Hillarysforum

Sudan: Female Journalist’s Trial for Wearing Trousers Resumes Monday

A Sudanese woman facing 40 lashes for wearing trousers has invited journalists to her Khartoum trial to be held this Monday.

"When a young American girl can be imprisoned in a sexual predator’s backyard and repeatedly raped for 18 years, our nation should be careful in bragging about our record on women’s rights. But yes, we are allowed to wear trousers when we’re out and about. That’s more than the women of Sudan can say.

Jeffrey Gettleman of the NY Times reports:

NAIROBI, Kenya — This is not about pants, Lubna Hussein insists. It is about principles.

A woman should be able to wear what she wants and not be publicly whipped for it, says Mrs. Hussein, a defiant Sudanese journalist, and on Monday her belief will be put to the test.

Mrs. Hussein has been charged in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, with indecent dress, a crime that carries a $100 fine and 40 lashings. She was arrested in July, along with 12 other women, who were caught at a café wearing trousers.

Sudan is partially ruled by Islamic law, which emphasizes modest dress for women. Mrs. Hussein, 34, has pled not guilty and is daring the Sudanese authorities to punish her.

I am Muslim; I understand Muslim law,” Mrs. Hussein said in an interview. “But I ask: what passage in the Koran says women can’t wear pants? This is not nice.Mrs. Hussein even printed up invitation cards for her initial court date in July and sent out emails asking people to witness her whipping, if it came to that. She said she wanted the world to see how Sudan treated women.Hundreds of Sudanese women — many wearing pants — swarmed in front of the court where the trial was supposed to take place, protesting that the law was unfair. Twice now, the trial has been postponed. Some of the other women arrested with Mrs. Hussein have pled guilty and were lashed as a result. Past floggings have been carried out with plastic whips that leave permanent scars.

The flogging, yes, it causes pain,” Mrs. Hussein said. “But more important, it is an insult. This is why I want to change the law."

http://katalusis.blogspot.com/2009/09/sudan-female-journalists-trial-for.html