The Saudi Courts are defending their action of increasing the sentence of a 19 year-old VICTIM of Gang Rape. Originally the girl was sentenced to just 90 lashes with a whip for being in a car with a man that was not a relative. However, on appeal the courts increased her sentence to 200 lashes and 6 months in jail.
I was outraged when I first wrote on this. However, my outrage has now increased.
According to reports from FoxNews.Com the Saudi Courts are saying that the victim should have appealed without "resorting to the media."
Of course the State Department response is weak and despicable. "State Department spokesman Sean McCormack avoided directly criticizing the Saudi judiciary over the case, but said the verdict 'causes a fair degree of surprise and astonishment.'" Our response should be one of OUTRAGE. But of course, we cannot offend our Partner for Peace in the Middle East.
How can a nation call itself civilized when it participates in activity of this sort. This is precisely the reason why the Founding Fathers of the US did not want a State Religion. This activity is being done in the name of God; the name of the same God of Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Further this is a nation that WE send BILLIONS of DOLLARS to, in the form of defense funding and OIL purchases. If there was anything that could push me to wanting to mandate getting rid of gasoline in this country, this is it.
This should also be a wake up call to the Religious Right of MY party (yes, I am a card carrying member of the GOP). This is what happens when Politics, Law and Religion are mixed. This may be an extreme example, but it is a slippery slope that leads to this.
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