Dubai rape case Norwegian woman 'free to go'

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the case of a Norwegian woman who was jailed in Dubai after reporting a rape, raising questions about the legal and moral implications of Sharia law and its application in this context. Participants explore the intersection of legal systems, cultural norms, and the treatment of women in such situations.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disgust at the woman's jailing, questioning the logic behind punishing her for reporting a rape.
  • Others discuss the implications of Sharia law, noting that proving rape requires either a confession from the alleged rapist or four witnesses, which complicates the legal proceedings.
  • There are claims that both rape and adultery are severely punished under Sharia law, leading to a perception that both parties involved in such cases may be seen as guilty.
  • Some participants argue that the case reflects broader issues regarding women's rights and safety in countries governed by strict interpretations of Islamic law.
  • Others caution against making overly emotional posts and emphasize the need for a legal perspective in the discussion.
  • There are differing views on the role of religion in the legal system, with some asserting that discussing Sharia law is acceptable while avoiding value judgments about Islam itself.
  • Participants note the challenges of discussing sensitive topics without devolving into a flame war or religious bashing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express agreement on the troubling nature of the woman's situation and the implications of Sharia law. However, there are multiple competing views regarding the interpretation of these laws and their application, as well as the role of religion in the legal system, leaving the discussion unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of Sharia law and its application in different contexts, highlighting that not all Muslims adhere to these laws. There are also concerns about the potential for emotional responses to overshadow legal discussions.

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StevieTNZ said:
Disgusting that she was jailed in the first place.

What? You deny the teachings of Islam? Women exist to have babies and serve men. Good women don't get raped. They stay home and only go out with their brothers, fathers or husbands. So say the teachings of Islam (Shariah).

EDIT: Ideally women should only go out with four (chaste) men because that's how many male witnesses are required to prove rape under Shariah Law.

This from an Islamic help line:

http://www.islamhelpline.com/node/732
 
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So she went to jail for extramarital sex for being raped? You can't make sense of that if you tried. That's like someone shooting you, and then the police arresting you for stealing bullets.
But it's even worse than that, because stealing is at least a real crime.
 
I don't trust Arab countries, and women should be especially careful, especially after seeing news like this. When a justice system doesn't work, you can't feel safe in a country. Really disturbing news...
 
leroyjenkens said:
So she went to jail for extramarital sex for being raped? You can't make sense of that if you tried. That's like someone shooting you, and then the police arresting you for stealing bullets.
But it's even worse than that, because stealing is at least a real crime.

You don't understand the "logic" of Shariah Law. To prove rape, the alleged rapist must either confess, or four "righteous" witnesses must come forward. Both rape and adultery are punishable by death under strict Shariah. All extramarital sex is a crime under Shariah and I think both parties were seen as guilty of that. I don't know the specifics of Shariah in Dubai but read the link in post 2.
 
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To all, let's be sure not to make overly emotional posts that would shut down the thread. It's ok to discuss it from a legal standpoint.
 
Just another place I will never go to.
 
I feel really bad for the woman simply because rape is a traumatizing thing in and of itself and many raped women even under normal circumstances have to muster a lot of courage and self-esteem to even report a rape. To then be called a liar and thrown in jail must have been an absolute death blow to her emotional state. I really don't get why people go to these socially backwards countries. I mean you should know what you're getting yourself into.
 
  • #10
Totally agree WBN

its horrific that this happens in the 21st century world of today

its better just to stay away from these countries and their nightmare laws :(

Dave
 
  • #11
WannabeNewton said:
I really don't get why people go to these socially backwards countries. I mean you should know what you're getting yourself into.

It was a business trip. Probably didn't have much of a choice but to go...

Looking at her pictures, you can definitely see she's gone through hell. She is 24 but looks like she could be my mother, and I'm 26. :bugeye: Poor thing.
 
  • #12
SW VandeCarr said:
What? You deny the teachings of Islam? Women exist to have babies and serve men. Good women don't get raped. They stay home and only go out with their brothers, fathers or husbands. So say the teachings of Islam (Shariah).

EDIT: Ideally women should only go out with four (chaste) men because that's how many male witnesses are required to prove rape under Shariah Law.

This from an Islamic help line:

http://www.islamhelpline.com/node/732

Dafuq, women exist to have babies and to serve men? Are you even have a mother? Every human being must get same rights, women can do anything like men do.
 
  • #13
Bandarigoda said:
Dafuq, women exist to have babies and to serve men? Are you even have a mother? Every human being must get same rights, women can do anything like men do.

Yes, I had a mother. I do not follow Shariah. Women do not have the same rights as men under Shariah Law. I was obviously pointing out the absurdity of strict Shariah Law.
 
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  • #14
Bandarigoda said:
Dafuq, women exist to have babies and to serve men? Are you even have a mother? Every human being must get same rights, women can do anything like men do.

He was sarcastic.
 
  • #15
SW VandeCarr said:
Yes, I had a mother. I do not follow Shariah. Women do not have the same rights as men under Shariah Law. I was obviously pointing out the absurdity of strict Shariah Law.

Oh, i thought you are a bad guy. Sorry, i misunderstood due to my bad english.

If someone wants, look for buddhism
 
  • #16
Bandarigoda said:
Oh, i thought you are a bad guy. Sorry, i misunderstood due to my bad english.

If someone wants, look for buddhism

No problem. I admire the Buddhist philosophy.
 
  • #17
When allow religious ideals to be passed as truths than this what you get.
 
  • #18
p1l0t said:
When allow religious ideals to be passed as truths than this what you get.

These comments are exactly the type of comments we don't want in this thread (whether they are correct or not).
 
  • #19
micromass said:
These comments are exactly the type of comments we don't want in this thread (whether they are correct or not).

What can we discuss on this thread then? Religion has a lot to do with the case, most specifically Sharia law.
 
  • #20
I think they are trying to keep it a legal/moral discussion but religion IS the law in this case I think, unfortunately.
 
  • #21
Tosh5457 said:
What can we discuss on this thread then? Religion has a lot to do with the case, most specifically Sharia law.

Discussing Shariah law or other islamic law is absolutely ok. But Shariah law is not the same as islam. There are many muslims who don't follow Shariah law.

Things I don't want in this thread is to discuss truth or falsity of a certain religion (in this case: islam). Or whether one religion is better than another. Or whether it would be better if everybody were atheist. And so on.

In short: discussing Shariah law is perfectly fine. Discussing the associated religion is fine if no value judgement is made of the religion.

I know this is a tough thread and a discussion of religion is inevitable. But I really don't want this to turn out to be a flame war or an islam bashing thread.
 
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  • #22
micromass said:
Discussing Shariah law or other islamic law is absolutely ok. But Shariah law is not the same as islam. There are many muslims who don't follow Shariah law.
True, but the fact is Saudi Arabia's laws are based on Shari'a law, so it doesn't matter in this case if some Muslims don't personally follow Shari'a law.

The country is ruled by a monarchy with a legal system based on Islamic law (Shari'a). The Government does not provide legal protection for freedom of religion, and such protection does not exist in practice. Islam is the official religion, and the law requires that all citizens be Muslims. The Government prohibits the public practice of non-Muslim religions.

As custodian of Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, the Government considers its legitimacy to rest largely on its interpretation and enforcement of Shari'a. Consequently, the Government has declared the Koran and the Sunna (tradition) of Muhammad to be the country's Constitution. The Government follows the rigorously conservative and strict interpretation of the Salafi (often referred to as "Wahhabi") school of the Sunni branch of Islam and discriminates against other branches of Islam. Neither the Government nor society in general accepts the concept of separation of religion and state.
As long as we are discussing the law in Saudi Arabia, we are discussing Shari'a law. Just to clarify. I agree with what you posted as to the limits on this discussion as far as flaming the religion itself, however, the religion and the law are considered inseparable in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2004/35507.htm
 
  • #23
SW VandeCarr said:
This from an Islamic help line:

http://www.islamhelpline.com/node/732
If I had brain cells misfire like that, I would have flunked every debate and logic class that I took. Sad that people believe in that kind of behavior and treatment of others.
 
  • #24
Evo said:
True, but the fact is Saudi Arabia's laws are based on Shari'a law, so it doesn't matter in this case if some Muslims don't personally follow Shari'a law.

As long as we are discussing the law in Saudi Arabia, we are discussing Shari'a law. Just to clarify. I agree with what you posted as to the limits on this discussion as far as flaming the religion itself, however, the religion and the law are considered inseparable in Saudi Arabia.
This happened in Dubai, not Saudi Arabia.
 
  • #25
Fredrik said:
This happened in Dubai, not Saudi Arabia.
Wipes mud off her face, I'm in the wrong country. Well, Dubai still follows Shari'a law but is a bit more flexible.

Dubai’s legal system is founded upon civil law principles (most heavily influenced by Egyptian law) and Islamic Shari’a law, the latter constituting the guiding principle and source of law.

http://www.lw.com/upload/pubContent/_pdf/pub2787_1.pdf
 
  • #26
I certainly agree that stalking and raping are on completely different levels. Rape is traumatic beyond traumatic, stalking pales in comparison. Rape is just disgusting on so many levels, which is why I feel so angered at their retarded legal system for putting that girl through all that.
 

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