 "Photo: Nicolette McClendon")
Imagine a world where women are beaten for wearing pants. In Sudan, it doesn’t have to be imagined; it’s everyday life.
In July, Lubna Hussein, a female journalist, was arrested for wearing pants in public. She was not alone. Hussein was arrested with 12 other women, 10 of which plead guilty and were beaten as punishment for public indecency.
The maximum penalty for dressing indecently is 40 “lashes.” The judge decided not to sentence her to a beating, in an attempt to reduce international criticisms, and instead fined her $200 instead.
Two-hundred dollars that she refused to pay.
There is no law in Sudan that states women cannot wear pants. In Sudan, anyone wearing clothing DEEMED indecent can be punished, but pants are not always deemed indecent -- non-traditional, sure, but not indecent.
Sudan’s “public order” police are left in charge of maintaining social norms. So in this case, a woman was jailed, not because she committed a crime, but because she broke the rules of society.
It is understood that in Muslim northern Sudan, women are expected to cover up most of their bodies; but Hussein did this, so what is the problem?
The pants that Hussein wore were not revealing in any way. She did not have on tight skinny jeans or low-rise hip-huggers; she had on loose-fitting trouser pants.
Why Hussein did not feel that she did anything wrong and did not pay the fine given to her is understandable. The jail time is justifiable because she didn’t pay the fine, but being fined for breaking a social norm in the first place is ridiculous.
In America, traditionally, people who go to church usually dress nicely or in their “Sunday best.” Imagine being fined by the government for showing up to church in athletic attire. Now, imagine being beaten for it.
Or, let’s say, you’re on a subway train and there are plenty of free seats on the train. Someone gets on the train and bypasses plenty of open seats to sit next to you. They don’t speak to you or acknowledge you in any way; in fact, they put in some earphones and play music. This is atypical of how our society generally operates, because we value personal space so much, but not illegal and not deserving of a fine or a beating.
It is admirable of Hussein to take a stand for what she feels is right, regardless of how she is looked at by the world.
2 comments