Last week’s public whipping of a group of women in Sudan for ‘indecent dressing’ is something that cannot be accepted. Indeed, the act should be condemned by all members of the international community.
Reports say that the 13 women, mainly from the Christian-dominated south, were arrested for wearing trousers and blouses in a restaurant in the Sudanese capital Khartoum – despite the fact that non-Muslims are not supposed to be subjected to Sharia law.
Some of the women who pleaded guilty immediately after their arrest received a lesser punishment of 10 lashes on the spot. For those who choose to contest the charges through their lawyers, they now face 40 lashes in public. One of them is Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, a prominent opposition newspaper columnist who also works for the UN in Sudan.
There is growing speculation that the punishment is being meted on the women in order to teach al-Hussein a lesson. Since starting her weekly column Men Talk, she has used it to champion women’s rights, criticise fundamentalists and also oppose the Islamic government’s oppressive laws.
Metro Éireann believes these women have done nothing wrong by wearing trousers and blouses, and we call on the Sudanese government to immediately discontinue the trial of these women, which is not justifiable by any means. We also urge the international community to urgently come to the aid of al-Hussein and her fellow accused.
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