“No” Means No?
Interesting case from the Arab Times. Many courts in many nations are struggling with the same question – at what point does it become rape? In this case, there was a disagreement about the price and she tried to leave, at which point she claims she was raped.
Consensual sex, no rape: lawyer
KUWAIT CITY : The Criminal Court listened Tuesday to the argument of the lawyers for five Kuwaiti police officers, who had been charged with raping and molesting a Bedoun woman.
The court then set April 14, 2009 to issue its verdict.
During the session, the lawyer for the first and second suspects, Attorney Mohamed Al-Sane, told the court the victim had gone to the flat of the suspects on her own free will. He added this incident can never be considered rape as the victim had agreed to collect KD 100 from the suspects in return for staying and having sex with them.
Attorney Ali Al-Asfour, who represented the third suspect, requested the court to acquit his client as there is no proof to show that the victim had been raped. He further said the arresting officer’s investigations were inconclusive.
Meanwhile, Attorneys Tareq Al-Khars, Khaled Al-Mahhan and Ahmad Al-Shehab, who represented the fourth suspect, requested the court to acquit their client as he had nothing to do with the case. They added there is no evidence that the man had committed the crime.
According to the victim, she knows the third suspect, who called her on the day of the incident and invited her to go with him to a friend’s flat where she met the other suspects and two women. She disclosed the third suspect offered her KD 100 if she spends ‘fun’ time with him. However, when she arrived at the flat and had a drink with the five men, she asked for KD 50 more.
When the men refused, she tried to leave the flat, but she couldn’t as the door was locked. While she was looking for the key, the third suspect took her by force to the main bedroom and three other suspects followed him, then they all raped her.
The session was presided over by Judge Adel Al-Saqer.
By Moamen Al-Masri
Special to the Arab Times
I would guess, in Kuwait, even if she wins the case, which looks doubtful given the cadre of lawyers hired to prevent that from happening, she loses. My guess is that she goes to prison for agreeing to have sex for money.
Pigeon Thieves Nabbed
This crime report gives me a smile, because it is so cultural. In Seattle, where pigeons are so plentiful as to be a nuisance, it would be very hard to comprehend why anyone would steal a pigeon.
Living here, we know that some people treasure their pigeons, and that there are some pigeons for which people pay a LOT of money:
Night patrolmen nab pigeon thieves
KUWAIT CITY: Night patrol operatives arrested three youths who had stolen a number of pigeons from different pens in Kabad area. Sources said the team while on routine night patrol spotted the suspects in a car. They discovered the birds during a search in the suspects’ car.
The accused who confessed to the crime have since been referred to the concerned authorities for further investigations.
By Munaif Nayef
Special to the Arab Times
US Embassy: Kuwait Low Threat fro Crimes
From today’s Al Watan
Kuwait 2009 Crime & Safety Report
U.S. Department of State rates Kuwait as low threat for crime
WASHINGTON: The Department of State rates Kuwait as low threat for crime. The incidence of crime in Kuwait City remains low. The government of Kuwait (GOK) maintains a high police profile with large numbers of uniformed and plainـclothes officers on the streets. Each district and governorate has police stations operating under the direction of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) Directorate of Public Safety. Incidents of crime do occur, with few instances reported to the U.S. Embassy”s Regional Security Officer (RSO).
Violent crime is primarily confined within the thirdـcountry national (TCN) community, which comprises the majority of the manual labor force in Kuwait ـ approximately twoـthirds of Kuwait”s residents are TCNs.
It is probable that a high percentage of crimes in the TCN community go unreported because of lack of police responsiveness.
The threat of immediate deportation looms large for many of these guest workers who generally prefer maintaining a low profile so as to avoid unwanted attention from the GOK.
Although several districts within Kuwait City are known to have higher incidences of crime, only one area (Jahra) remains generally offـlimits to official embassy personnel. One factor contributing to the high rate of crime in Jahra is the inability of the police to enforce laws in areas where tribal customs take precedence.
Residential crime remains low. There have been no reported breakـins at any official embassy residences within the past year, nor have any vehicles been stolen. It is not uncommon for embassy staff and dependents to report suspicious persons in their neighborhoods to the RSO, but the majority of these instances have been resolved without any criminal or other hostile intent discovered.
There are no reports of petty thefts against the official American community in any of the popular outdoor markets or shopping malls frequented by tourists and westerners living in Kuwait. However, the opportunity for such crime does exist. It is understood that individuals should not assume that they can maintain a carefree attitude in these venues even though the crime threat in Kuwait is rated low.
Last updated on Wednesday 18/3/2009
Icons Challenge, The Locard Principle 2: The Middle East and Me
The best thing, the very best thing about blogging, for me, is what I learn from my commenters. The old Locard’s Exchange Principle is a constant in life – with every interaction, a part of you rubs off on me, and a part of me rubs off on you. It’s why we’re careful about the people, books, movies, blogs and ideas we spend time with. . . we either feel better for hanging around them, or slightly uncomfortable. Sometimes, hugely uncomfortable. The internet is a microcosm, good and evil all mixed in together and we make our choices.
Fragonard: The Reader
Above: that is me. That’s pretty much who I am. I am quiet, I am a reader. I still get input, from newspapers, books, e-mails, the internet, friends, groups, etc.
What I love about blogging is that I throw something out, and you throw something back. Many many times, what I get back is unexpected, and forces me to re-examine my assumptions. Many times, I have to force myself to stop. Not to respond. I have to force myself to let the new information, new point-of-view sink in, percolate, settle. Minds don’t change in an instant, but . . . they do change. New information brings new, often surprising, perspectives. When I find myself getting angry, I have to step back and ask myself “what is going on here? What are you reacting to?” It helps me to know myself better, and it helps me to understand whatever-little-corner-of-the-world-I-am-living-in better, too.
There are about six different blog entries radiating out like a spider’s web from the thoughts I am now thinking, fed by your input and comments, and behind the scenes e-mails back and forth with new thoughts.
So here is my challenge for today. I’ve shown you one of my life icons, this Fragonard paining, The Reader.
Your mission, your challenge – identify / find a piece of art that shows us who you are. Post it on your blog and link here with a comment, or send it to me, and I will publish it.
(No graphic violence or pornography; I won’t publish it and I will break the link if you publish it on your blog and link to me.)
Garbage Truck
While we are on the subject of waste; a friend forwarded this to me and I really like it:
Garbage Truck
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car drove out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital! This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.
Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on… Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.
So…Love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! The seeds you plant today, determine the harvest you reap tomorrow.
A short prayer:
Lord, please pour out your holy spirit upon us that we will have the nine fruit of the spirit in us and specially the patients towards everyone in this world that we will not carry anyone’s garbage in us.
Municipal waste, Industrial waste and Medical waste
We wonder why some days we have trouble breathing, some days we wake up with headaches, and we wonder about that thin line of bilious yellow haze that moves in off the sea and smells like sulpher and makes us choke and our eyes water.
From today’s Arab Times; you can read the entire interview by clicking here
Toxic, hazardous gases being emitted into the air; Waste dumping tied to health problems
Toxic and hazardous gases are being emitted into the air because of the uncontrolled and illegal dumping of waste. The emitted toxic gases are causing a lot of health problems along with the polluted dust coming from outside of Kuwait. These health problems include asthma, vomiting, coughing, allergies among other diseases, states Mohammad Al Sarawi, an environment expert.
Mohammad Al-Sarawi was speaking to the Arab Times on the current environmental problems that are affecting Kuwait, the limitations faced by Kuwait Environmental Authority, the implications of the second Gulf Conference on Environment & Sustainability — including the current eco-friendly projects being adopted.
Q: As an environmentalist what would you say are the major environmental problems that Kuwait suffers from today?
A: There are three types of pollutants that are causing environmental problems in Kuwait. They are municipal waste, industrial waste and medical waste.
Firstly considering the municipal waste, we have at least 3000 tons of municipal waste dumped into the desert directly without any recycling or treatment. The garbage is collected from the residential areas in Kuwait. Municipal waste is mainly dumped in illegal landfills. Illegal from an international and conventional point of view. The illegal landfills where the waste is dumped are not monitored and don’t come under any form of control. These places have to be monitored well to limit the pollution that such waste is pumping into the air and affecting the surrounding areas.
From the 1940s until today there has not been recycling of municipal waste. Kuwait is failing to meet the international standards when it comes to the recycling of municipal waste and other kinds of waste. The waste is dumped in more than one landfill. We get some of our natural resources from the desert and using them as dumping grounds can affect procurement of important resources. We produce so much waste that we are running short of places to dispose them of.
There are 16 old landfills in Kuwait and now all of them are closed because of saturation. We have only 3 active landfills left, one in Jahra, one in Mina Abdullah, and one in Sulaibiya. Dumping of waste continues in the remaining landfills. Environmental problems come mainly from closed landfills which surround urban areas. These closed landfills emit a very strong stench. They also emanate methane gas (CH4), which mixes in the atmosphere and is very dangerous. There is a high chance that this toxic gas can spread into urban areas and people could inhale it. This gas diffuses very easily and rapidly in the air and has a very foul smell.
Another Martyr For Olde Ireland
Thanks be to God, the brutal, ceaseless battles in Ireland have ended and peace prevails. So many innocent were lost – and for what? The recent bombing is thought to be a hiccup left over from those desperate, sad days. We can only hope that is true, and that peace can also break out in places like Gaza, like Dharfur, where entire peoples are oppressed and dealt with brutally by those in power.
For blogger Mathai; one of the songs the Irish sing in the pubs on St. Patrick’s day – and others. Whenever the beer is flowing, you’ll hear Kevin Barry. They know all the words.
This is the version I used to hear; the one above has slightly different words.
In Mountjoy jail one Monday morning
High upon the gallows tree,
Kevin Barry gave his young life
For the cause of liberty.
But a lad of eighteen summers,
Still there’s no one can deny,
As he walked to death that morning,
He proudly held his head on high.
2. Just before he faced the hangman,
In his dreary prison cell,
The Black and Tans tortured Barry,
Just because he wouldn’t tell.
The names of his brave comrades,
And other things they wished to know.
“Turn informer and we’ll free you”
Kevin Barry answered, “no”.
3. “Shoot me like a soldier.
Do not hang me like a dog,
For I fought to free old Ireland
On that still September morn.
“All around the little bakery
Where we fought them hand to hand,
Shoot me like a brave soldier,
For I fought for Ireland.”
4. “Kevin Barry, do not leave us,
On the scaffold you must die!”
Cried his broken-hearted mother
As she bade her son good-bye.
Kevin turned to her in silence
Saying, “Mother, do not weep,
For it’s all for dear old Ireland
And it’s all for freedom’s sake.”
5. Calmly standing to attention
While he bade his last farewell
To his broken hearted mother
Whose grief no one can tell.
For the cause he proudly cherished
This sad parting had to be
Then to death walked softly smiling
That old Ireland might be free.
6. Another martyr for old Ireland;
Another murder for the crown,
Whose brutal laws to crush the Irish,
Could not keep their spirit down.
Lads like Barry are no cowards.
From the foe they will not fly.
Lads like Barry will free Ireland,
For her sake they’ll live and die.
Scattered Clouds on St. Patrick’s Day
Top O’ the Mornin’ to you, Kuwait, and be sure to wear green today or risk a pinch!
Weather Underground tells us we will have “scattered clouds” today:
At just exactly the right moment, I was able to catch a tiny glimpse of sunrise this morning, breaking through the “scattered clouds.” I don’t know how things look where you are, but I think I heard a brief scattered shower.
Sure and it’s an Irish day we’re having, storm clouds and a little rain to keep Kuwait green. (Insh’allah!)
MP Al-Muhaibi Condemns Male Teaching Female Students
From today’s <a href=”“>Al Watan
MP Jaber AlـMuhailbi condemns school incident
Staff Writer
KUWAIT: MP Jaber AlـMuhailbi has denounced the fact that grade 12 girls at AlـSabahiya High School are being taught by a foreign, male teacher. According to him, “the incident reveals a great amount of recklessness on the part of the Ministry of Education,” which he says disregards the traditions and values of Kuwaiti society.
AlـMuhailbi expressed his apprehension that there might be forces planning to replace the conservative educational system in the country with a system that openly encouraged ”mixed” schools for boys and girls.
He held Minister of Education Nouriya AlـSubaih solely responsible for the incident, said that it proved she was incompetent to shoulder her responsibilities as a minister.
He finally announced that he would put forward a number of questions concerning the aforementioned incident to the minister, and would inquire as to whether this was an occurrence seen in other schools, and asserted that there were plenty of female teachers capable of teaching female students in Kuwait.
He expressed his displeasure about the presence of a male teacher in a girls” school, calling it “unacceptable.”
Last updated on Tuesday 17/3/2009
12th grade? Isn’t that like the year girls graduate and go on to university classes (God willing/insh’allah) where they will be taught, as likely as not, by male professors?
Do these girls go to restaurants with male waiters?
Do they shop in stores with male cashiers? Male customer service agents? Male managers?
Learning self-control is like any other skill; it requires practice. You practice by confronting the realities of the situation. Society – in and out of Kuwait – is mixed. We sit next to each other on airplanes, we are seated next to one another in restaurants, our paths cross, daily. Kuwaiti girls are well brought up and can control themselves; they also have skills at turning aside the unwanted attention of the rare teacher who might overstep.
Mr. MP, we must be suspicious of those who see sexual issues lurking in every corner; what is in the heart of a man who sees sex everywhere? Give these girls a little credit. They are after an education, not some male teacher.
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When I clicked the link, knowing this is a pfishing link, but wanting to print the website here, so anyone with a lot of free time can go mess with them, I got this warning:
Don’t you totally love it? I do!
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