Let's hear it for tolerance http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506984,00.html Monday, March 09, 2009 ThisThe sentencing of a 75-year-old widow to 40 lashes and four months in prison for mingling with two young men who were reportedly bringing her bread has sparked new criticism of Saudi Arabia's ultraconservative religious police and judiciary. Khamisa Sawadi, who is Syrian but was married to a Saudi, was convicted and sentenced last week for meeting with men who were not her immediate relatives. The two men, including one who was Sawadi's late husband's nephew, were also found guilty and sentenced to prison terms and lashes. The woman's lawyer, Abdel Rahman al-Lahem, told The Associated Press on Monday that he plans to appeal the verdict, which also demands that Sawadi be deported after serving her prison term. He declined to provide more details and said his client, who is not serving her sentence yet, was not speaking with the media. Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islam prohibits men and women who are not immediate relatives from mingling and women from driving. The playing of music, dancing and many movies also are a concern for hard-liners who believe they violate religious and moral values. A special police unit called the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice enforces these laws, patrolling public places to make sure women are covered and not wearing make up, sexes don't mix, shops close five times a day for Muslim prayers and men go to the mosque to worship.
I have a number of problems with these people. They have based their work many times on their culture not on Islamic rules. In Islam, 40 lashes is for those who drink wine in public, but it is interesting that they could make it for a woman mixed with men. Women drive in all Islamic countries, but the culture in Saudi Arabia doesn't allow them. I hope you condemn your country and the bad actions they practice like cutting off the provision of water for human being.
I think he need to give her back her right which his so called religious government has stolen. These hypocrits don't apply such punishment against women who are of the same family as the king.
1) Based on the article it's based on the religion. "Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islam prohibits men and women who are not immediate relatives from mingling and women from driving. The playing of music, dancing and many movies also are a concern for hard-liners who believe they violate religious and moral values." What do you think of a religion that requires for 75 year old widows to be lashed for mingling with men who are not their immediate family. 2) Water was not cut off. It was limited, because water is a vital national interest in Israel.
It seems that the PA has done a terrible job in administrating water. http://www.nyjtimes.com/cover/05-06-05/WhatRetreatMeansForIsraeliWater.htm "[w]hen Gaza was turned over to the sole ruling authority of Arafat's PA, it received total control of the Gaza aquifer - which at the time was still functioning and producing potable water. Within less than two years under Palestinian Arab management, the Gaza Aquifer was ruined, contaminated beyond repair. If the PA is incapable of taking care of its own aquifer to supply water to its residents, how can Israel place its trust in the same Authority to care and conserve water sources that supply Israeli taps?" The Coastal Aquifer extends south to include all of the Gaza strip as well as the site in the Sinai where once Israelis built Yamit. Abandonning the coastal tail of the aquifer to the Egyptians - thus reducing Israel's water supply - compounded the damage to the aquifer by present-day overutilization. The remains of Yamit are a memorial - and a warning - of the first expulsion of Jews by Jews. Atlas also points out the consequences of Israel's allowing the Mountain aquifer to fall into Arab hands: [Given what has happened to the Coastal aquifer] "the importance of the Mountain Aquifer has increased. As Israel's State Comptroller's Annual Report already reported by the early 1990's: "The Mountain Aquifer, extending eastward of the Coastal Aquifer, from the slopes of Mt. Carmel to Beersheba, and from the crests of mountain ridges in Judea and Samaria to the coastal plain, serves as the principle reservoir of drinking water to the Dan region, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba. Today, it is the most important long term source in the [National] Water System." "Now comes the political problem. This 'most important long-term source' physically straddles the pre-1967 cease fire lines, alias 'the Green Line', into Judea and Samaria. The Principle of Connecting Vessels tells us that any activity affecting the water on one side will affect that on the other side as well. So if pumping operations, or uncontrolled flow of sewage or industrial waste, etc., occur on the western slopes of Judea and Samaria, it would cause serious, and most probably irreversible, damage to the key source of drinking water for Israel's major urban centers and environs. "The political and strategic significance for Israel is clear. Withdrawing from Judea and Samaria - i.e., the Mountain Aquifer - or from the Golan Heights would create a situation in which the fate of Israel's water supply would be determined by Mr. Arafat's Palestinian Authority and the Syrians, respectively. [underscoring added] "Can Israel really afford to trust her most valuable and irreplaceable national resource in the hands of those who have had a long history of trying to destroy the Jewish State? In the case of the Syrians, this includes diverting and/or poisoning Israel's water supply." Whether through malevolence, ignorance or seeing the Middle East through Arab-colored glasses, much of the press presents a distorted picture of water usage between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, wherein Israel is the villain. In the summer of 1998, as an example, the New York Times compared how the West Bank Arabs were "parched" for drinking water while the Jewish settlers near Hebron watered lawns and washed cars.[9] The Times knew exactly how incendiary the story was - accuracy wasn't its objective. The facts were much different - the settlers needed to drink bottled water because they didn't have drinkable water while the Arabs don't distribute their water equitably but sell their water privately or steal it and then sell it. What goes unreported is the extent to which Israel shares water with her neighbors. Camera[10] pointed out in 2002 that "... every year over 40 MCM (million cubic meters) of water from sources within Israel is piped over the Green Line for Palestinian use in the West Bank. Ramallah, for example, receives over 5 MCM. Israel sends another 4 MCM over its border for Palestinian use in Gaza. Thus, it is the Palestinians who are using Israeli water. "And not just the Palestinians. Despite its own meager supply, Israel annually provided 600,000 CM of water to ten otherwise dry villages in South Lebanon, and provides more than 55 MCM annually to Jordan." "In addition, Israel also supplies more than 4 MCM annually to the Gaza Strip through the Kissufim Line of the National Water Carrier, serving the Palestinian localities of El-Bureij, Moazi, Abasan, Bani Suheila and Khan Yunis" (Statistical Data on Gaza Area and Jericho, Israel Foreign Ministry, June 1994).
The middle east is retarded. I mean, its like a bullshit parade, they end up looking and and smelling like bullshit all over. From this day forward, every country in the middle east (with exceptions) is bullshit to me.
really I can never find in islam anything that prevent women from driving !! I am a muslim from Egypt, however what really piss me off the double standard, when I was there in KSA my sister when she was 12 years old was told to cover her eyes ! yes the face was covered (which is for sure not from islam) however they told her to cover the area that she sees through ! On the other hand some areas in Geddah some women Walk with no hair cover (which is from Islamic religion) and no body do any thing also most of this controversial cases as lashing a 75 years old lady is just for king to forgive her and thus become more popular
not that much man ! it is fine piece of clothe that cover the eye, it is transparent not the one used to play pinata ... lol
Islam treats its followers like they're children that need to be "taught a lesson" Don't drink wine in public because you'll make everyone else want to want to drink, and kids can't do that! Don't talk to men because that will make those kids get a stiffy in their pants that they can't control, because kids can't keep their impulses in check! ...If you don't give someone 1000% freedom, you will never know who they really are... ...But we sure as hell know who the leaders of this religion are, these Gods on Earth...