They got the stiff sentences because at the party were women unrelated to them, and alcohol. These things are forbidden in Sharia — all forms of Sharia. The Saudis enforce these laws, obviously, while in most areas of the Islamic world Sharia is not fully in force. But the idea that there are other versions of Sharia that don’t forbid alcohol and mixing of unrelated women and men is just wishful thinking on the part of Western analysts.
“Five Saudi men sentenced to 32 years in prison and 4,500 lashes for holding a Valentine’s Day party with ‘unrelated women, drinking and dancing,’” by Belinda Robinson, Daily Mail, May 9, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Five Saudi men have been sentenced to 32 years in prison and 4,500 lashes by a criminal court in Saudi Arabia – for holding a Valentine’s Day party.
The law breaking men were caught at a rented rest house in the Al-Farouq area of Buraidah Qassim province and accused of holding a party with women who were unrelated to them, drinking and dancing.
Police from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) rounded up the men with the help of security patrols for their offences along with six women on February 14.
The men have all admitted to the charges, which include illicit seclusion with unrelated women, dancing and drinking.
A judge will decide the fate of the six women.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is the Saudi Arabian government’s agency’s religious police or mutaween (meaning pious) to enforce Sharia Law within the Islamic nation.
Altogether, it has 3,500 to 4,000 police officers who enforce a strict religious code among citizens.
Members patrol the streets checking dress code, strict separation of men and women, salat prayer by Muslims during prayer times, and other behavior it believes to be commanded by Islam.
The mutaween (CPVPV) are known for having full beards and wearing their headscarves (ghutrah or shemagh) loose without an agal and often come from Saudi Arabia’s lower classes….