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Officials in Sudan have flogged several women including
Christian women for wearing trousers. They were arrested
by police last week in the capital on charges that they
violated the public dress code.
According to BBC news, Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, a
well-known reporter who writes a weekly column called
Men Talk for Sudanese papers, who also works for the
United Nations Mission in Sudan says she is facing 40
lashes, said she and 12 other women wearing trousers
were arrested in a restaurant in the capital, Khartoum.
She said that a group of about 20 or 30 police officers
entered the popular Khartoum restaurant and arrested all
the women wearing trousers.
"I was wearing trousers and a blouse and the 10 girls
who were lashed were wearing like me, there was no
difference," she told BBC’s Arabic service.
Sudan Tribune reported that ten out of the 13 girls
ended up receiving 10 lashes and fined 250 Sudanese
pounds while the remaining three asked for their lawyers
to be present and as such their cases were transferred
to the deputy prosecutor.
The Sudanese journalist told Sudan Tribune that no
representatives from the Non-Muslims commission were
present considering that the Southern girls were
Christians.
Unlike Southern Sudan which has a high proportion of
Christians, Northern Sudan including the capital city
comes under Sharia ‘Islamic’ Law.
Under Sharia law in Khartoum, the normal punishment for
"indecent" dressing is 40 lashes, a fine or both.
Meanwhile, Washington D.C-based International Christian
Concern (ICC) has slammed the Sudanese authorities
Wednesday for violating the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 by the Islamist
government of Sudan and the mainly Christian animist
southern Sudanese.
"The agreement provides that Islamic laws are not
applicable to non-Muslims living in Khartoum. Khartoum
is home to millions of Southern Sudanese who fled the
brutal war in South Sudan in which Islamist forces
killed 2 million and have displaced 4 million,” a news
release from ICC stated.
Jonathan Racho, ICC's Regional Manager for Africa and
the Middle East said: “Flogging women for wearing pants
is both outrageous and against the dignity of the women.
Sudanese officials responsible for such illegal acts
must be held accountable for this injustice.”
Sudan Tribune said the case of Ms Hussein and others is
yet to be heard before court.
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