Islamic Educational Center of Orange County-Costa Mesa
http://www.iecoc.org IECOC: 3194-B Airport Loop Dr. Costa Mesa, CA-USA 92626

IECOC STATEMENT

November, 23rd, 2007

The Islamic Educational Center adamantly condemns the sentencing of a raped 19-year-old Shia Saudi woman by a Saudi court.

According to sources, last year, the Saudi woman was gang rapped 14 times by seven men. Initially her sentence was 90-lashes for meeting with an unrelated male, which is considered a violation against gender segregation in Saudi Arabia, but was increased to 200-lashes and six months in jail because her attorney spoke to the media about the sentencing.

We are troubled by the sentencing of punishing a victim, as it utterly opposes the spirit of Islamic law.

What’s more, we are concerned about the rights and safety of the Shia Muslim citizens in the kingdom. The Shia Muslims living in Saudi Arabia have been suffering human and civil right violations for decades and have long been in fear to practice their faith openly. Thus we fear that the rights and equal treatment of the Shia victim will be compromised.

Surprisingly, in Saudi Arabia the crime of rape can carry the death penalty but the seven men were given 6 months to 10 years in prison. Obviously there is a gross imbalance of justice.

Hence, we call upon conscious Muslims worldwide and human right organizations to appeal to the Saudi government to seriously reconsider the courts’ verdict and to lodge an inquiry to the gross impropriety made against the victim.

Islamic Educational Center of Orange County

3194-B Airport Loop Dr.

Costa Mesa, CA-USA

Tel: 714-432-0060

Fax: 714-432-0070

info@iecoc.org