Whipping Women Inside SaudiBy MD Kavanwal The unfortunate truth is, whipping women, men and youth in public or private, by governmental authorities, occurs on a more regular basis than what is ever reported by media sources. When I was in Saudi Arabia, my introduction to the country began with the arrest of my roommate. She was subjected to imprisonment, humiliation and abhorrent conditions because she disobeyed the strict laws of the land. Was she in the wrong? Perhaps. The point is, there are no exceptions to the law of the land, especially for foreigners of another faith and culture. Embassies are often helpless to intervene.
If a person disobeys the laws, they are subjected to the severity of its application. According to the strict observances of Sharia Law, whipping women is a mandatory punishment for committing a crime of morality. These mandatory punishments extend to, and include illicit sexual activities such as: The definitions of some of these offenses are quite different to Western interpretation. Prostitution, for example, doesn’t mean a woman sells her body on the street. Prostitution in the Islamic tradition as practiced in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic states, means a women who socializes in mixed company, without a married couple acting as a chaperone, or not in the presence of her husband, father or brother, is committing adultery. In Saudi Arabia, and other Islamic states that adhere to Sahria Law, claim it is a crime for a woman to be with a man who is not her relative. Whipping women for this offense of prostitution, is common. Offenses such as the ones listed, are generally directed at women. In the Wahhabi Islamist’s view, the woman is always to blame, because it is she who causes a man to sin. Whipping women, and sometimes whipping men, is a punishment that is also given for other offences, such as involving the use or threat of violence against another person, as in assault and battery, and some non-violent offences, for example, vandalism. It is sometimes used against individuals for violation of immigration laws. More serious crimes, for instance, kidnapping, or crimes that intentionally or voluntarily cause grievous harm, are also punishably by whipping. The teachings of Mohammad and the interpretations of the Hadith vary greatly between the sects of Islam, and thus so do the range of crimes for which whipping is prescribed. Islamic Law is therefore not evenly applied due to interpretation of the Law derived from the Hadith, and interpreted by scholars. Sharia Law varies in practice and implementation and is different from country to country. In Indonesia, there is a law that forbids men and women from being together after dark. If they are, whipping women and men in public is implemented after a trial. In Iran, Article 102 of the constitution states, “Women who appear on the streets and in public without the prescribed ‘Islamic Hijab’ will be condemned to 74 strokes”. Lashing is a common penalty under Wahhabi interpretations of Sharia law, and is routinely implemented. In Saudi Arabia, 90 lashes is the usual punishment given to women, but whipping women with 200 lashes is also common. The Koran specifies the number of lashes required for a particular offense, but it doesn’t specify the number of lashes for all crimes. It is important to note that not all Islamic scholars agree that whipping women is condoned in the Koran. Whipping women has not traditionally been practiced in all Islamic states. Some believe public flogging is steeped more in local customs and traditions, rather than in Islam. Saudi Arabia, who is primarily Wahhabi, and protectors of the two holy cities, has traditionally implemented and advocated floggings. Because some influential Wahhabi Muslims believe they are holier than their Muslim brethren,(i.e. Shiite or Kurdish Muslims), and because they believe they practice the purest form of Islam, and are the protectors of Mecca and medina, they feel they are justified in their interpretations. Wahhabi are more rigid in the definition and implementation of Islamic law, customs and traditions. In the sentencing process for most crimes, the terms of the sentence are at the discretion of the judge hearing the case. When a person is sentenced to have lashings, a judge will decree three things: 1) The number of lashes For the men, they usually receive 50 to 60 lashes at a time, with one or two weeks between floggings. Not all sets of floggings may be conducted in public. For the men, they are usually subjected to floggings inside the prisons. Whipping women is often done inside the prisons, but if she is a foreigner, she is more likely to receive lashings in public, to remind people of what happens when they break the law. A female prisoner will have 10 to 30 lashings a week, or every second week, and no one, male or female, will have more than 60 to 70 lashes at any one time. Because it is not the intent to kill the prisoner, a doctor will conduct an examination to determine if the person is healthy enough to withstand lashes. This determination is highly individualized, and it isn’t uncommon for a prisoner to die from complications due to the lashes, rather than from the lashes themselves. Sometimes a police officer will conduct the whippings, or a matawa. They often hold the Koran under one arm, or there is an official who will hold the Koran before, during and after the floggings. Often, there are special men hired by the government for the sole purpose of whipping women and others who are condemned to this form of punishment. They often use a long bamboo whip, extending to seven feet in length. Another tool used for punishment is a ‘cat-of-nine tales’ type of rope, made out of wool and/or camel hair, with knots at the ends of the tethers. The knots can be made out of metal or hard, cloth-like material. These whipping tools sting, mark and maim the individuals receiving the lashings. As described in the novel, Surreal in Saudi , whipping women in public is a tradition that is not only honored, but celebrated.
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