Dr. Hayat Sindi is a Saudi Arabian medical scientist and a woman who has earned respect for extraordinary accomplishments in a country that denies women basic liberties. She is not only an award-winning scientist but one of the first female members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. Ranked by Arabian Business as the 19th most influential Arab in the world and the ninth most influential Arab woman, it is not surprising that Harvard University has brought her to the country as a visiting scholar. However, a nasty lawsuit in King County has raised deeply disturbing allegations about Sindi’s efforts against women who she accuses of hacking her emails. According to counsel for one of those women, Sindi worked to have another woman flogged for writing on Facebook that she had had an affair with her husband. On the other side is Samia El-Moslimany, a women’s activist and photographer who lives in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, who is fighting to keep Sindi from forcing the disclosure of the women, who would face medieval Sharia justice in Saudi Arabia.
All of this began when El-Moslimany posted statements on social media in 2012 alleging that Sindi had had an affair with her husband. Sindi responded with a Saudi defamation case and, according to an affidavit submitted by El-Moslimany’s lawyer, she wanted El-Moslimany flogged. The effort backfired. A Saudi judge decided last year that El-Moslimany should spend four days in jail for the public defamation while Sindi should spend two months in jail for forming an illicit relationship with El-Moslimany’s husband. Neither has served their sentences.
Sindi however has continued to try to force disclosure of the names of the women commenting on the Internet under the claim that she was hacked. A King County Superior Court judge decided Friday not to sentence a Burien woman to jail or to levy a $500 fine for each day of withholding the names in light of the danger to these women.
Judge Mariane Spearman denied Sindi’s request to hold El-Moslimany in contempt of court because Sindi’s new lawyer could not specify which Facebook comments might be a basis for investigating any of the women.
The idea of a Harvard academic fighting to have women flogged for alleged defamation is deeply troubling. The fact that Saudi Sharia law allows for medieval justice does not excuse a demand for such justice over the exercise of free speech. Even if such speech was defamatory, it should not be a criminal matter subject to flogging. Whatever the truth of the adultery, it should not be relevant to Harvard or anyone else other than those involved in these families. However, flogging for posting matters on the Internet raises significant issues of due process and free speech.
Should Harvard be involved in such dispute when one of its faculty seeks to have women flogged under Sharia law or this is simply a private matter under the laws of another country?
I agree. But your premise that moderate Muslims are not speaking out is false.
Should Americans who witnessed Japanese, Germans and Italians being interred during WW2 and stood by and said nothing also be held to account?
Yes again.
DBQ – I am going to say NO to the internment one in the USA. They scooped up too many people, but the idea was right. I know the Japanese have gotten all the press but the Italians and Germans were interred long after all the Japanese were released.
The United States had intelligence that Jews of Europe were being exterminated early on in the war, yet they did nothing. Should they too be held responsible for standing by and doing nothing?
Yes.
DBQ – the State Dept. knew about the Holocaust and was suppressing reports of it. Eventually FDR had his hand forced on it and he had to do something about it.
Inga, I think DBQ has crashed! Whatever software she uses has just gone bonkers. Talkign about unraveling!
The United States had intelligence that Jews of Europe were being exterminated early on in the war, yet they did nothing. Should they too be held responsible for standing by and doing nothing? Should Americans who witnessed Japanese, Germans and Italians being interred during WW2 and stood by and said nothing also be held to account? So much to accuse people of, so few to take responsibility.
As far as interning people during WWII, we can start with blaming FDR. And there are several Republican papers who spoke out against it.
Po:
“Matter of fact, of all the religions (are you listening Pogo) Islam is the one that is the most pro-women. Prove me wrong.”
Well, there’s the fact that women are stoned for adultery in Muslim countries, do not have equal rights as men, are forced to wear a burka in Afghanistan under their interpretation of Islam, they may not wear a normal bathing suit at the beach or swim if there are unrelated males around, need their husband’s permission to work outside the home in countries where she would even be allowed to work and then only under strict guidelines, are not allowed to have male friends or shake a man’s hand, etc, etc, etc.
Are you kidding?
Let’s compare a woman in the US, who can choose who she wants to be friends with marry or not marry, and has equal rights as men, with the woman who was stoned in Pakistan because she owned a cell phone?
Why do you excuse this?
A Muslim woman in the US is free because she lives in the US, with US laws. She can practice her faith in peace. If she lived in a Muslim country under Sharia Law, she would be persecuted just the same as all the other women – beaten for not wearing a hijab properly, or jailed for wearing nail polish.
Extremist Islam might put women on a pedestal, but there is a gilded cage atop that pedestal.
@ Po
In the English language the word witness tends to mean that you have SEEN the evidence or the act being accomplished. Coitus, or in layman’s terms f*cking….. according to your written words. 4 reliable people should have witnessed the act of coitus and testify to it in order for the accusation to stand.
If you meant something else then you should be more precise. We can only respond to what YOU say.
Be angry at ISIS, not moderate Muslims like Po.
We have no evidence that Po is a moderate Muslim. IF he/she is amoderate…..then he/she is exactly what I despise. A moderate who makes excuses for the excesses of Islam and holds up Sharia Law as if it is something that we should desire in this country and which supersedes our own legal code. An apologist for radical Islam is an accomplice to their depraved deeds.
As far as I am concerned a moderate who doesn’t decry and despise the radicals, who doesn’t actively try to stop them is an accomplice:just as those moderate German Nazi’s stood by while millions were gassed. They then washed their hands like Lady Macbeth and claimed to be innocent because they didn’t pull the lever themselves. You KNOW what is going on and you do nothing. Guilty.
Sharia law as applied in this case of this Saudi woman, may be applicable in he country. It is not allowed here. If you don’t like the laws in the country where you are residing or even just visiting, then go where you are more comfortable. If it comforts you to beat and torture women, behead or stone homosexuals….I suggest that this is not the country for you.
I’m sick of coddling these people who want to make excuses for un-excusable. We are at war with people who want to destroy us and will go to any lengths to do it.
FYI: I am an agnostic when it comes to a higher power or God or Goddesses or whatever… am also not keen in the least on organized religion which I find about as appetizing as Sharia law. Which is not at all.
I also don’t believe in turning the other cheek. All that does is get you beat on both sides of your face.
DBQ – personally I think po is a beard for CAIR.
And other discussions regarding Islam on various other threads.
I have not seen Po do what you accuse him of Karen. I have seen a person who seems to have endless patience with the ignorance on this thread when it comes to Islam.
I didn’t call anyone an Islamaphobe for remarking on “beheading people and whipping women”. Again with the mischaracterization of someone’s comments. This is truly a habit with you Karen. Do you even realize you’re doing it? I kind of doubt it.
Correction, it’s not the first time Po has stated something extremist. I hit enter too soon.
Anytime there is an article condemning extremism, Po rushes to excuse it, and typically calls anyone who criticizes Islam for anything Islamophobic. It’s an established pattern, and shows a disinterest in debate.
And no one here thought Po may have been frustrated and used hyperbole. Duh.
Po:
“Easy, DBQ, easy….eaaaasyyyy!
No need to comp my head off. Same as for you Karen!
Wow, the eagerness for some to draw the knifes and start stabbing!”
No, Po, that was you who said you wished you could subject some people on here to a whipping.
You literally said that. And it’s not the first time. I copied and pasted, so there could be no confusion.
I am so lucky to live in America, where I can freely comment on violent Islamic extremism without fear, as I would if I lived under Sharia Law.
That is why many moderate Muslims came here, to escape people who would use violence, such as whipping, to suppress them.
And cue the false accusations of Islamophobia.
It’s not “phobic” to remark on whipping women and beheading Christians.
Karen – I don’t believe that po was limiting the flogging to just women. However, it does raise an interesting thought problem. If you were to flog someone with sock puppets, would you flog them for each sock puppet?
Po! You’re “dead to him”! Bwhahahaha. Oy! Another one on the list.
Everyone else, keep ignoring her. I know it’s tough for you, Paul. But, you can see how effective it is, can’t you?? LOL. Carry on.
LOL, the only people who “melted down” in a burning fury today were the Islamaphobes. Too funny.
Thanks Paul, he, as well as you, needs lots of prayers.
Gentlemen, We have them jumping sharks and whales. This is a classic meltdown. Time to take another walk. Got 10 miles in today so far. And, for all you non Muslim men who like to look @ women, California is the trendsetter for beach ware. I’m pleased to announce thongs are big this year. For women, that is! I’m in San Diego, not SF. NTTAWT.
Gigi De La Paz
Po,
Why is it that the women are the ones who seem to always get the 80 lashes or stoned to death? Your law, you, and the judges have no right to use corporal punishment on men, women, or children. Let God be the judge in these cases, and God alone.
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Gigi, how do you feel that I agree with you? Good, hurt, nauseated…?
Darren
A person is subject to the laws of the country in which they reside. This woman is subject to American law, both criminal as well as civil. If she were attached to a diplomatic mission she would suffer at the most expulsion but would probably get the boot. Personally America should not offer safe haven to neanderthals from backward nations. As much at fault the US is for this and that, America is light years more advanced in an evolutionary way, socially speaking. Westerners are constantly getting nailed one way or the other in these backward places for kissing on the beach or other benign and healthy actions. She should be on the next plane out of here at the very least. How hard can it be to find someone to teach this nonsense? Send in Paul, but don’t send him to Saudi Arabia. On second thought?
issac – I do not have a passport. Saudi Arabia is safe for the moment.