Woe

Upon arriving at work and flipping on the coffee house TV's, I saw a blurb about this story on CNN. The short version, for those who don't have time to read it, is as follows:

In 2006, a Saudi woman was kidnapped from a mall and gang raped by a group of 7 men. The court which heard the case against the men convicted them and gave them a relatively light prison sentence (considering that they could have been beheaded under the law for their crime). Along with the conviction of these men was a sentence of 90 lashes for the rape victim. This sentence was said to be 'just' because she broke the Saudi law which prohibits a woman from being in the company of a man who is not her direct relative. The woman appealed her sentence and the court, rather than declaring her original sentence unjust, doubled the number of lashes and sentenced her to six months in prison.

The atrocities in this story are self-evident, and they need little elucidation. This is a serious perversion of human rights--one which we would expect President Bush to staunchly condemn. We would expect him, as the leader of the free world, to call King Abdullah out and demand that the fallacious charges against the woman be dropped. So...how did the US government's rhetoric live up to our expectations?

"This is a part of a judicial procedure overseas in the court of a sovereign country..."

"Most would find this relatively astonishing that something like this happens."

"It is within the power of the Saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it."

"I don't have anything else to offer."

Way to go, USA. If this government had any ethical fortitude to begin with, it has long been left by the wayside of political utilitarianism. It should not matter that we 'need' Saudi Arabia in one way or another. Wrong is wrong. And the Saudi court's sentence is certainly wrong, as is our president's apprehension to condemn it.

After seeing the story, this was the first thing that came to mind:

20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight...

23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
but deny justice to the innocent.

Woe to our government, and woe to us all. Lord be merciful to that woman.