Compare your existence with this:
"A woman who was gang-raped over a year ago in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was sentenced to six months in jail and 200 lashes. Her crime: Being in the car of a man who was not a relative.
She had initially been sentenced to 90 lashes on charges of violating the rigid Saudi laws on segregation of the sexes. However, the number of lashes was more than doubled because of her "attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media," Arab News reported. Her lawyer's license to practice law was confiscated, and he has been summoned to a disciplinary hearing, after expressing public criticism of the original verdict.
The seven men convicted of raping the 19-year-old woman were not beheaded, but rather sentenced to between two and nine years in prison. Three of the convicts were also convicted of raping her male companion.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabian authorities carried out the kingdom's 136th beheading of the year, surpassing by far its combined totals for the two previous years. The latest victim was a man convicted of murdering another with an assault rifle.
Saudi Arabia often defends its practice of beheading by explaining that it follows an interpretation of the Quran by which the crimes of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are punished by public execution with a sword. Those convicted of sodomy, apostasy and certain other offenses can also be beheaded in the kingdom.
Nearly 40 people were beheaded in Saudi Arabia in 2006, including four women, and between 83 and 90 the year before, including two women."
Notice two things here. First, the men that raped both the woman and her male friend were given a jail sentence of less than a year, to nine years - not beheading. Second, Saudi Arabia claims it bases it's beheadings on a religious principle, which includes rape in the 'approved' list.
So, why were these rapists given jail sentences and not beheaded? Isn't this a direct violation of the Quran, by their interpretation? Wouldn't this be an affront to their god, Allah? And if they are willing to break their religious code for this situation, doesn't this indicate they are willing to break it elsewhere, making them untrustworthy?And why was this woman's sentence increased from 90 lashes to 200 lashes? Because she made her plight public?
Personally, I'm glad she did. This allows the world to really understand the injustices that occur in these Islamic countries. I can only offer sympathy and outrage at the punishment placed on her by the Saudi "legal" system. They screwed up, and they're embarrassed. They should be!
Sources:
BBC
Daily Mail
CBS News
