http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=80420&d=8&m=4&y=2006

            Saturday, 8, April, 2006 (09, Rabi` al-Awwal, 1427)


                  Eatery Owner Faces Flogging for Hiring Women
                  Huda Al-Shayeb, Arab News 
                   
                 
                  QATIF, 8 April 2006 - Restaurant owner Nabeel Al-Ramadan said 
he was surprised by a phone call from a local court judge asking him to meet 
him immediately.

                  When Al-Ramadan asked if it was all right to bring his 
lawyer, the judge told the businessman that he wanted to see him alone. 

                  When Al-Ramadan arrived in the court, the judge informed him 
that he had been sentenced in absentia to 90 lashes to be administered in 
clusters of 30 apiece. The charge against him was violating dignity and decorum.

                  After further inquiries, Al-Ramadan found out that his crime 
was employing two young women at his restaurant "Ranoosh" to take orders by 
phone. That was a year and a half ago when locals reported this supposed 
infraction to authorities.

                  Al-Ramadan had reduced the girls' schedule to four hours a 
day due to pressure from local authorities.

                  He was questioned and the girls were laid off even though the 
girls worked from beneath their veils, Al-Ramadan pointed out at the time. 

                  "The girls were very respectable and worked while covering 
their faces. Nobody was violating any manners," said Al-Ramadan.

                  The story was virtually forgotten until two weeks ago when 
Al-Ramadan received the call from the judge. Al-Ramadan has since appealed the 
verdict. 

                  The restaurant owner said he is unapologetic about hiring the 
young ladies. He says that he supports women's right to work, and that there is 
nothing forbidden under Islam in this regard.

                  "I'm not the only man that thinks that women should be able 
to work," he said. "Other people also think that this is the right situation. 
Some have even tried to do it just as I did." 

                  A similar incident happened in Qatif a couple of months ago 
when a woman who worked in an optical shop to help women customers was stopped 
as the news of her job spread.
                 
           
     


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe   :  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe :  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
List owner  :  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Homepage    :  http://proletar.8m.com/ 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [EMAIL PROTECTED]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



Kirim email ke