When you think of someone who is dressed indecently, what comes to mind? You are probably not conjuring up an image of a woman wearing pants and a blouse. On July 3, 13 women were arrested in Sudan for wearing pants. Lubna Hussein, who was among the arrested women, is courageously fighting her sentence of 40 lashes and seeking justice for women in Sudan. As a public information officer for the United Nations, Hussein has immunity from the sentence; however, she decided to resign from her position, thus sacrificing her immunity, because she wants to win the fight the sentencing on principle.Ten of the 13 women arrested took a plea bargain of ten lashes and a fine, but Hussein did not want that either. Hussein said, “And if they find me guilty, I am ready to receive not only 40 lashes, I am ready for 40,000 lashes. If all women must be flogged for what they wear, I am ready to be flogged 40,000 times." Those are the words of a hero and a true champion of women’s rights. If she loses in court, Hussein faces the potential of a more severe sentence, but she will have shown the people in Sudan that she will not placidly accept this type of injustice. If she wins, Hussein will drastically change the lives of women in Sudan. Read more about this story on the Feminist Majority's news site.
Please sign the Arab Women’s Connection petition to show your support of Ms. Hussein as she boldly embarks on this journey toward equality for the women of Sudan.
Feel free to contact campusteam@feminist.org with any questions or concerns.
Photo courtesy of www.flickr.com
1 comment:
What an incredible woman. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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