Saudi Law Sparks Controversy

A 75-year-old widow in Saudi Arabia was sentenced to 40 lashes and four months in prison for mingling with two young men. Under Saudi law, a woman cannot mix with a man who is not a spouse or relative. Doing so is considered illegal seclusion. Hello, Im Charlotte Bellis and youre watching Newsy.com. www.newsy.com A CNN producer explains why theres controversy about this case in particular. The men say that they were delivering bread and in fact one of the men who was arrested said hes actually a relative, or considered to be a relative, to the woman, because basically she acted as a wet nurse to him when he was a baby and under the Saudi Islamic custom, if somebody does that then the baby that grows up is considered to be relative. (CNN) Saudi newspaper Arab News says the case, still under review, has sparked fresh criticism. It presents this view of illegal seclusion from a lawyer. This depends on the circumstances, the time spent together and the way they looked when they come out. The shorter the time spent together, the more likelihood of illegal seclusion. The paper adds the court rulings do not differentiate between old and young A 75-year-old woman is usually not considered seductive yet she is a woman and unrelated men should not remain alone with her. Old age is not a sufficient ground for acquittal. (Arab News) The BBC highlights another case involving womens rights. It reports Saudi womens rights activists posted a video in 2008 on youtube of a woman driving …