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16-year-old Maldives girl faces public flogging for pre-marital sex

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What a stone-age republic the Maldives are. Actually, that is being unkind to stone-age people who were more cultured and intelligent.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Why wasn't the guy also tried under sharia law?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Nothing like the threat of a flogging (or stoning to death) to make the sexual act something more verboten and therefore even more exciting. It's like a powerful drug, or playing Russian roulette. Muslims must certainly realize this. If they ignored sexual dalliances nobody would want to do it.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Welcome to the 21st century, folks...

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Under Sharia law, as most know, a thief is punished by having his hand cuf off.

Which explains yesterday's story about the Peruvian woman who severed her boyfriend's member for cheating. I imagine her lawyer will argue that she's a recent Muslim convert.

At least the Maldives dude will emerge from prison fully intact.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Tell them that if they do it their nation will in the future sink into the sea as 'penance'.

Seriously, though, this is utter insanity.

ben4short: "I imagine her lawyer will argue that she's a recent Muslim convert."

What do you think, according to Sharia law, would happen to a woman who severed her husband's penis? I mean, we're talking about law that in extreme cases decrees a woman be stoned to death if she is seen through her own house window and not fully covered in black.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I would think about taking the house arrest option. But maybe take the flogging and be done with it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Protecting the rights of its 330,000 Sunni Muslims? How about protecting the rights of women? Just foul.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Why on earth would a 16 year old be having sex with a 29 year old? More so when you know the penalty for being caught. And how on earth did her family find out and why did they complain? Wild child with fed up parents? I certainly don't agree with the punishment on this but man, messed up child.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Sharia law belongs back in the stone age along with those who practice it!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

This flogging news reminds me, never get it on with the natives there or have to be put in jail?? stoned to death?e? What a waste of a beautiful island. I hope these hypocrites can realize that a 16 year old girl has the need, and this man, 29 was there to help her, just let them get married, let them do the nasty night and day and butt out of their lives, nosy hypocrites!!!

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

stoned to death?

Where does it say that?

The court ordered the lashing to be carried out when she reached the age of 18

Doesn't sound like they intend to stone her to death. It'll probably end up being no worse than my old man gave me every other weekend.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

NeverSubmit: "Where does it say that?"

It doesn't and she won't be stoned to death, thankfully. I mentioned stoned to death in terms of radical interpretation of Shariah law (ex. Taliban) for women seen without their burka on even. Not sure why Elbuda mentioned stoned to death unless he misinterpreted my post.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The girl will get caned, and the man will get 10 years in jail ... and the righteously-indignant headline is about the flogging?

The age of consent is 16 or under in most of the world, and historically couples with this kind of age gap were not at all unusual -- a 92-year-old Okinawan woman I know and respect tremendously married her 30-year-old husband at the age of 16 back in 1935 and enjoyed many decades of marital bliss, still speaking fondly of her beloved husband even now that he's gone.

What kind of people are we that we consider a physical punishment for a girl, the pain of which will fade a lot sooner than any jail sentence will, to be more outrage-inducing than the ten years in jail for the other partner that only gets mentioned several paragraphs into the story?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I would think about taking the house arrest option. But maybe take the flogging and be done with it.

Both options are inhumane and I'll make sure I won't forget to mention this case when my friends or myself are considering a vacation in the region.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I am sorry because many of you could not get the main goal behind Sharia law. I think sharia law aim to protect the society from self destruction. These law in most cases very difficult to apply as it requires according to act several strict condition such witnesses or self confession. Even though the law look strict, the main purpose is not applying the rule it self, instead is to make people worrying from doing such bad act. Now you might ask what is bad and what is good as this can depends from person to another. In the holy Qur'an (which by the all Muslim agree on its content ) it clearly explained what is good and what is bad. Example of bad acts include drinking alcohol, gambling and doing sexual intercourse outside marriage. I would like to just invite you to look to many countries where sexual freedom is confused with self freedom of life. Look how mess they are living in prostitution,abortion, decline of child birth. People even start questioning why shall we get married as some survey for example in US talking about 95% got premarital sex . Man naturally look for multiple relation find it better to have girl friend without any responsibility. woman feel insecure so they are not ready to sacrifice there future career for a marriage and having children then they prefers not being engaged. The result is child birth decline, many child are born out of real family. A Muslim instead will struggle hard to control his desires and look for a serious partner to get married with and form a family. "And from among you there should be a party who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and these it is that shall be successful" A translation of Qur'an verse 104 chapter 3

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The hypocrisy of the Maldives is that they boast the most exclusive, decadent resorts for Westerners, all the while the majority of locals live in poverty under god-knows-what- century Shariah laws. Sick.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"The girl could refuse the public flogging and would then instead be subjected only to eight months house arrest"

I'd refuse that as well, but she could opt for the flogging, and then...

"The court ordered the lashing to be carried out when she reaches the age of 18"

Maybe during the next 2 years she can find a way to escape this backward country.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sharia law is seen as violent, cruel and overly strict... it belongs in a different time. There is no place in the modern world for laws which say premarital sex is punishable by prison or flogging. It's the sign of a religion which NEEDS fear to control its believers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The man did something totally legal in Britain, yet he gets 10 years...where is the justice in that.

A girl is offered a flogging instead of house arrest - so what. Tagging is common in the West, with wearers not allowed to leave the property. If you choose 6 of the best over the inconvenience, so be it. At least neither is 10 years in prison.

Compared to the sentence for the man, she got off lightly. I bet in a number of other Islamic countries, the girl would have come off worst - potentially condemned to death.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another point is that religious moral dictate and punishment should not be controlled by government mandate (which only Islam promotes). Religion is about SELF-GOVERNANCE, not about how to govern others.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Burakumindesu:

" What a stone-age republic the Maldives are "

No. This is not particular to the Maldives. This is Shariah law, and you get this whereever you allow islamists to take over and make Shariah the law of the country. It could happen in your country too.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Thunderbird2:

" Sharia law is seen as violent, cruel and overly strict... it belongs in a different time. "

It belongs to the year 700. However, from the fundamentalist islamic point of view, the islamic society created by the prophet was absolutely perfect and is the ideal to be emulated. Salafists all over the world are working to make this the law for all of mankind.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

presto345:

" Both options are inhumane and I'll make sure I won't forget to mention this case when my friends or myself are considering a vacation in the region. "

The "region" is just fine. Stay in Sri Lanka, and you are fine. Stay in India, and you are fine. It is the countries with islamic laws where these medieval rules apply.... Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There was a movie made a few years ago about an alleged adulterous relationship that did end in a stoning. I believe it was titled "THE STONING OF SARAYA (sp.?) M. Very graphic and barbaric.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Despite everything medka stated, sin still occurs all over the planet. How many floggings and executions around the world will it take for people to be in compliance with local/federal law? Please tell me because with every issuance of a sentence there are still people going around having premarital sex and people still murderIng others. Until people realize that you can't control others, none of the punishments are ever gonna stick. People will keep doing wrong, following their urges and sneaking around because they truly believe they won't get caught or that everyone will understand why they gratified themselves.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The problem here isn't about "sin" its the perception by these folks that they have the "right" to punish "sin" which they don't. Supposedly a higher power is the one to punish people for their "sin" not humans, but somehow they think they can. "Let he without sin be the first to cast a stone...."

As far as a crime by LEGAL and not religious means, human rights were not violated depending on whether it was mutual consent or not. But you can't tell that to an Islamic government where religion is the law...

I keep remembering this saying every time I see these types of situations. Religion should not be master of the state, and state should not enslave religion. Plus religious beliefs and traditions should always be allowed to be practiced as long as they don't violate basic human rights!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

human rights were not violated depending on whether it was mutual consent or not.

Good point, but a proponent of Islamic law would argue that every child has a right to be born within wedlock, therefore the rights of their potential child was violated when they had extramarital sex.

In Islamic culture, since a child is the weakest member of society, his or her rights are paramount and supersede those of adults since adults are supposed to have maturity and experience, yet a child is born innocent and can't defend him or herself, and thus deserves to be born within wedlock

As for the punishment itself, the purpose is not so much to cause pain to the perpetrator but to deter future similar acts by other members of society. Indeed the Western legal system works the same way.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Good point. The islands allow half naked, unmarried foreigners to have sex, drink, smoke... If a local were to behave the same way.... Can strike it off for me as a place to visit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How barbaric.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Neversubmit, that is the main problem with Islamic "culture", the US learned quite a while ago that theocratic politics violate basic human rights (look up the short lived prohibition laws in the US) and you can't stop a person's individual choice to "sin" by your own standards. If it were the parents of this girl that were punishing her, I would understand that as parental discipline and they as parents have that right and she still is of an age to be supported by them. But it is the GOVERNMENT that is "disciplining" her which completely is out of line (refer to my previous comment about religion and state). This type of punishment won't deter anything, as it only makes those that desire to do such things to be much more likely to find a way not to get caught.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It is the parents responsiblity to protect and TEACH their children, and discipline them within reason should the child do something wrong. Also it is wise to know that a child is not a robot that one can just program to do something they want them to do just because they say so. They eventually become their own person and will be making choices of their own whether one agrees with it or not.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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