Brave Woman Opposes Sharia Police

Lubna al-Hussein is determined to fight for her rights in Sudan:


Woman tried for wearing pants faces fine, not flogging

(CNN) -- A woman put on trial for wearing clothing deemed indecent by Sudanese authorities was fined Monday, but will not get the 40 lashes she could potentially have faced, her lawyer said.

Lubna al-Hussein, who is fighting to have the conservative Muslim country's decency law declared unconstitutional, will go to jail rather than pay the fine, her lawyer Nabil Adib told CNN.

Al-Hussein, who was arrested in July for wearing pants deemed too tight and a blouse considered too sheer, will appeal to the constitutional court, Adib said by phone from Khartoum.

She pleaded not guilty, but was not allowed to call defense witnesses or present a defense case, he added.

She was sentenced to pay 500 Sudanese pounds ($209) or face a month in prison, starting immediately, the lawyer said.

She refuses to allow anyone to pay the fine for her, Adib said.

Al-Hussein, a journalist who worked in the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan, resigned from her U.N. position in order to waive her immunity as an international worker and face trial.

[...]

The human rights organization Amnesty International had called earlier for the charges to be dropped.

"The manner in which this law has been used against women is unacceptable, and the penalty called for by the law -- up to 40 lashes -- abhorrent," Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of Amnesty International's Africa program, said in a statement.

Al-Hussein was arrested along with 18 other women on July 3 at a Khartoum restaurant when police burst in and checked women for their clothing.

"I don't think she was targeted specifically," Adib said. "They attack public and private parties and groups. They are called 'morality police' and she was just a victim of a round-up." [...]

See the video that goes with the article. The outfit she was wearing looks to be similar, if not the same, as the one seen in this photo. Some of the women who were arrested with her WERE flogged. Barbaric.

No wonder Lubna al-Hussein wants to challenge it. She wants a public trial, and she wants the world to see it. The Sudanese authorities tried to give her an easy out, to avoid publicity, but she wants her day in court or the charges dropped. Good for her.


Also See:

Today's "Modern" Muslim fashions
     

Of Mice and (Muslim Clerical) Men: Kill Micky

Sharia Law says: Micky Mouse must die?

Any religion can be taken to absurdity, but Islam seems to have more than it's fair share of absurd clerics.

Islamic scholar: Mickey Mouse must die

On Aug 27 Sheikh Muhammad Al-Munajid told viewers of a religious affairs programme that mice were agents of Satan and that Sharia law called for the extermination of all mice: from the common house mouse (Mus musculus) to cartoon mouse (Mickey Mouse).

A former diplomat attached to the Islamic Affairs Department at the Saudi embassy Washington, al-Munajid appears regularly on Saudi television to discuss religious and ethical topics.

On Aug 10 he denounced the Beijing Olympics as the “bikini Olympics,” saying the immodest dress of women athletes was “satanic” and earlier issued a fatwa, or religious edict, against women’s participation in the Olympics as the games were also “satanic”. [...]

To be fair, I have heard of extremist Christians also complaining of "satanic" Disney cartoon characters. But they don't issue fatwas, and they are a small minority and nobody takes them very seriously. I wish I could say the same about some of these Islamic clerics. Many have "issues" about fun.

[...] According to a translation of the broadcast prepared by the Middle East Media Research Institute, al-Munajid was asked to state the Islamic legal teaching on mice. He responded that mice were called “little corrupters” in Sharia and it was permissible to kill them at all times.

“The mouse is one of Satan's soldiers and is steered by him,” he explained, adding that should a mouse come in contact with food, the food must be disposed of as the mouse is an impure creature.

“According to Islamic law, the mouse is a repulsive, corrupting creature,” al-Munajid said, adding that he was concerned that popular culture had given mice an undeserved positive image.

“How do you think children view mice today – after Tom and Jerry?” he asked.

“Even creatures that are repulsive by nature, by logic, and according to Islamic law have become wonderful and are loved by children. Even mice. Mickey Mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases.”

Don't get me wrong; I'm all for killing vermin. I live on a farm, and I kill vermin. One doesn't have to be Muslim or even religious to understand that vermin carry diseases and need kill'n. It's just that in a modern, enlightened culture, people generally understand that one can make distinctions between disease carrying vermin, domestic pets, laboratory animals, and cartoon characters. Mice can be each of these, yet each is distinctly different, and not hard to understand. But if you are slavishly devoted to rigidly interpreting a book according to 7th century standards, in a completely literal and narrow context, you are going to cause a lot of problems in the 21st century. Like having to kill everyone and everything that disagrees with your interpretation of your 7th century religion.

The truth can always hold up to scrutiny. The Islamic world could benefit greatly by scrutinizing many of their long-held beliefs. In this regard, I think there are some reasons to be hopeful. The 21st century beckons us all. I think we can all get there in one piece, and live in peace, if we don't become unduly overly-concerned with things like rodents in all their many manifestations. Or women in sports. Or short pants on soccer players.

As for this particular cleric, I have to agree with George Handlery at the Brussels Journal:

Duly Noted: Mickey Mouse Must Die

[...] There must be a shortage of Christians, Jews, Hindus, Animists and Buddhists to kill. When will the Religion of Peace go after Donald D.?

Indeed.



Here is a video of the cleric who feels threatened by Micky Mouse:

Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajid: Mickey Mouse Must Die!




Related Links:

Is Islam compatible with a free society?

Hamas Micky Mouse becomes Martyr on TV
(apparently mice are good when they die for Jihad)

Omar Sharif and other Arabs in a changing world

     

Is Europe poised to follow Britain's example by legalizing Sharia Law?

Fjordman at the Brussels Journal sees exactly that:

Europe’s Decline – Hurrah! We Capitulate!

This story is extremely serious. The European Union is now about to do what senior officials have already agreed upon years ago in meetings with Muslim nations, as documented by Bat Ye'or in her book about Eurabia: To officially recognize sharia law in European countries: [...]

The writing has been on the wall for some time. Europe's socialist elites and Islamic Sharia Law enforcers both have one thing in common; they have no use or respect for the freedoms and rights of the individual. Thus, they also loath American freedom and power, and want to see it diminished by any means possible.


The Pope just completed a vist to France, Tiberge reports:

France’s Decline – How Christian/Muslim Was/Is France?

The Pope’s visit to France is now over, but already there are some repercussions. Benedict XVI spoke at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, delivering a discourse unanimously praised for its high intellectual level. However, Dalil Boubakeur, grand mufti of the Paris mosque, is not pleased. The reason? “The Christian roots of Europe” so often evoked by Benedict XVI. “The Muslim culture was sufficiently present in France during the Middle Ages. You cannot exclude the contribution of the Muslim civilization to French society,” Boubakeur told Le Parisien. [...]

Predictable. And so it goes.


Related Links:

Our Culture, What’s Left Of It

An interview with Theodore Dalrymple

Sharia Law now legal in Great Britain?
     

Sharia Law now legal in Great Britain?

Unbelievable. From A. Millar at the Brussels Journal:

From Magna Carta to Sharia Law – Britain’s Decline

[...] It is almost unbelievable that this should occur in a modern, democratic, Western country, and, moreover, under a government that claims to be liberal, and to care about the right of women and homosexuals among others. But, tracing the actions of the pro-Islamic Labour Party, and of modern liberalism more generally, it should have been predictable. Modern liberalism is not a force for human rights and equality (though it still uses these terms where they can be of use in breaking down British tradition); it is a selfish urge for freedom for one’s own self – others be damned. Multiculturalism frees the liberal from the demands of ‘culture.’ Mass immigration frees him from the need to know his history. Invoking the Inquisition of three hundred years ago frees him from having to confront the reality of Islamic fundamentalism. The establishment of sharia law no doubt frees him from holding any position whatsoever.

I have pointed out before, that the Labour government has colluded with extremist Muslims, even employing a Holocaust denier as an advisor on Muslim affairs. Ken Livingstone, the former Left-wing Mayor of London, has also openly embraced Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a man who believes that wives can be beaten into submission, that homosexuals should be executed, and pregnant Israeli women should be murdered. The UK’s Left-wing Respect Coalition Party asserts that opposition to radical Islam is “the new racism,” and this dangerous sentiment is now received wisdom among those closer to the center of the political spectrum. But Islam is neither a race nor ethnicity, but a religion, and one that has Asian, Black, and White followers. A 2006 UK government report entitled ‘Young Muslims and Extremism,’ notes that a significant number of White Britons were being drawn into Islamic terrorism, and we have seen a few example of White Muslim jihadis since then.

The sharia courts operating in Britain, will hear and pass legally binding judgment on cases involving divorce, financial disputes, and even domestic violence. But, it will not end there. According to the Daily Mail, sharia court officials have said, that they hope, “[…] to take over growing numbers of 'smaller' criminal cases in future,” and extremist clerics have already asserted their aims to establish sharia law for everyone in Britain.[...]

The Left has never been interested in the rights of women, gays, or other minorities. They simply foment and exploit discontent wherever they can find it, and use it as a weapon to fight the status quo. They will dump support for the rights of women and gays, the moment it becomes expedient for them to do so.

[...] Conservatives and Christians have criticized the so-called “gay lifestyle,” and liberals have always furiously denounced those conservatives and Christians for saying this. But liberals are those who have remained utterly silent when extremist Muslim clerics have called for the execution of homosexuals or the beating of women. The liberal establishment generally, and the Labour government in particular, has betrayed their professed belief in human rights and equality, and are ushering in extremism and intolerance. [...]

(bold emphasis mine) As if this isn't bad enough, there is a bill pending passage that would give religious minorities additional rights, possibly reinforcing sharia. I recommend reading the whole thing for the details.

Here is a link to a post I did a while back, about the alliance of Western Leftists with Islamic Extremists:

Socialism in Islamic hands: a tool to make the present world order unworkable

Socialism has plenty of dangers inherent to it in it's own right. But what if it were infiltrated and used by a third party, one with no interest in using Socialism as a stepping stone to Communism, but as a stepping stone to an Islamic Sharia-law state? Recent election results in European countries indicate this may be happening on a larger scale than anyone imagined, as Socialist parties there make large gains by running Muslim candidates to gain Islamic votes. [...]

Their plan seems to be working. This is not the first time this tactic has been used. The ayatollah Khomeini was swept to power in Iran on a wave of Leftist power and support. He promised to institute a secular, socialist state. Instead, he instituted a theocratic sharia law state. The Leftist leaders were killed or driven out, and their followers subjugated. There is a lesson in that for the European socialist elites, but they seem blind to it.


Related Links:

The truth about Sharia based societies

Is Islam compatible with a free society?

Islam Fails Muslims by Impeding Democracy and Economic Development

"Honor" killings of Muslim women in Europe

Do we need a "Star Wars" strategy for Islam?

Sharia Law in Minnesota?

     

Obama's Kenyan Muslim Friends burn churches

In an earlier post I had a look at some of Obama's foreign connections, including an Irish woman who advises him on foreign policy issues. A further look at Obama's foreign connections and who he supports is also quite revealing. For example, look at who he supports in Kenya:

Barak Hussein bin Obama

[...] Bin Obama's father was a Kenyan Muslim and guess which side Obama is backing. Do you remember when Atlas Shrugs posted this back in January and no one paid attention?

Raila Odinga has, in his own words, a 'close personal friendship' with Barrack Hussein Obama Junior. When Obama went to Kenya in August of 2006, he was hosted by Raila and spoke in praise of him at rallies in Nairobi: Obama's bias for his fellow Luo was so blatant that a Kenya government spokesman denounced Obama during his visit as Raila's ‘stooge.’

Guess who burned Christian churches after the election. Yep, bin Obama's buddy, Odinga. Yep, the same guy who vows to introduce sharia to Kenya. [...]

Yeah, burning Christian churches and promoting Sharia Law, two things every Democrat ought be supporting, don't you think? Obama apparently does, if we are to believe his endorsements.

And then there is the question of his connections with Columbia's FARC:

Obama and FARC

Considering Obama's position as a front runner in the Democrat Party, shouldn't we be hearing more about these things in the MSM?

Maybe we are just supposed to take Oprah's word for it that he's a good choice, because Oprah attends the same church Obama does. [CORRECTION: Oprah used to attend the church, but disassociated herself from it in recent years, according this article. But since she is familiar with the church, I can only wonder at her endorsement of Obama. See below.]

Actually, I don't see why an endorsement by Oprah Winfrey should be taken as such good thing. She has a history of being taken in by frauds and con-men... numerous guests on her talk show, the child molestation scandal at her girl's school in South Africa. Few would doubt her talents as a talk show host and Media Mogul. Yet it seems her judgment of people's character is less than perfect. I think it would be wise to view her endorsements with some skepticism.


Related Links:

OBAMA AND THE PASTOR

Jeremiah Wright’s Greatest Hits

Obama's Church: Cauldron of Division

Now we know where Michelle Obama’s resentment of America comes from
     

Why we NEED to FIGHT, not turn and RUN

This is one of the sickest videos I have seen. From The Jawa Report, A Taliban video, in which a 12 year old boy beheads a man, while other children watch and cheer:

Most Shocking Video Ever: 12 Year Old Taliban Boy Beheads Man (Uncensored Version)

[...] It's so bad that there was some debate amongst ourselves whether to show it or not. Yesterday we put up a link to a video showing al Qaeda in Iraq burning hostages alive. Allahpundit, speaking of that same video says:

Not for those with weak stomachs; not really for those with strong stomachs, either. But force yourself, as none of Cordesman’s charts, as impressive as they are, will drive home to you like this will what it means in practical terms that far fewer of these subhumans are walking around Iraq today than last year. They deserve every misery inflicted upon them.

Indeed. No, the Taliban aren't the "Iraqi resistance" which some on the fringes of the left seem to love so much, but they're just as bad.

Strongest possible content warning: You are about to see the true face of our enemies. This is not an American propaganda video, it was made by the Taliban themselves. This is why we fight. This is why we must win.

The boy slits the man's throat as he begins cutting, sawing through the neck with great difficulty, while the other children cheer him on; the neck bones are especially difficult, but he eventually severs the man's head completely, and holds it up proudly for the camera and cheering children.




I'm pretty sure the man was dead already, as the blood didn't splurt out, and there was no blood coming from his nose or mouth, which would have happened if he were breathing. Some might argue that it's not so bad then. I would say, practicing on cadavers is preparation for a real live execution. Desensitizing children at an early age is essential, and a stepping stone for worse things still.

If you can't see the video, you can see sequential photos from it here (scroll down when you get to the page).

The savages who made this video want us to see it. They make these videos for two purposes; to encourage each other in their insanity, and to strike fear into the hearts of anyone who would resist. They want people to be afraid, and SUBMIT.

And it's not just the savages in the Taliban. Al Qaeda in Iraq are just as savage:

Al Qaeda in Iraq BURNS Hostages ALIVE!

Warning extremely graphic

Hillery Clinton has said that she would withdraw our troops from Iraq within 60 days. Barack Obama also believes in setting a withdrawal date. The Democrats as a whole want to see us fail in this war, and will insure that it happens as quickly as possible.

Islamo-fascism is spreading like a cancer, and with every retreat it grows stronger. If we leave Iraq too soon there would be a bloodbath worse than anything we've seen thus far, and it wouldn't stop there.

I believe John McCain would fight with resolve, and fight to win. He advocated the surge years ago. Soldiers don't like protracted wars, because they don't like to see their fellow soldiers killed. They do what's needed to get the job done and WIN.

I'm fed up with conservatives complaining how they won't support McCain, because he's not conservative enough. Has nearly everyone gone insane?

The Democrats want to ignore Islamo-fascism in favor of "free" health care and more government, a Nanny state to change their diapers. Conservatives are saying they want to "sit this one out" while they worry about gay marriage and Mormon underwear, and wait for a Presidential candidate in some imagined future election that's more like themselves.

If such conservatives cannot see and appreciate the gravity of the dangers facing us, then they are no better than the Democrats, and I cannot support them anymore than I can support the Democrats. Why? Because supporting either of them will have the same ending; Clinton or Obama in the White House, with all their WEAKNESS, and all the horrors that will follow on that.

I don't enjoy watching these videos, or posting them. It makes me sick, but I forced myself to watch them. It's ugly and horrific, but it's not going to go away by ignoring it; ignoring it is exactly how it's gotten as bad as it has. Continuing to ignore it will insure it grows worse still. Let's put someone in the White House who is up to the task of dealing with it. Let's insure we have a future that is bright, and not a Sharia based-nightmare.

Let's insure we HAVE a future.


Hat tip to Pat, who told me about the links this morning. Here's a link to his post:

Video: Taliban boy beheads hostage
     

Iranian Fashion Police at work... literally

It's no joke. Here is a compilation of video clips of the fashion police at work, as shown on Iranian TV.

#1445 - Iranian Police Enforces "Islamic Dress Code" on Women in the Streets of Tehran.
Iran Ch.1, IRINN (Iran) - 4/15/2007 - 00:03:08 [video]

A portion of the transcript:

[...]

Dress code enforcer: The manteau you are wearing is tight and has a long slit. Don't you think it violates our society's norms? You live in an Islamic country, right? Your head is completely uncovered as well. Your make-up is too heavy.

Dress code enforcer: As an Iranian citizen, do you think the way you are dressed is appropriate?

Woman: My trousers aren't short, and nor is my manteau.

Dress code enforcer: But your head is uncovered, and that scarf you are wearing – do you think it is appropriate?

Woman: So the problem is only with my hair?

Dress code enforcer: Of course. Your head is uncovered. Please rearrange your scarf. What you are wearing is a sarafan. In the Islamic dress code, this is not acceptable as an appropriate covering.

Woman: Why not? It has sleeves, and it is not short...

Dress code enforcer: No, what you are wearing is a sarafan. Do you admit that it's a sarafan?

Woman: So what's the difference between a sarafan and a manteau? It's got sleeves like a manteau.

[...]

Dress code enforcer: Come here, please. Good day. You are an Iranian citizen and a resident of Tehran, just like me. Don't you think that what you are wearing is problematic with regard to the Islamic social norms? What do you think, dear lady? Is it or is it not problematic? Do you agree that it is problematic? Your scarf is too thin, your hair is showing, and your manteau is short and tight. Please be more careful. When you go out, make sure you follow the social norms of this country.

Dress code enforcer: Please wait here for a few moments. Your hair is showing from the back. Your manteau is... Your trousers are too short. Please come with us into the bus. We have some things to discuss with you...

In the West, people make jokes about the fashion police. How easily we forget that for many people in the world, it's no joke, but a harsh reality.

Is "harsh" too strong a word? Considering that violators can be imprisoned and punished with "lashes" - quite painful and severe, even lethal sometimes, I would say "harsh" fits perfectly.

Consider the screaming woman at the end of the video. She's certainly afraid of something.

You can view the clip here.


Related Link:

Women's rights in Iran; the right to be a penguin
     

Women's rights in Iran; the right to be a penguin

From the MEMRI Blog:
117 Women Arrested in Tehran Islamic Dress Code Enforcement Campaign




What... these women look like hookers? Not by our standards, but according to the Mullahs, a woman must cover her head at all times and may not wear makeup or do anything to display her femininity in public. So I guess if you're a woman and don't look like a penguin, it's immoral.

According to the link above, religious authorities are stressing the need for dealing with the violations of the Islamic dress code, and for "increasing the moral security in Iran."

It wasn't always like that. Here is a photo from a university in Tehran, cira 1976:




It looks like a modern university campus like you would see anywhere in the west. All that changed after the 1979 revolution, and the public face of women in Iran tends to look more like this:


A penguin rally in support of a personality cult.

I think these recent arrests and trials are just another part of a wider, general crackdown that the government has been making on it's citizens, that is continuing to expand.


Earlier this month, leaders in Iran's women's movement were jailed. The theocratic government continues to tighten it's grip.





UPDATE 04/30/07:It's not just women, but men and even mannequins that the police are cracking down on.

Iran bans Western haircuts, eyebrow plucking for men

A cry for help from Iran

I'd make a joke about the fashion police, but the reality is pretty serious. Violators can receive lashes, fines and imprisonment. I heard of one case -this was just after the 1979 revolution- where a woman was reported to the police by a neighbor for swimming in a bikini in her backyard swimming pool. She was sentenced to 60 lashes. Thats a lot of lashes. She DIED before all the lashes were completed.

Is it any wonder this woman is screaming so much as the police take her away?




Related Links:

Almost All the Leaders of Iran's Women's Movement Arrested
The women are rounded up, and silence of Western liberals is damning...

Timeline of Iran's Women's Movement (1800s-Present)
A fascinating look at steps forward, then backward...

Women and the death penalty in modern Iran
What the revolution has done for women and girls...

Women in the Imperial Iranian Air Force
Before the 1979 revolution...

A few facts about women in Iran
From Farah Pahlavi, the Shah's wife (near the bottom of her web page)
     

Yet Another War in Lebanon: Belly Dancers!

Lebanese belly dancer Margo Caliphian: "Imagine
a man in a bra, a scarf, and a belt coming out to dance..."
Clip #1422 - New TV (Lebanon) - 2/12/2007.
Looking through the videos at MEMRITV.org, one sees an assortment of video clips from Middle Eastern TV. Many of the topics are heavy or horrific. But some of them are more mundane, and sometimes even amusing. This show fell into the later category. Here are some samples from the transcript:

- Lebanese Male Belly Dancers Incur the Wrath of Fellow Female Dancers

Belly dancer Margo Caliphian: Once I was invited to a party, I saw a guy wearing dancing clothes, with full make-up, with earrings down to his belly... How can anyone accept this?!

[...]

He wore red lipstick and glossy make-up, as if he was in Paris. This is unnatural.

Male belly dancer Alaa': You are right. Many people ask me: "Why don't you change the way you dress?" I tell them that I don't care what people think I am doing. All I care about is what I am actually doing. Things like pants, T-shirts, and jeans are fine, because this is how I am. People say: "But you have long hair." I'm not growing my hair because of the dancing, but because it is my style. I began four years ago, and I am still growing it.

Moderator: There's nothing wrong with it...

Margo Caliphian: Let me explain something. It is becoming shameful. Things are deteriorating. A woman is a woman, and a man is a man.[...]

They cannot write in an invitation to a party: "Featuring a singer, an artist, and the belly dancer X," and then it turns out to be a guy. Can you imagine what would happen? Imagine a classy party...

Moderator: What do you mean by "classy"?

Margo Caliphian: Take, for example, an important festival, with well-known singers and a belly dancer. Imagine a guy coming out to dance with a belly-dancing outfit... It is unheard of. What would you say you if you came to a festival with a large band to do your job...

Moderator: But Ms. Margo, he is there to do his job as well.

Margo Caliphian: I'm talking about a festival, and you're talking about a nightclub. There is a difference. I'm talking about the level and status of the belly dancer. Today, we've begun to appear all over the world. Today, many belly dancers go to America or France, and dance in the most important theaters in the world. Imagine a man in a bra, a scarf, and a belt coming out to dance...

Moderator: But he doesn't wear those things. He dances normally.

Margo Caliphian: Even so, there can be no perfection in it.

[...]

The video clip starts out with a sample of the dancing in question, with a voice over narative. Then a panel discussion ensues. The video has good subtitles in English.

As of this date, the video clip is at the top of the linked page above, but if scrolls away and you need to find it at a later date, go to the MEMRI seach engine here, and type in the clip number, 1422.

This debate reminded me of the kind of TV you would see in the West. People were laughing and smiling, it seemed so normal. Lebanon is still a multicultural society, but there are forces at work that want to change that.

Lebanon also has a Hezbollah TV station, which is a sharp contrast:

Clip #1304 - Children in Gaza Imitate Hizbullah Secretary- General Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas Founder Ahmad Yassin
(Archival Material) Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) - 5/29/2001

They have a very different idea of "fun".

I doubt you would have any belly dancers at all working publicly in a Sharia Law state, like Iran, which sponsors Hezbollah.