Saudi Gang Rape Victim Pardoned But Bush's Reaction, Media's Reporting Are Unpardonable

Posted by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network at 5:30 AM on December 17, 2007.

We are deeply relieved that the King of Saudi Arabia has apparently pardoned the gang-rape victim who was sentenced to 200 lashes as well as jail time. However as the following snippets from this article about the pardon illustrate, President Bush's reaction was unpardonable.

Expressing astonishment and wondering how he would react if it was his daughters and failing to lodge a protest directly with the King himself is not an acceptable expression of "anger", the word used by the article to describe his reaction.

Both Bush's reaction and the article's description are painful examples of the ways in which the U.S. government and the mainstream media contribute to the neverending culture of impunity that allows the continuation of violence against women.

"Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned a female rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes for being alone with a man at the time of the attack who was not related to her, a Saudi newspaper reported Monday.

The case had sparked international outcry. In a rare criticism of its Mideast ally, the White House had expressed its "astonishment" over the woman's sentence. Canada called it barbaric."

"President Bush expressed anger at the sentence earlier this month, saying he wondered how he would react if it had been one of his daughters. But he said he had not made his views known directly to the Saudi king, a U.S. ally."

Tagged as: bush, rape, saudi arabia

Lucinda Marshall is a feminist artist, writer and activist. She is the Founder of the Feminist Peace Network.