# Saudi woman punished for... being gang-raped **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 16, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067 "2009-02-16T08:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/41 "2009-02-16T19:16:04Z")
It has been pointed out many times that Islam is a Religion of Piece. These poor guys were obviusly just trying to get a piece, and this woman made it unnecessarily difficult. And embarrassing to them. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/42 "2009-02-16T19:24:35Z")
1. I would not like to live under these laws. 2. I agree that many people who live under them are unable to change either their living circumstances, or the laws. 3. Many folks around the world also condemn these laws. 4. Many folks around the world also condemn the death penalty, especially when applied to minors. 5. Finally - the more boiled down version of the newstory is that unmarried female in extremely repressed country becomes pregnant. Pregnancy = proof of sexual contact. There is a claim of gang rape, bur since the incident obviously occurred some time ago, apparently no evidence of same. I also understand that if it were true, the woman involved would have very little recourse, either. I’m just saying there is apparently no proof the gang rape occured. Unless, of course, you wish to belive that absolutely no females in SA are having consensual intercourse outside of marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/43 "2009-02-16T19:26:59Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Disgusting. What could lead a culture to be so mysogynistic and draconic at the same time? Atheism, of course. If only they had some kind of religion to give them morality, things like this wouldn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/44 "2009-02-16T19:30:23Z")
> [@HumanMonkeyGod](#): > > The most appropriate analogy I see is as **The Flying Dutchman** put forward, with racism. Have peacable solutions to racism been found? I believe so. Could a solution to this be found? I I believe so even more. > I may well stand corrected, but I don’t think any black woman in the worst period of the height of world racism could have suffered this kind of absolute atrocity. I have little doubt there was much rape and abuse, but to be _punished_ for it afterwards? > Why was racism so bad and this is somebody else’s problem? Why was South Africa such a big deal? I don’t think we will successfully put enough pressure on these societies to end it without violence or at least until the rest of the world no longer needs the oil from these countries. I don’t think the world has the will to go to war over this very shitty violation of decency and human rights. Africa was different as they could be squeezed much easier and did not have a network of cross support in a major worldwide religion. Are we prepared to stop buying oil if they do not reform? If not what can we do to apply pressure? They export black gold. The West consumes it in large quantities. Once again we and the rest of the developed and developing world need to end our addiction to oil. There are so many reason to do so and this is yet another. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/45 "2009-02-16T19:50:59Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Finally - the more boiled down version of the newstory is that unmarried female in extremely repressed country becomes pregnant. Pregnancy = proof of sexual contact. There is a claim of gang rape, bur since the incident obviously occurred some time ago, apparently no evidence of same. I also understand that if it were true, the woman involved would have very little recourse, either. I’m just saying there is apparently no proof the gang rape occured. Unless, of course, you wish to belive that absolutely no females in SA are having consensual intercourse outside of marriage. So you’re cool with having women imprisoned and whipped for having consensual sex? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/46 "2009-02-16T19:54:41Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So you’re cool with having women imprisoned and whipped for having consensual sex? Care to 'splain where I said that? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/47 "2009-02-16T20:09:49Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > Nevertheless, it is not surprising that that backward culture did this, and if it didn’t surprise me, it sure as shit shouldn’t surprise _her_. You seem to take this as blaming the victim. It’s more of a pessimistic outlook on what life must be like there, at least from me. This. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/48 "2009-02-16T20:29:01Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > The problem is that no one in this thread has seriously suggested anything of the sort. The best advice is **get the fuck out of Saudi Arabia**. I agree that this has been despicable from beginning to end. The woman did not get what was coming to her. They most certainly have. Read the first few posts again; this is not directed at you specifically. Tone is not lost on any of us, I’m sure. It is one thing to say something like, “That poor woman. My heart goes out to her, and I hope everyone who had a part in her suffering burns in hell. If only she had been more mindful of the barbaric, evil, backward society she lived in–she could have run, anywhere, if it were in her power,” well, maybe I’d buy the clarification. But that is not equivalent to, a shrugged, “Well, duh!” or to “Yeah, it’s bad, but what did she expect?” It’s just not. If anyone is arguing that their \*only point \*is that it’s self-evident that societies such as hers are backward and evil, at least in this aspect, I don’t buy it, sorry. That’s not how it read to me, and I don’t think I’m reaching. > [@](#): > > Nevertheless, it is not surprising that that backward culture did this, and if it didn’t surprise me, it sure as shit shouldn’t surprise _her_. You seem to take this as blaming the victim. It’s more of a pessimistic outlook on what life must be like there, at least from me. Why would anyone even feel compelled to make that point? How does that not imply some culpability on her part? How is one to read kambuckta’s first post to be anything other than a flip dismissal that she simply should have altered her actions–i.e., the outcome was to some extent her fault? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/49 "2009-02-16T20:32:28Z")
Is there a single country on Earth at the moment that is more evil than Saudi Arabia? I’m serious, because I can’t think of one, but I’m not very politically aware. China is the land of lollipops and rainbows compared to that hellhole. Being allies with them is like giving Hitler a blowjob. It leaves a REALLY bad taste in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/50 "2009-02-16T20:34:24Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > As it should be, because you are exactly right. I would venture to say that MOST victims of crimes could have been more careful, but so what? Basically what people are saying here is that not ONLY is it just too damn bad that this woman got gang-raped (because she should have known better) but that it’s also too damn bad that she is the one who was punished for it (because she should have known better). That goes way beyond blaming the victim. Agreed (obviously). How anyone could react to this case with either “she should have known” or “the law is the law, she assumed the risk” is beyond me. I don’t care how widely known or uniformly applied an evil law is. Just doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/51 "2009-02-16T20:37:13Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Care to 'splain where I said that? How is the question whether or not she was actually raped relevant to this conversation? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/52 "2009-02-16T20:37:52Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Is there a single country on Earth at the moment that is more evil than Saudi Arabia? I’m serious, because I can’t think of one, but I’m not very politically aware. China is the land of lollipops and rainbows compared to that hellhole. > > Being allies with them is like giving Hitler a blowjob. It leaves a REALLY bad taste in my mouth. Sadly I think there are plenty of candidates. But they clearly are a finalist at least. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/53 "2009-02-16T20:42:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How is the question whether or not she was actually raped relevant to this conversation? How is it not? The outrage is for a crime victim who is prosecuted for being the victim of a crime. And, I noted several times in my post that I thought the laws involved were worthy of condemnation. So, why the fuck did you suggest that I was “ok” with the laws themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/54 "2009-02-16T21:08:30Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Obviously she is being jailed on a charge of **Gross Stupidity**. :rolleyes: > > # It’s Saudi Arabia. As a woman, you don’t hitchhike. > > # It’s Saudi Arabia. You don’t try to procure an abortion. > > # It’s Saudi Arabia. You don’t then alert the authorities about the _way_ you got pregnant, noting all of the above. > > # It’s Saudi Arabia. She’s lucky she got away with 100 lashes rather than a death sentence. > > Next question? If i could invent synthetic oil right now I’d do it only to see those idiots go broke. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/55 "2009-02-16T21:08:37Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > After reading the article, what strikes me most is that the woman CONFESSED to being raped. Yep, it was her fault. :mad: Now, if she is guilty of being raped, and deserves to be imprisoned and lashed, then I think that her attackers deserve the death penalty. That jumped out at me, too. How very odd. It’s a good thing she wasn’t murdered after the gang rape. Would have made the confession a bit more difficult to obtain. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/56 "2009-02-16T21:12:48Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > At the risk of stepping on **Der Trihs** ’s toes, the answer may start with “r” and end in “eligion”. Why condemn all religion? Why not simply state that it’s Islam? No other religion today would allow this. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/57 "2009-02-16T21:30:22Z")
I just signed off and immediately came across an article reporting on the [beheading of a muslim woman by her husband.](http://www.buffalonews.com/437/story/578644.html) In New York. Unbelievable. It gets better: > [@](#): > > Muzzammil Hassan is the founder and chief executive officer of Bridges TV, which he launched in 2004, amid hopes that it would help portray Muslims in a more positive light. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/58 "2009-02-16T21:33:56Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > # It’s Saudi Arabia. As a woman, you don’t hitchhike. Besides the obvious bullshit of blaming the victim, which others here have already covered, where did you get the idea that she was hitchhiking? The only information we have is that a man had “offered her a ride,” which she obviously accepted. For all you know, they were coworkers and he asked her if she’d like a lift home when they were leaving for the day. Or he was someone she knew and he saw her walking home and said, “Hey, it’s 120 degrees out. Hop on in and I’ll give you a lift the rest of the way,” and since she knew and trusted him, she agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/59 "2009-02-16T21:56:03Z")
Last I heard, Saudi still had laws about men and women, not family members of each other, sharing a car ride. In that, at least, she appears to have broken the law, and can be legally punished for that infraction. The rest, well, the reasoning behind it leaves me baffled and enraged. I simply fail to grasp that a functioning modern society could work along those lines - They’re _pre_-medieval. And yeah, I know, someone wag is going to come along as say “what makes you think Suadi society is either modern _or_ functioning?” Well, OK, they’re some kinda sorry hybrid, but why haven’t they collapsed into some black hole of (in)decency? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067/60 "2009-02-16T22:23:01Z")
If the five men were her family members (brothers and uncles), would she still be guilty of adultry? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-woman-punished-for-being-gang-raped/486067.md?page=4)