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Earlier coverage suggested Muhammad Ali Abu Raziza was "framed by the religious police after he angered some of their members at a training course." In any event, public pressure may again work to spare individuals the cruel and unusual punishments of Sharia law. Unfortunately, there will be others in the future, as such reprieves by the Saudi government are clearly acts of damage control rather than compassion or reform.
"Amnesty urges release of Saudi facing flogging," from Reuters, May 11:
RIYADH - Amnesty International has urged Saudi authorities to release a Saudi university professor who is facing flogging and imprisonment for meeting a woman to whom he is not related for coffee in the conservative Islamic kingdom.
Muhammad Ali Abu Raziza, a psychology lecturer at the university of Mecca, has been sentenced to 150 lashes and eight months in jail after the religious police caught him with a woman in a coffee shop, the rights group said in a statement.
Justice ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Saudi Arabia applies an austere form of Islam which bans women from mixing with men to whom they are not related, voting and driving, and punishes men and women found guilty of illegal encounters, known as khilwa offences.
The statement did not say what happened to the woman who was meeting Abu Raziza.
‘Saudi Arabia should stop needlessly persecuting people like this -- we want to see a complete end to people in the kingdom being punished for 'khilwa' offences,’ Amnesty said.
The religious police, known as the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, have wide powers to search for alcohol, drugs and prostitution, ensure shops are closed during prayers in addition to maintaining a strict system of sexual segregation.
Criticism of the force has re-emerged after its members were involved in a series of incidents, which led to the deaths of six people in car chases.
Posted by Marisol at May 11, 2008 2:09 PM
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"According to press reports, Dr 'Ali Abu Raziza had originally upset officials from the religious police - who were also his students - during an argument in one of his classes. These students also failed to pass their final exams and were said to be angry with Dr 'Ali Abu Raziza. He later received a telephone call from a woman asking him to meet her at a coffee shop to discuss a problem. He was said to have agreed to the meeting on the condition that she brought a male guardian. Upon arrival at the coffee shop, Dr 'Ali Abu Raziza found the woman alone."
in other words, it was a set-up!...
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at May 11, 2008 2:18 PM
"Muhammad Ali Abu Raziza, a psychology lecturer at the university of Mecca, has been sentenced to 150 lashes and eight months in jail after the religious police caught him with a woman in a coffee shop."
From the article
CAUGHT him? If they're doing this to the man, what punishment is being meted out to the woman? Anyone know?
Posted by: Eastview at May 11, 2008 4:22 PM
"Amnesty International has urged Saudi authorities to release a Saudi university professor who is facing flogging and imprisonment for meeting a woman to whom he is not related for coffee in the conservative Islamic kingdom."
--- from the article above
Having a cup of coffee in a coffee shop may not always be so innocent.
Here, just to help those troglodytic mutawwa out a bit, let's introduce into evidence Carroll Gibbons (orch.) and Marjorie Stedeford (voc.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuEvH6AObgo
Oh, but I see the singer is referring to a cup of "hot coffee" after an implied evening of alcohol.
Sorry, I withdraw the mustical evidence.
Posted by: Hugh at May 11, 2008 5:54 PM
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