Not Islam

I've been pained as I've followed the story about the 19-year old girl in Saudi Arabia, a rape victim, who is to be punished with lashes and imprisonment. I need to make one thing very clear for my readers. This is not Islam.

The girl did show some poor judgement. She met a man who was planning to blackmail her over a picture. Not the smartest thing to do. I don't know how secluded the area or the time of day, but I do have the sense that she unknowingly put herself in danger. Young girls sometimes do that. I did, a few times. And I probably would have done it more often except for the watchful eye of my parents. My parents aren't Muslims and I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, but, unforunately, there are some universal truths regarding safety for young women. The crime of rape can happen anywhere.

So the girl did something wrong. Not evil, just not particularly wise. I'm sure the rape itself is more than enough punishment for her foolishness. She learned her lesson all too well. Leave her alone unless you intend to help her heal.

The seven young men who raped her, on the other hand, should receive the maximum penalty. The girl's lawyer was calling for execution, and I agree. Instead their sentences are not much harsher than the girl's.

This case proves the accusation that Muslims oppress women. The sentences in this trial are very unfair. But even though Muslims are the ones making the decision, this is not Islam. I don't care that they speak fluent Arabic or have studied Islamic history for twenty years or that they've memorized the Qur'an. I'm not a scholar, but I know this decision is not Islam because Islam makes sense. What sense is it to punish the victim?

According to the Qur'an, the fornicator or adulterer is to receive one hundred lashes. The woman whose reputation is tarnished because of a certain circumstance is to be treated with compassion and her accusers are to be punished. That is Islam. Islam does not condone rape or punish the rape victim. That is man's law, not God's.