Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Arab woman faces whipping for refusing to cover hair with hijab

Speaking of Islamic countries with severe laws -- see previous post -- Gulf News reports that a Sudanese woman has been accused of appearing "indecently attired" because she refused to cover her hair with a hijab. (If you're not sure what a hijab is, please see "Hijab, niqab, burqa -- what's the difference?".)

Amira Osman Hamid faces a possible whipping if convicted of violating Sudan’s laws governing morality, which took effect after the 1989 Islamist coup. The defence asked in September that the charge be withdrawn, but the court in Khartoum* is waiting for the prosecutor to either send the file back to court for additional hearings, or to quash the case. No new date has been set for a further hearing, but one of the defence lawyers, Kamal [spellcheck, please. Ed.] Omar, said "This does not mean the case is finished."

Under Sudanese law all women are supposed to cover their hair with a hijab but Ms Hamid refuses, saying authorities "want us to be like Taliban women." She was charged after refusing a policeman’s order to cover her head while visiting a government office in Jebel Aulia in late August.

Ms Hamid's case has attracted international publicity and drawn support from the usual "human rights activists". The trial is reminiscent of the 2009 case of Lubna Ahmad Al Hussain, which led to a global outcry. The Sudanese journalist was fined for wearing slacks in public but she refused to pay, so spent one day behind bars. Others rounded up with her in a restaurant were flogged.

* Note from Ed.: I once knew a man from Khartoum...

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