Archives

Rejoice at Saudi rape decision? Pardon me?

Posted in Irshaddering Thoughts on Dec 17, 2007

Pardon me for being confused, but as a reform-minded Muslim am I supposed to get giddy that Saudi Arabia’s king has pardoned a woman who’s been gang-raped?

Think about it: The notion of excusing a rape victim is patently crazy. Victims don’t need to be let off for a crime committed against them. Rather, they need to be empowered with the dignity and authority to help determine the fate of their assailants.

There’s so much kookiness in the system of “honor” that led to this young woman’s imprisonment (and the continued incarceration of the man she was with — himself raped by the same criminals who attacked her).

This is why I’m linking you to two major interviews that I recently conducted about women, men, tribal culture and Islam.

Here’s the (MP3 link) of my interview on “Culture Shocks,” a national radio show hosted by Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Now here’s the video of my interview on “The Agenda,” TVOntario’s flagship current affairs program. The host and I discuss the case of Aqsa Parvez, the Toronto-area Muslim teenager allegedly killed by her own father last week.