A Pair of Pardons

Sudan and Saudi Arabia are in a forgiving mood.

Late last month I wrote here of the story of the "Qatif girl," as she's known in Saudi Arabia--the woman who was raped by seven men in the Saudi town of Qatif, then sentenced to 90 lashes for having been in private with a man at the time of the rape (the man she was sitting with in a car, a former boyfriend from who she was retrieving an old photograph, was also raped by the seven assailants). When the woman protested the punishment, a court doubled her punishment and sentenced her to six months in prison.

On Monday, the Saudi newspaper Al Jazirah reported that Saudi King Abdullah had pardoned the woman. Arab News, the English-language Saudi newspaper, confirmed it on Tuesday:

The pardon by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah of the 20-year-old rape victim known as “Qatif Girl” yesterday was well received by her husband who wanted to say nothing on the case except to thank the king. Meanwhile, human rights activists also welcomed the news but are calling for specific measures to avert sentencing rape victims in the first place.

Saudi Arabia cries for judicial reform that would prevent that sort of travesty from unfolding--and ruining an individual's life and reputation for a year and a half: the rape took place that long ago--but Omar Al-Saab, a Riyadh-based lawyer, makes a good point in the Arab News story: “This is a historic day,” Saab is quoted as saying. “The king’s pardon will send a strong message to judges that they are under surveillance. People are now aware of their rights, they know they have the right to appeal and pursue their rights. Judges will now put in mind that they might face another ‘Al-Lahem’ type of lawyer who will challenge them and not take ‘no’ for answer.”

And of course two weeks ago the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, pardoned the British teacher jailed after sending her seven-year-old students home with a teddy bear they chose to call Muhammad. The severity of the punishment both women faced had repelled world and Arab opinion. It's good to see public opinion swaying even the most puritan of regimes.