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:44 am
Hiya, Mark.
I'm a "Westerner," I live in the United States, and I am a man. I don't agree with you that my rights are ignored in this country, and I don't consider "the ability to not be offended" a right, especially with how vaguely "offense" can be applied.
I feel that we have very large differences in our background, and I would like to more clearly understand your position. Please elaborate for me how you feel that Western Men's rights are ignored.
Thank you so much for your time!
December 7th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Dath:
I’m a Westerner too, and I completely agree with Mark’s comments about the extent to which women take advantage of liberties given to them in the ‘West’. Consider the revealing clothing of many of our entertainment stars. And, the primary reason Dress Codes have been implemented at work is, the tendency of women to show-up for work with practically nothing on, or something obviously inappropriate for a professional setting. I don’t know if they do it because of ignorance-stupidity-or immorality, but regardless, it is one more reason to establish rules and enforce them.
An honest person – without an agenda – need only look at our legal system to find numerous examples of the mistreatment of men. Divorce, Family Matters, Domestic Disputes, Child Custody issues; laws dealing with these issues have been corrupted by feminists, lesbians, and women’s rights groups to the detriment of men, and to the concept of justice – in general. Right now, in the United States, families are being torn apart, men are having their constitutional rights taken away from them, and children are being bastardized, via the Violence Against Women’s Act – which is unequally enforced. Tiger’s Woods wife should have been arrested under that law, but because she is a woman she was not. If she had been the spouse assaulted with a golf-club, you can bet that Tiger Woods would have been arrested and charged with multiple violations of the law.
It is, as Mark rightly states, hypocritical of the ‘West’ to criticize other nations for their laws against indecency. It is ethnocentric, too. Every nation has laws against what it considers to be “vices”, but it is only the ‘West’ that considers it’s vice-laws to be appropriate, while criticizing the vice laws of other countries.