Woman Who Was Raped Jailed, Fined For Extramarital Sex

If you’re a Western woman thinking of vacationing in Qatar, think again. Think extra hard if you’re a Western woman who likes to go out and drink or enjoy a casual hook-up. This is not the place for alcohol or sex or apparently just being a woman. The ultra-conservative Muslim country recently jailed a Dutch woman who reported getting drugged at a Qatari hotel and later raped at her perp’s apartment. The reason? The Qatari government deemed this unlucky woman guilty of extramarital sex. Because in Qatar, having sex outside of marriage is actually illegal. According to the BBC, the woman was also fined $850 U.S. Dollars and will be deported to the Netherlands once she pays that hefty sum. Read how one night in this woman’s life went terribly wrong. After going through a rape, facing criminal charges, and enduring international humiliation, are thoughts and prayers are with this young woman.Do you think the Qatari government was wrong to punish this woman? Share your opinion in the comments!

1. A night out. The woman in question was a tourist in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, who went out for drinks at a hotel. But she immediately noticed something was wrong after taking her first sip.

2. The morning after. The woman alleged that her drink was spiked that night. She woke up in a strange man’s apartment the next day.

3. Reporting the crime. Though the woman told police that she was raped, the man had a different story. He said that the sex was totally consensual.

4. An unexpected reaction. Rape or no rape, the police didn’t care. Before she knew it, the Dutch woman was convicted for having sex outside of marriage. Because in Qatar, extramarital sex is a crime.

5. A steep punishment. After the Qatari government jailed the woman, they fined her more than $800 U.S. Dollars. They will deport her once she pays the fine.

6. Coming home. At least she can get the hell of that place. See you never, Doha! We hope tourism crashes in this place.

7. What about the guy? The man, who’s a Syrian national and a Muslim, wasn’t let off the hook. He was convicted of extramarital sex, too, and was sentenced to 100 lashes for his crime. He was sentenced to an extra 40 lashes for consuming alcohol.

8. Western backlash. So far the Western response to the story has been one of utter disbelief. The Dutch ambassador to Qatar told the AFP news agency, “We will do everything to get her out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go.”

9. A true injustice. Let’s not forget that this woman reported rape. That rape was not investigated. Instead, her encounter was treated like adultery.

10. What year is it again? If you think this whole situation sounds medieval, you’re right. But that’s hardly surprising. This is the same country that practices falconry as a popular sport.

11. Origins of this law. So why does Qatar punish people for extramarital sex? The short answer is that the country enforces a strict interpretation of Islam, much like neighboring Saudi Arabia.

12. It’s happened before. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a Muslim country has punished a Western woman for reporting rape. Just one example: In 2013, the United Arab Emirates charged a Norwegian woman for having unlawful sex, making a false statement, and consuming alcohol illegally. She was sentenced to 16 months in jail.

13. The 2022 World Cup. Many Westerners are saying that this Dutch woman’s debacle is reason enough for the 2022 World Cup to take place somewhere else. It’s hard for tourists to get hyped up about a place when something this horrific happens there.

14. Alcohol’s taboo, too. It probably doesn’t much sense for an international sporting event to take place in a country where alcohol is almost entirely off limits, either. It’s even worse if you’re a Muslim there. That’s why the man who allegedly raped the Dutch woman was given such a severe punishment.

15. Change is far off. It’s OK to be a Debbie Downer when it comes to Qatar’s attitudes toward sex and alcohol. The country’s major mishandling of this Dutch woman’s plight points to change being a long way away. Clean up your human rights dealio, Qatar. You’re embarrassing humanity.

from My WordPress Website http://ift.tt/2B9tfZ6