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from the don't-blame-the-messenger-—-charge-them dept.
A U.K.-based human rights organization has urged Britons living in the United Arab Emirates to not report incidents of rape or sexual assaults following the case of a British woman who was allegedly gang raped in Dubai and after reporting it was arrested and charged with "extramarital sex" charges.
[...] The organization Detained in Dubai, which provides legal assistance to foreign people arrested in the UAE regardless of their citizenship and financial status, has already launched a petition at Change.org, urging authorities to take action on the matter.
[...] Radha Stirling, a U.S. citizen founder of the charity, said to The Independent that following the recent case – as well as a number of other shocking incidents in recent years where rape victims have been detained in the UAE – she advises British tourists not to report crime.
Human rights organizations have asked the UAE monarchies to match their country's great economic growth and tourism potential with changes to its legal system to improve and develop the legal rights and process.
From guide2dubai.com:
In 2013, the total population of UAE was recorded to be 9.2 million. Out of the 9.2 million, the expatriates contributed to around 7.8 million with the Emirati Nationals holding a population share of 1.4 million. [...] South Asian countries alone contributes to around 58% of the total population of UAE. The western population shares to around 8% of the overall population of the country.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Sunday November 20 2016, @06:54PM
You are correct that Islamic law is utterly unlike Western law. However, you are off on a few points.
- Western law does now say "you must believe the woman". You yourself pointed out that the foundation of Western law is "innocent until proven guilty". While there is a tendency to believe the victim, this is mostly a problem in pseudo-legal settings, like university- or employer-run disciplinary proceedings.
- Rape is not the same as any crime. Islamic law is quite clear, when it comes to prosecuting rape [islamhelpline.net]: "But if the woman who is raped accuses that so and so specific person or people raped her, then there are only two ways an Islamic Court can convict the accused rapist/s: The accused rapist confesses to his heinous crime; or she produces four witnesses to justify her claim that so and so person raped her. If the accused rapist does not confess, and the woman is unable to produce the four witnesses; then the Court can levy upon her the case of kazaf or falsely accusing somebody. Of course, practically speaking, the winesses must be male.
So ask yourself: What four men will have witnesses a rape, done nothing to prevent it, and yet be willing to testify against the rapists in court? Practically speaking, this is an impossibility. For this reason, the advice to Westerners to *not* report sexual assault is correct. Frankly, I am of the opinion that Westerners should simply avoid countries that refuse to guarantee what we regard as basic human rights. No commerce, no tourism, no aid, accept no refugees - no traffic of any kind. Of course, that also means no bombs, no overthrowing their governments, no funding rebels.
If they are content with their ways, fine, no problem. If they want exchange with the West, they will have to accept basic Western values.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Sunday November 20 2016, @07:37PM
The four witnesses mentioned in Quran is for accusation of adultery to a woman. That is simply not how rape is tried, all sorts of physical and medical evidence is allowed and examined.
You yourself said, that any legal system that used your methods would never find a single raper guilty, and yet many rapists are tried and sentenced in Sharia countries every years. Rape is far less common than in most of the rest of the word, but it still happens, and the perpetrators are caught and punished in the hundreds.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2016, @08:20PM
Rape is far less common? And how can you actually prove this scientifically?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2016, @09:49PM
By pointing to the number of reported cases, of course.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Sunday November 20 2016, @10:27PM
No, the number of convictions.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex