Mumbai:
The Citizen for Justice and Peace (CJP) and other groups staged a silent demonstration at the Saudi Arabian Consulate here on Thursday to protest against that country's "inhuman" interpretation of laws that resulted in penalizing a victim of gang rape.

In a memorandum submitted to the Saudi consulate, the CJP said, "We write to express our deep concern at the fate of the 19 years old female victim of gang rape, initially ordered to undergo 90 lashes for 'being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape,' now further sentenced to '200 lashes and six months in jail for telling her story to the news media.'"

The Saudi authorities say the trail and sentences are in keeping with the provisions of the Sharia and, therefore, fair. <Click for more details 1>

Under the present system, Saudi Arabia enforces a strict Islamic doctrine that forbids unrelated men and women from associating with each other and bans women from driving. They have to cover themselves head-to-toe in public. Women are required to get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. Women are not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man, and they are not allowed to vote. <Click for more details 2>

On September 7, 2000, Saudi Arabia had become a party to the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, albeit with reservations. <Click for more details 3>

Note: The young woman belongs to Saudi Arabia's minority Shiite community, while the rapists are Sunni.

95% of Saudi women suffer abuse:
As many a s95 percent of women in Riyadh have been subjected to a form of physical or emotional abuse from within their family, according to a new survey.

Saudi Migrant Workers Subject to Abuse:
8 million migrant workers need sponsorship from local Saudi employers. Female domestic workers have particular challenges and are vulnerable to exploitation.  Some are forced to live in complete isolation and forbidden to leave the home in which they work. In addition to being overworked and underpaid, female migrant workers also face the risk of enduring physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers.  Even when abuse is reported by foreign workers, it is extremely rare for Saudi employers to be prosecuted.

Saudi Woman Seeks Divorce from Husband for Lifting Veil:
Arabs are ashamed, not from islam that brings them shame and made them the laughing stock of the world for keeping them retarded and backward, but from exposing their shameful truth to the Western world.

IN SAUDI ARABIA

ABOUT WOMAN'S RIGHT

Article 2:
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.