How can some laws be so backwards in this day & age?

NOTE TO ANY MODS: PLEASE CHANGE THE WORD "COUNTRIES" IN THE TITLE TO "SOME LAWS"

I genuinely don't understand how a country can be governed by religious-based laws (and let's face it, they are), as though we're still in the middle ages, when it results in shocking decisions such as this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2367152/Norwegian-woman-reported-raped-Dubai-jailed-16-months.html

For those that don't trust the link or are too lazy to read it, the law in Dubai basically states that a woman has not been raped unless the rapist confesses to the rape, or unless 4 Muslim males were there to witness the attack. If neither of these occur, then the women are tried in court for the crime of sex outside marriage.

I was genuinely shocked when I read this article (especially as I'm studying law). For a country that claims to be the "Jewel of the Middle East", and wishes to attract westerners to spend millions there, this is atrocious.

Just felt like I had to share. Any views?

 

They cannot be convicted of rape but will do jail time for illicit sex as well. If that's any consolation... Other than that, she should've known where she was going, familirized herself with the laws and taken precautions if still resolved to go.

Don't be too hard on the UAE for their laws as american laws are equally, if not more messed up.

 

What's wrong with the middle-age ideas? Most of the ideas the western civilization have are from more ancient times, so what kind of primitive argument is that? And she need to obey the rules in the country she's in as a guest, if she doesn't like it, nobody forced her to travel there. Simple.

 

She didn't travel there knowing this was gonna happen no one wants to be raped, I'm sure you don't bother reading every single rule and custom when you visit a place. What you're basically saying is she asked for rape, which is flat out obnoxious.

 

It's illegal to drink alcohol down there on most public places, yet she drank herself drunk. It is illegal to stay alone with another man before marriage. Yet they would sleep in the same hotel room. Again, the story sounds suspect, and according to usool al-fiqh (Islamic laws) a woman doesn't get the blame for rape, the contrast actually, but the woman is certainly an attentionwhore who's lying and changing the storyline. If the western reporters had some sincerity, they would've traveled to Dubai to speak with the police that were investigating in the case, and heard their side of the story.

 

What do American laws have to do with this? I'm not American, and I agree that they have some downright stupid laws, but they don't, in effect, allow rape to go unpunished. Precautions such as what? Taking 4 males around with her in case she needed witnesses?

I don't understand how a place which actively seeks to encourage westerners travelling there can have such a law which, let's face it, certainly doesn't show equality for a start?

Yes, they are BASED on ancient times, however they also change with the times to ensure they are not so out of touch as this law clearly is.

So then you're saying you find absolutely nothing wrong with this law? How many people would go to a country and know that the law allows men to rape them?

 

Have you read the article? What about the previous woman who was raped by 3 colleagues after she had been spiked?? You're just going to presume she chose to sleep with all 3 of them?

At which point did it inform you that she "drank herself drunk"?

You're making the assumption that she willingly chose to sleep in the same hotel as her rapist, why is this?

You're also assuming that she is an "attentionwhore" that is lying? How do you know this then?



At the very least - Look at the big picture. Lets presume your accusations that she is an "attentionwhore" that was "drunk" and "chose to sleep in the same hotel room" are correct... What about the next woman that comes along, who wasn't drinking? Who wasn't sleeping in the same room as her rapist? and the next woman? and the one after that? This thread is NOT focussing on the woman that was horribly raped, it's focussing on the law itself which allows rape to basically go unpunished.

 

My one advice to women is to stay far away from the middle east.
Thats the equivalent to going to parts of detroit at night as a women.

Its dangerous, theres no way around that. They are living backwards compared to the rest of the world.

 

Four men need to witness the rape for the offender to be convicted? What garbage, like honestly anyone with that sense of hate for women needs to be stripped of their man hood and raped and beaten and have no one care for you so you can be locked in a cage to see how it feels.

 

Wow.. that's awful I read another story similar to this where a woman was rapped on a bus by 5 other men and no one believed her but she got her revenge on them and I believe they all ended up in jail in the end, which I'm glad of. Rules like this are so stupid.. I can't express enough how dumb the person is who came up with this, other people have to witness it? Not just 1 but 4? Something needs to be done.

 

A moral law that is bound to change over time, is just proving it's ground is an emotional-based foundation.

And where do you find that law? It's illegeal For a man to rape a woman in Dubai, who told you otherwise?

 

Why do you assume that I assume? On the contrary, I've been reading fr.o.m. Arabic sources, about the story. It's a complete differentiering story than the woman choose to lie about. She basically broke the law, lost her job, and made up a story to keep up her pride, but She forgot that her actions was considered as crime in Dubai. And no, you don't need 4 witnesses to prove rape in muslim countries, it's just needed For the punishment to be stoning.

 

Well, it's just that most of the people here are Americans. It's funny how they heap reproaches upon Middle Eastern laws when at the same time American laws allow for rapists to get away with it just because the victim didn't say "no" at the time of the assault, but said "please don't" instead. And that's just one of the many examples.

Precautions include not getting drunk as a fish, not walking alone at midnight and carrying pepper spray. The woman in question did none of these. It's her own fault. There are faulty laws everywhere. Even if a law perfectly protects women from rape(by punishing each and every rapist) it will leave loopholes for women who blackmail or are just angry at men.

There's always two sides to a coin. Remember that.

 

Yet again, you're focussing on the details of the case at hand. Like I previously stated, I'm talking about the specific law in general regarding witnesses.

Source for this example? You too are also focussing on case details. I'm talking about the general law which in which the rapist must confess, or 4 male men must witness the rape.

So basically, you're saying that because she didn't expect to be raped, it;s her own fault?? Quite frankly that sickens me. Where is the equality?

Glad to see that some Sythe members do have some form of human decency.

 

I agree with whoever said that women need to stay the fuck away from the middle east.

Traditions have dated back centuries, you can't change the way of life these people live because you think it's unfair in our current society. To us, this law seems audacious, but the sex life of women is beyond sensitive. I assume when women get raped at this point they just hide it, if the rapist tries to say anything he gets jailed for admitting to it.

To those saying this is for the middle ages.. Back in the middle ages they'd just decapitate a woman for getting raped. Think of the new system of laws and court system to be an improvement.

I should also add how I lol'd at the part where Rapists have to admit to raping for the issue to be called rape.

 

So is the perpetrator not accountable for his actions at all? The woman didn't make the smartest choice regardless if she were drunk or not, etc but she shouldn't be rewarded by being raped and facing consequences for being a victim. Talk about double whammy.

 

And I thought that middle east has got some strict laws, from what I've heard from my Muslim friends. They said that male rapers gets punished severely, even more minor crimes. And for huge crimes like this, they'd most likely get death sentences. I don't know about this one, but that news is just insane. This is why religion should not govern anything at all.

 

Oh I completely agree with not changing different countries traditions and culture. I am a keen traveller myself, and love to experience differing traditions. But for a place that is attempting to appeal specifically to westerners in order to attract their commerce, something must happen to protect woman from being raped, and being unable to report it due to not having enough witnesses, surely?

Couldn't agree more. Perhaps a woman had been drunk contrary to drinking laws, but that shouldn't allow somebody to rape her, and then sit back and laugh whilst she gets prosecuted for sex outside marriage.

I was actually of the same view as you in regards to the middle east having strict laws. I study in a very multi-cultural city, and a lot of Muslim's have told me some of the "extreme laws" that are in place. I guess this may still be the case if the rapist was found guilty, but the fact that it appears near impossible to prove that you were raped without the requirements previously stated, it seems pointless.

Completely agree with the religion aspect. Governments are already dodgy enough as it is, without throwing in religion to mess it up even more (this applies to every religion in every country IMO)

 

Well, have you seen any revolts or any attempts from the people of Dubai to try to change the law? If they don't have a problem with it, why impose our cultural laws onto them? Who's to say our laws are perfect?

 

If women are inferior in Dubai (as suggested by the evidential requirement for rape) and are the most likely to want to revolt against near impossible rape convictions, then how will there be revolts?

Who's trying to impose laws? Have I ever said that they should be replaced with a western law? This also isn't a discussion about "cultural laws", these are real laws which we are talking about.