Princess (32 page)

SUBJECT

The Koran states that a woman who is elderly may lay aside her outer garments (veil, abaaya). In fact, women of Arabia never stop veiling, regardless of their age.

ACTUAL VERSE FROM THE KORAN:

SURA XXIV, 60

Such elderly women that are
past the prospect of marriage,
there is no blame on them,
If they lay aside their outer garments,
Provided they make not a wanton display
of their beauty; but it is best for
them to be modest.

Appendix B—Laws of Saudi Arabia

The criminal laws of Saudi Arabia adhere to strict Islamic precepts. The word Islam means “Surrender to the will of God.” The most important concept of Islam is the Shari’a, or the “path,” which embraces the total way of life ordained by God. All people of the Islamic religion are expected to conduct their lives by the traditional values set by Mohammed, the Prophet of God, who was born in A.D. 570 and died in A.D. 632.

It is difficult for most Westerners to understand the complete and total submission of Muslims to the laws of the Koran in every aspect of their daily life. The Koran, along with traditions set by Mohammed, is the law of the land in Saudi Arabia. While living in Saudi Arabia, I once asked a noted scholar of Islam, who made his living as an attorney, to describe the application of justice in Saudi Arabia that stems from the teachings of the Prophet. His explanations helped dispel my misunderstandings of Saudi law. Here is a portion of his written report to me that I thought might appeal to the reader’s interest:

1. There are four main sources of the Shari’a: the Koran, which is compiled of thousands of religious verses revealed by God through his Prophet, Mohammed; the Sunna, which are the traditions the Prophet addressed that are not recorded in the Koran; the Ijma, which are the perceptions of the Ulema, or religious scholars; and the Qiyas, which is a method whereby known jurists agree upon new legal principles.

2. The king of Saudi Arabia is not exempt from the regulations set forth by the Shari’a.

3. The court system itself is complicated, but if a judgment is appealed, it is reviewed by the court of appeals. This court, usually consisting of three members, increases to five members if the sentence imposes death or mutilation. The king is the final arbitrator who serves as a final court of appeal and as a source of pardon.

4. Crimes are classified into three divisions: Hudud, Tazir, and Qisas. Crimes of Hudud are crimes that are denounced by God; the punishment is made known in the Koran. Crimes of Tazir are given to the appropriate authority to determine punishment. Crimes of Qisas give the victim the right to retaliate.

Crimes of Hudud

Crimes of Hudud include theft, drinking of alcohol, defamation of Islam, fornication, and adultery. Persons found guilty of theft are punished by payment of fines, imprisonment, or amputation of the right hand. (The left hand is amputated if the right has already been amputated.)

Persons found guilty of drinking, selling, or buying alcohol, sniffing drugs, taking injection of drugs, or stirring drugs into dough are punished by a sentence of eighty lashes.

Persons found guilty of defamation of Islam are sentenced according to the circumstances. The harshness of the sentence varies depending on whether the person is a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Flogging is the general punishment for Muslims.

Persons found guilty of fornication are flogged. Men are flogged while standing and women while sitting. The faces, heads, and vital organs of the guilty are protected. The usual number is forty lashes, but this number may vary according to the circumstances.

Adultery is the most serious of crimes. If the guilty party is married, he or she is sentenced to death by stoning, beheading, or shooting. Stoning is the usual method of punishment. Proof of this crime must be established by confession or by four witnesses to the act.

Crimes of Tazir

The crimes of Tazir are similar to misdemeanor crimes in America. There is no set punishment, but each person is judged on an individual basis, according to the seriousness of the crime and the sorrow shown by the criminal.

Crimes of Qisas

If a person is found guilty of crimes against a victim or his family, the aggrieved family has the right to retaliate. The sentence is decided in private by the family and the actual punishment is carried out in private.

If murder has been committed, the family has the right to kill the murderer in the same method their loved one was murdered, or in any method they choose.

If a member of the family was accidentally killed (such as in an automobile accident), the family of the deceased may collect “blood money.” In the past, camels were used as pay for blood money; today the rate of exchange is in currency. There are set damages according to the various circumstances: The payment can be anywhere from SR 120,000 to SR 300,000 ($45,000 to $80,000). If a woman is killed, the payment is one half that of a man.

If a person cuts off another person’s body part, the family or the victim may commit the same act upon the guilty party.

Who May Testify in Criminal Proceedings

The witness must be deemed sane, the age of an adult, and a Muslim. Non-Muslims may not testify in criminal court. Women may not testify unless it is a personal matter that did not occur in the sight of men. Actually, the testimony of a woman is not regarded as fact but rather as presumption. The court may decide whether the testimony is valid according to the circumstances.

Why Women Are Forbidden to Testify in Criminal Proceedings

There are four reasons given why women’s testimony is not valid in a Saudi court:

1. Women are much more emotional than men and will, as a result of their emotions, distort their testimony.

2. Women do not participate in public life, so they will not be capable of understanding what they observe.

3. Women are dominated completely by men, who by the grace of God are deemed superior; therefore, women will give testimony according to what the last man told them.

4. Women are forgetful and their testimony cannot be considered reliable.

Appendix C—Glossary

The meaning of these Arabic words, expressions, and places is usually explained as they occur in the text.

Abaaya:
A long, black cloak worn over the clothing of Saudi Arabian women

Abu Dhabi:
A city located in the United Arab Emirates

Al Sa’ud:
The family that rules the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Asir :
The traditional name for the southwest region of Saudi Arabia

Baath:
A political movement that began in Syria and spread to Iraq. Arab unity is at the center of its doctrine.

Bahrain:
An island nation that is linked to Saudi Arabia by a causeway

Bedouin:
The original Arabs, a nomadic desert people

Buddha:
The Indian philosopher who was the founder of Buddhism

Constantinople:
The former capital of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, now named Istanbul

Dammam:
The city in Saudi Arabia where oil was first struck in 1938

Dar’iyah:
The old city of Riyadh

Dubai:
A city located in the United Arab Emirates

Empty Quarter:
The great desert occupying the southeast corner of Saudi Arabia. Its Arabic name is Rub al Khali.

Ghutra:
The Arabian cloth headdress worn by men

Haj:
The pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam. The journey to Makkah is the lifetime ambition of most Muslims. All Muslims are required to make this journey, if they can afford it.

Halawa:
The ceremony of removing body hair

Haram:
An expression that means “pity” or “sympathy”

Harrods:
A large department store in London frequented by many wealthy Arabs

Hijaz:
The traditional name for the area of western Arabia. Jeddah, located on the Red Sea, is in the Hijaz area.

Hommous:
An Arabic dish made of chick-peas, usually scooped up with a piece of pita bread

Hudud:
Crimes of a serious nature which are denounced by God in the Koran

Ibn:
Means “son of” (Khalid ibn Faisal, son of Faisal)

Igaal:
The black cord worn on top of the Arabian headdress

Ijma:
Perceptions of the Koran by the religious scholars of Islam

Jeddah:
A beautiful city in Saudi Arabia located on the Red Sea. Jeddah is popular with the expatriate population who swim and dive in the pristine waters.

Jerusalem:
The third holiest city of Islam, now under the control of the Israelis

Koran:
The Holy Book of the Islamic faith containing the words of God as they were given to Prophet Mohammed

Kurds:
A transnational ethnic and linguistic group numbering 18 percent of Iraq’s population. Nationalistic, with aims to form their own country, this group of people continues to fight for Kurdish autonomy.

Kutab:
A common group method of teaching girls in Saudi Arabia prior to the days of education for females

Laban:
A refreshing buttermilk-like drink common in the Middle East

Madinah:
The second holiest city of Islam, called “the city of the Prophet,” and burial place of Prophet Mohammed

Makkah:
The holiest city of Islam, where God revealed his will to Prophet Mohammed. It is the destination of millions of Muslim pilgrims each year.

Malaz:
A residential section of Riyadh popular with wealthy Saudis

Manama:
The capital city of Bahrain, an island nation connected to Saudi Arabia by a causeway

Mena House:
A popular hotel in Cairo frequented by tourists

Mismaak:
The fortress in Riyadh used by the Rasheed clan in the battle of 1902 that returned the Al Sa’uds to power

Mutawa:
The morals police of Islam

Najd:
The traditional name for central Arabia. Riyadh is located in this region. The inhabitants are generally known for their conservative behavior. The Al Sa’ud family are Najdis.

Nasiriyah:
A residential section of Riyadh inhabited by members of the Royal Family and exceptionally wealthy Saudis

Qisas:
A crime committed against a person. The victim or the victim’s family can retaliate against the one convicted of such a crime.

Qiyas:
The method of agreement of new legal principles in Islam Ramadan The Islamic month of fasting when Muslims worldwide celebrate God’s gift of the Koran to man

Riyadh:
The capital of Saudi Arabia

Riyal:
The Saudi riyal is the currency for Saudi Arabia

Shari’a:
The law of God for those belonging to the Islamic faith

Shiite:
The branch of Islam that split from the Sunni majority over the issue of Prophet Mohammed’s successor

Souq:
The native marketplace or bazaar

Sunna:
The traditions of the Islamic faith as addressed by Prophet Mohammed

Sunni:
The majority orthodox branch of Islam. Saudi Arabia is 95 percent Sunni.

Suras:
The chapters of the Koran. There are 114 Suras.

Taif:
A mountain resort village in Saudi Arabia located near Makkah

Tazir:
Crimes of misdemeanor under Islamic law

Thobe:
A long shirt-like garment worn by Saudi men. Traditionally, the thobe is made of white cotton, but during the cool winter months men often wear a thobe of a heavier fabric and a darker color. (As soon as male children can walk, they are dressed in tiny thobes and headdresses, identical to their fathers’.)

Ulema:
Islamic religious scholars who regulate religious life in Saudi Arabia