It does not require a stretch of the imagination to accept that the two boys’ lives will never be the same. Without a doubt, the two boys, believed to be 14 and 15, will suffer the emotional consequences of this event for the remainder of their lives. The two rapists, however, will temporarily lose their freedom and will be subjected to physical pain, which will heal, in the form of a thousand lashes – most likely in increments of 50 lashes.
What I find astounding about this case is that the punishment for the two rapists is less severe than the one handed to Raif Badawi, a blogger who has been accused of “insulting Islam.” Mr. Badawi has been sentenced to 1000 lashes, ten years in jail, a fine of $266,600, and a subsequent travel ban of another ten years. First and foremost, I am a strong advocate of the freedom of thought and speech. As such, I find it ridiculous that Mr. Badawi is facing any penalties for merely exercising his freedom of expression. Yet, even if I were to believe that “insulting Islam,” or any other religion for that matter, can be a crime, how do the judges in Jeddah reconcile the punishment handed to the two rapists with the one imposed on Mr. Badawi?
The two boys were pilgrims to Islam’s holiest city. During their pilgrimage, they were raped, or as the Saudis like to call it “sexually harassed,” by two police officers, agents of the state. In my view, when two police officers decide to rape two teenage pilgrims in Islam’s holiest city, they are “insulting Islam” far more than any blogger who merely expresses his thoughts.