Arrested in Starbucks

[q8penpals]

Salam

If she knew the law and broke it, then she is guilty. HOWEVER...why the heck did she need to be strip searched? This seems to be something used for drug dealers who may be hiding thing. She was arrested for sitting with a man - okay, I get that. BUT WHAT WERE THEY GOING TO FIND OUT BY STRIPPING HER?!??!?!? It seems like it was just a humiliation technique used by the police (hopefully it was at least women police officers, but then again, how would women police officers work with the men if it is against the law for men and women to be together!?!??).

Honestly, one would think (in this situation of working in the same office) that it would be better that they were together in a public place (where they are not going to DO anything) than alone in an office together. That's the whole point of sending chaperones on teen dates - if there is another person, they can't do much.

The biggest problem in Saudi regarding women is that there are few women in position to deal with legal cases regarding women (I am not even saying the judges, but there should be legal advisers) because of the laws.

I spent a spring break in Saudi (yes, Spring Break holiday in Saudi!) and had a wonderful time. No one questioned my husband and I about whether we were married or not (we did make sure to bring a copy of our marriage certificate, just in case though - as I would advise to anyone going to Saudi, especially as a non-Arab), and the religious police only harassed my husband about HIS dress (they claimed he was "wasting" fabric because his thobe was too long) and left me alone (although when they came by, I covered even more and kinda hid behind my husband).

I think Saudi has its heart in the right place and has good intentions, but needs to work on the implementation of the laws in the 21st century. Unless they want to go back to a herder-nomadic lifestyle, things must be adjusted and interpreted for the times.

Humbly,

Lana

 

[OnlyOne]

As Salaamu 'Alaykum,

Am I wrong in thinking that there was nothing wrong for those two to be together in Starbucks? Honestly, I see no crime. They work together, and they pretty much moved their office to Starbucks temporarily, to put it simply. For those who are saying that what she did was wrong because she was "free-mixing", please explain. I honestly see nothing wrong with what she was doing, and as usual, and am against the stance of the mutaween, since they act like uneducated barabarians.

 

[Shahzad]

pretty much 50-50 posts on different views.

Miraj Mom. u rock! . If some one has really read ur post in this thread. He/she would have understood the problem.

See, the police might have asked both of them not to sit in public together.
But thats pefrectly legal and ethical way , which they did adopt . As doing something in office is very different from doing something in public. Doing some thing in public enourages others to do that as well.

Nabi(SAW) said that "all will be fogiven but only those, who disobey me OPENLY".

In the end, tahts the law of Arabia. You cant argue against it . Think of it as Partriotic Act of United state of America ( a.ka. Riyasat Haye Muttehda . [those who know urdu might be entertained with this ])

 

[7eem]

al salam alekom wa rahmatu allah wa baraktoh
we are not in allah swt level to judge ppl and ppl are not perfect. islam is perfect religion for any generation and anytime.

 

[elixbrody]

is sad to read this but I also know that Saudi Arabia is one of the most strict muslim countries I agree they should obey the rules of the country they live on, but I think that also the police should have asked first to them & understood what they said

 

[Quratulaine]

..it jz makes me wonder wat religion r u really from

:salam2:

only allah can know what is in people's hearts. its not nice to publicly accuse someone of not being muslim......

 

[q8penpals]

Salam

I was thinking about something someone else posted, so I researched this article a bit more. I found it on several different websites, and I found a couple of different reports on the incident.

If the "religious police" think it is wrong for men and women to free mix (wrong, as in, an actual crime), how come there is absolutely no mention that the man was arrested for committing the same crime as the woman?? Shouldn't all people be treated equally under the law? Or is the law of Saudi that it is only illegal for women to be out with non-mahram men?

Someone please, can anyone find that the man got arrested as well? If not, THAT is what I have a problem with.

Lana

 

[bintul islam]

I agree with you 110%!!!

Sister free mixing among the opposite gender is not permisible. And if you desire to gain more knowledge regarding this important issue you should do so. And as for you making a separation between state and religion this is some sort of of joke right? Because if you are not joking in what are you saying then you should start going back to the basics of our religion. Are you reading much of Marx or Voltaire or David hume who burst the secularist views in the old Europe and their thought have arrived in the brains of muslims?! and if you were joking then don't joke with things that are related to your faith. There is no such a thing in Islam separation of state and faith.Alhmadulilah saudi is from the only muslim country that does not allow men and women in public mixing together.

 

[bintul islam]

I also agree with you 110%!!!

how come miss dianek is always posting things like these on tti ??.....why dont u post something that goes on in the us like the rapes of women n the pedophile type of people that live there....i am greatly offended by this cause law is law...like in ur country u make those R or watever movies u call them n no1 stops u cause its ur so called *freedom of watever*....it jz makes me wonder wat religion r u really from?!.....although saudi does alot of bad things but this doesnt mean we should start discouraging them of even the good things that they do!

I WOULD KINDLY REQUEST THE ADMINS TO CLOSE THIS...PLZ WITH A CHERRY ON TOP ^.^

 

[Bawar]

posting such threads only helps promote the negative media agaisnt muslims.
it maybe directed to Saudia, but it is part of that general campaign.

lets learn islam here. negative media is already in abundance.

states do make many mistakes, but lets not make that the only issue in the world.

lets think about who is going to tell America to stop invading foreign countries and killing millions of innocent people.

lets tell America to stop supporting the Zionist oppressive regime this way we can save lives if we are successful.

Wassalam

 

[halah]

:salam2:

It seems as a fapricated story because I've been to saudi arabia several times with my husband and it had never been happend that we were asked about the kind of relationship between us,also a friend of mine lives in Riadh with her husband and always go to puplic places and they have never been in such situation.

I totaly agree with brother podolski11 and sister bintu islam.

 

[NAVEED]

Assalamoalikum
I am amazed that, such a small incident is blown out of propotion , there are hunderd or may be thousands of our brothers ( some sisters as well) are in western prisons, specially in USA are there, without a crime,without a charge,without any outside contacts, without a legal help, without sooooooooo many things, are there any apologies from us president, uk and other european head of states or from head of their catholic or protestant faith. no, so why in this forum my brothers and sisters are so apologist ? I personally am very strong opponent of saudi rulers and their interpretation of sharia but if they have laws ( and everybody knows them,specially westerners) then we should abide them, not start questioning commandments of Allah SWT and his messangers SAWS. if we are true muslims then we should just follows what we are told by our creator.JazakAllah khair

 

[jabba]

:salam2:
Saudi is a dispicable country, their rules for the most part aren't even Islamic. In saudi a women can't even get into an ambulance without a man's permission......that is truly sick. You have Saudi's talk about "the land of the Kaffirs" and then shop at their many malls and drink their starbucks coffee......does that make sense??!!! Saudi has such a beautiful history, too bad these ....well I won't say it, but too bad some men had to ruin it.

 

[dianek]

Salaam,

I don't get it, you can work with someone that is a male/female in a office setting but not in public?? How did the police know they were not couples, cousins, etc? She had a legitimate excuse. I wonder who & how they stripped searched her? How are you going to accuse someone and say they are going to "burn in hell?" In my view,the Saudi police was a little too extreme. Sometimes these things puts doubts into people about their faith. It's vital to know the line between culture and Islam.

I wonder if non-Muslims have to abide by these rules...

This reminds me of the 2002 incident when Saudi police locked the doors of a school and burned the girls inside the trapped school for not wearing their hijab! Astagfirallah. May Allah swt cure our ignorance.

THANK YOU for seeing it the way I did. Doris has a bit of a hard nosed approach to life and religion I think. I would hate to be his kid! (In all in good gesture ofcourse!).......and you are right, they probably even work behind closed doors with each other all day long as part of their business....so to be punished for being in a PUBLIC place is ridiculous.

 

[jayjay9]

I couldn't agree more Dianek!!

 

[dianek]

Podolski:

I posted this because it upsets me that some muslim brothers and sisters are so "fanatical" about their beliefs that they turn something SO innocent into a BIG FREAKING deal! I am a revert and as a revert it is very disheartening and discouraging to think that some actually behave in such a manner. How come "level-headed" muslims don't stand up and say to these people, you are doing our faith more harm than good by perpetuating such hard line tactics for something that was obviously so innocent. Instead, so many of you just let it ride or you actually agree with what happened. So Doris or podolski.....the next time you go to the market and there is a woman there you should be arrested and stripped searched too!!!! And stripped searching of that woman was just, in my eyes, a bunch of perverse hypocrites exacting humiliation and voyeuristic behavior to tear this woman's spirit down. AND why was she the only one punished? Why was the man not? Furthermore....her husband is the only one she has to answer to and he did not question her motives for being where she was. What right does some religious NAZI's have to? The fact that moderate muslims sit back and do not fight against such obvious injustices enrages me. And YEAH, I guess maybe it makes me think......what have I done? what am I a part of? Understand as an American, I am not ready or willing to throw everything that I have known or held to be true out the window because some sheyk or religious police say it is wrong. So maybe I made a mistake, maybe I didn't.......I don't know, but this kind of fanaticism does tend to push one away.....what drew me to islam was the wonderful welcoming of those here on tti and their very moderate ideals, they portrayed of Islam what I had not seen otherwise. But I struggle with that decision every day. And I am failing miserably to live up to what each of you think a muslim should be.

YES I am a firm believer in freedom for all especially women.....YES I like ROCK MUSIC VERY MUCH!!!!! YES I love concerts!!!! Yes I love to do many things that you would all judge me by. I am human.....I make mistakes.....but in the end I love God, that doesn't change because I crank up a Lincoln Park CD in my car or watch Motley Crue videos on You Tube! So, there I just don't fit in with your idea of a muslim. But I care about humanity, rights of others, I give to charity......I am the best muslim I can be right now. So don't question what my faith is!

 

[TheHumbleWun]

Islam is perfect but Muslims are no

Salaam,

First off, my apologies to sister Gazkour for calling you a brother.

I have no problem with abiding the Saudi law; every country has their own law. The issue is about hypocrisy. I'm sure hypocrisy happens in every country. It's inevitable.

Brother Bawar is undoubtedly correct. We should focus on the big picture. This rare incident shouldn't be our top priority, although it was interesting to read, thank you sister Dianek.

Let's talk about Guantanamo prisoners and the hundred who are caged for a crime they did not commit. Let's not let our eyes get out of focus on the illegal occupation of the U.S. in Iraq. Let's not let our eyes get out of focus on the Zionist regime that illegally occupy Palestinian land & kill innocent ones for a crime they did not commit.

May Allah make us all better Muslims. Ameen.

 

[Obase]

I think the story is just another coup for those who wish to tarnish Islam.

 

[Shahzad]

sister dianek: dont be like that. the way u have perceived that thing is different from how we perceive it.

I know every one in this world is better muslim than me. Tell me from where did read that news? was that any credible source? those so called human rights assiociations always see bugs in muslims countries and twist the little events. Whereas in their countries (non muslim countries) women have been sexually harassed in offices, raped etc etc and so many things happens every day. Why dont they shout abt it?

So please just ignore this event as may not have any links to reality. It may just be another twisted story. Just keep going to pious gatherings and increase ur knowledge abt islam. May ALLAH be with u.

Podolski i understand ur feelings. Come n talk to me on messenger tonight. brother doris, shhh!!!!!!!

 

[dianek]

sister dianek: dont be like that. the way u have perceived that thing is different from how we perceive it.

I know every one in this world is better muslim than me. Tell me from where did read that news? was that any credible source? those so called human rights assiociations always see bugs in muslims countries and twist the little events. Whereas in their countries (non muslim countries) women have been sexually harassed in offices, raped etc etc and so many things happens every day. Why dont they shout abt it?

So please just ignore this event as may not have any links to reality. It may just be another twisted story. Just keep going to pious gatherings and increase ur knowledge abt islam. May ALLAH be with u.

Podolski i understand ur feelings. Come n talk to me on messenger tonight. brother doris, shhh!!!!!!!

Well, whatever. It feels like Muslims will never stand up and say a Muslim did whatever it is that they infact DID!!!!!! Like people who say 9/11 wasn't perpetuated by Muslims!!!! COME ON! It was, not good muslims, but they were muslim! Why do you refuse to allow blame to be placed on those who do wrong in the name of Islam? Wonder how many of you think Osama is a great guy!