Girls, Put Your Pants On for Lubna
I haven't seen a lot of news in the past three weeks. First, I was preoccupied with the demands of entertaining our exchange student. And then, sadly, a recent divorce client (apparently) committed suicide, which - honestly - is breaking my heart.
I explain my lack of attention to the news simply because I want to talk about Lubna Hussein, and Lubna Hussein may be old news to those of you who have been paying more attention to the news than I have in the past few weeks.
Lubna Hussein is facing a public flogging in the Sudan for the crime of wearing trousers. Yes, you read that correctly. She put on some pants, and now the Sudanese government wants to beat her. Publicly.
There is an article about it from the New York Times here. (Sometimes the NYT asks you to log in, and I can't remember if I was logged in when I read this article or not.)
I don't know if I would have the courage to stand up to something in the way that Lubna Hussein is standing up. I'd like to think that if I were faced with something so clearly backwards and wrong I would choose the brave route that Lubna has chosen. But it is a terrifying thing to face that kind of challenge. It would be easier to back down. But she is not backing down.
She could have invoked dipolmatic immunity from the law because she is employed by the UN. But she is choosing to stand trial, risking being flogged publicly, in order to stand up for what she knows to be true - that the law she was charged with breaking is unconscionable. I applaud her courage. I applaud her ingenuity in drawing attention to her case.
I can only hope that her actions will cause bring a small change to her corner of the world.
LM
posted by LawMommy at 10:36 PM
3 Comments:
I, too, was astonished to learn (not so much that there are some barbaric practices in the world), but that this woman was willing to undergo the punishment to bring worldwide attention to this situation.
She is brave, indeed. I am an admirer.
I'm so sorry about your client. That kind of thing would hit me very hard too.
I'd like to think I'd be as brave as Lubna, but if I'm honest with myself I know I wouldn't. I'd gripe to myself, but to put yourself up for a public flogging? That is courage. I bet she will impact many young people who see/hear about it in her country. It may be a while before the effects are visible, but she will make people think.
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