Sudanese woman punished for wearing trousers

by Kaity Kopeski, online editor

Maybe it’s because she’s a journalist. Maybe it’s because she’s a woman. Maybe it’s simply because she is human. But there is something about Lubna Ahmed Husseinb’s story that enraged me.

On July 12, Husseinb, along with several other women, were arrested in Khartoum, Sudan for “indecent dress.” The “indecent” article of clothing was trousers.

Several of the women arrested pleaded guilty and immediately received 10 lashes.

Husseinb, however, did not plead guilty. Instead she bravely went to trial, knowing that if found guilty, she could face up to 40 lashes.

In addition to working as a journalist, Husseinb was employed by the U.N. Because of this position, she could have received immunity.

Publicity is what she wanted, not immunity, so she resigned from her U.N. position.

“I want to change this law,” she told BBC news.

Husseinb said this law doesn’t even match Sharia law, which rules the Muslim North. The indecency law is vague and says nothing specifically about women wearing trousers. It is common to see women wearing trousers in the city.

Non-Muslims are not supposed to be punished under Islamic law, according to a 2005 peace agreement between the North and South, yet some of the women arrested were from the mainly Christian South.

After the trial, Husseinb was convicted and ordered to pay a fine. She refused to pay the fine and was sentenced to jail for one month.

Last Tuesday, after one day in prison, the Sudanese Union of Journalists paid her fine and secured her release, despite her own wishes.

Husseinb is determined to change the laws that affect the treatment of females in Sudan. Husseinb wanted fellow journalists to write about this trial. Numerous journalists around the world took on the challenge.

One such Sudanese journalist, Amal Habbani, who wrote an article in support of Husseinb, is now charged with defaming the police.

Hundreds of miles away, I’m writing Husseinb’s story as well, knowing that I’m perfectly safe.

The part of me that feels enraged is coupled with the part of me that feels helpless. After hearing Husseinb’s story I wanted to know what I could do to help.

As a college student living on the other side of the world, my options are limited. Instead of focusing on the things I can’t do, I want to focus on the things that I can do. I can write.

I can take on the Husseinb’s challenge and tell her story. Maybe only a few people will read this, but even so, a few more people will be aware. Awareness is the first and crucial step toward change.