In Neil St. Clair’s column, “Saudi rape case exposes injustice” (Nov. 27, p. 4), he falsely points to Shariah law, the Islamic legal code, as the justification for the recent sentencing of a Saudi Arabian female gang-rape victim to 200 lashes and six months in prison. Today, in some Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, one uncovers many other gross human rights violations committed in the name of Shariah, a word that strikes fear in the West.
However, the true bylaws of Shariah overlap with pillars of the U.S. criminal justice system like deterrence, retributive and restorative justice, and the protection of life, liberty and property. More than 14 centuries ago, in a society plagued by fierce tribal warfare, honor killings and female infanticide, Islam introduced women’s rights that were unheard of in Medieval Europe. A woman living under Islamic rule possessed equal inheritance rights as men, could divorce her husband in court and even engaged in the political arena alongside her male counterparts. The aim of Shariah law has always been to defend the rights of all citizens, regardless of sex, race, creed or faith.
How then does one explain the Qatif General Court’s decision to lash and imprison a rape victim? Here, one must distinguish true Islamic jurisprudence from the verdict of a religiously fanatic courtroom. The Saudi criminal justice system consists primarily of clerics, many of whom adhere to a strict, and often misguided, understanding of the Quran, the Muslims’ Holy Book, and Shariah. By taking phrases out of context or disregarding certain sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, some religious authority figures stray from the core teachings of Islam. The Quran expresses abhorrence in the strongest possible language for all elements that constitute the crime of rape, describing “oppression” as being “worse than murder” [2:191]. Under Shariah law, “the Qatif girl” is the victim of a terrible crime in both the eyes of the global community and Allah (God).
As an American Muslim, I am both ashamed and frustrated to see religious extremists using Islam to justify the killing of innocent people and the oppression of women. Let us remember that the real enemy is not Shariah law or Islamic ethics, but corrupt governments that torture and murder their own people. The Bush administration’s continued support for and business with the Saudi royals greatly hinders any hope for real justice in that country. As St. Clair notes, “the solution is not simple.” However, withdrawing moral and financial support for nations like Saudi Arabia that frequently violate human rights seems like a good place to start.
Hassan Awaisi
CAS ’11