Cultural Laws and Punishments in Muslim Countries

Two recent cases, one taking place in Dubai and the other in Malaysia, have recently drawn the world’s spotlight, highlighting the sometimes extreme laws and punishments in Muslim countries. The first case in Dubai saw a British man and woman jailed for kissing in public. They were sentenced to one month in prison for the offense. The two claim that they only kissed on the cheek, a common European greeting, but their punishment remains. Furthermore, the only person who actually saw them kiss and whose testimony has been used, is a two year old child.

The second case involves a Malaysian woman who was sentenced to caning for drinking a beer. Of course, it is illegal in Muslim countries to consume alcohol, and she was caught by the morality police. The initial sentence of caning caused outrage in the international community, and her punishment was changed to community service. The New York Times Article said Malaysia's Bar Council called caning "anachronistic and inconsistent with a compassionate society". However, Malaysia has punished women in the past with caning for breaking Islamic laws including three women in February who had extra-marital affairs.

Both of these cases involve Islamic law, which is often controversial to the Western world. It is recurrently viewed as extremist and sexually oppressive. It also deprives citizens from freely practicing religion as they please. The court hearings in both of these cases as well, were far from fair and balanced. Especially in Dubai, the woman who reported the couple being indecent in public did not actually see the act herself, but instead used the testimony from her two year old child. And with the caning of Malaysian women for offenses not even illegal in other countries, how cruel and unusual is the punishment? Should a woman be sentenced to a beating for having one beer? What about having sex with a man she is not married to?

Islamic law and the treatment of citizens and prisoners is often where many universalists justify their position on international human rights. These governments violate several key parts of the Declaration of Human Rights. Personally, I think that certain aspects of Islamic law are difficult for cultural relativists to defend. Do any cultural relativists out there agree with the rulings in either the Dubai kissing case or the Malaysian caning case and care to defend the rulings?

If you want to read the full stories, here are the links:
Dubai Kissing Couple: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8602449.stm
Malaysian Caning Case: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8598190.stm

By Chelsea Thompson