Pakistani Hardliners- New Law Protecting Women Is Un-Islamic

Pakistan isn't like Afghanistan. And it's a tad more progressive than say, Iran or Saudi Arabia when it comes to its women folk. There are no religious police out on the streets making sure women are covered. Unlike Saudi Arabia, they can drive. Universities are not segregated. Heck, they even elected a female Prime Minister. Twice. Although Benazir Bhutto was eventually assassinated she served two terms from 1984 through 1993. Of course, that was back then when Muslims weren't quite so fanatical and hardline as they are today. But although their legal system is rooted in British common law, the Penal Code often adheres to Islamic Shariah law and many of its barbaric practises, including death for apostasy and blasphemy. Any attempts to change the more radical Islamic laws, like Blasphemy and child marriage laws are met with major resistance, and often violence from a slew of religious hardliners.

The latest child marriage law ban never came to fruition because of opposition from the hardliners who actually want girls as young as nine to be eligible to marry, as per Shariah law.  And now, they want a new law protecting women to go bye-bye. There's a lot of domestic abuse within the Islamic nuclear family, so that's not surprising.

More than 35 religious parties and groups in Pakistan have come together to call on the government retract a new law in the country's largest province of Punjab that protects women from abuse. Claiming that the law is unIslamic, they accuse the law of being part of the West's agenda to destroy the family system in Pakistan.

The Women's Protection Act was passed by Punjab in February to protect women from domestic, psychological and sexual violence. It also calls for the setting up of a toll-free abuse reporting hot line, women's shelters and district-level panels to investigate reports of abuse. The new law also mandates the use of GPS bracelets to keep track of offenders.

The law however seems to have fallen foul of the mainly conservative clerics and religious leaders. They have said it is in conflict with both the Koran and the Pakistan constitution.

"This controversial law to protect women was promulgated to accomplish the West's agenda to destroy the family system in Pakistan," reads the joint declaration from the conference comprising the religious parties and groups. "This act ... is redundant and would add to the miseries of women."

[snip]

Pakistan Today said the Council of Islamic Ideology, a Pakistani religious body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam has declared the Women's Protection Act as un-Islamic. On 14 March, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, the country's largest religious party, claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised to address the reservations of the religious parties.

The rest here.

Bill To Ban Child Marriage In Pakistan Shot Down As Anti-Islamic

As proof that Pakistan is living in the dark ages, a proposed bill to ban child marriage in that country was shot down after the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) called it anti-Islamic.

The ruling party politician who introduced the bill, Marvi Menon of the Pakistan Muslim League party, withdrew it after the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) dubbed the bill “blasphemous”.

The CII unanimously rejected the proposed Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014 on "purely religious grounds", reports The Express Tribune.

CII Chairman Mohammad Khan Sheerani said the bill contradicted Islamic teachings.

The proposed legislation recommended giving out harsher punishments to those entering a marriage with a minor, as well as raising the minimum age of marriage for women to 18-years-old.

Legally girls can marry at 16 and men at 18, but the CII believes that's anti-Islamic. According to Islamic law, 9-year-old girls should be allowed to marry.

Of course Ms Menon withdrew the bill after the CII called it  "blasphemous."  She is well aware of what happens to people who try to civilize a society still attached to backward Islamic ideology- people get killed.

More here.

South Sudanese Christian Pastors Could Face Death

South Sudan is primarily Christian, North Sudan is mostly hardline Muslim with the ruthless dictator Omar al-Bashir leading the country. Bashir wants the whole of Sudan to be Muslim and follow Sharia law, which is unfortunate for the Christians who live there.

As is the norm in Muslim-majority Sharia enforced countries, Christians are terribly persecuted. Muslims who convert to Christianity face the death penalty for apostasy. Now two Christian pastors from the south could lose their lives because of trumped up charges. The two were charged with spying, and their trial commenced this week,

Yat Michael Ruot and Peter Yein Reith, both Presbyterian pastors from the breakaway Christian nation of South Sudan, are being held by Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services on charges of undermining the constitution and espionage. Their supporters say their arrest and pending trial is just the latest effort by the militant Islamist government in Khartoum to stamp out Christianity.

[snip]

The pair also was charged with “inciting organized groups” and “offending Islamic beliefs,” which call for imprisonment.

The trial was set to begin Tuesday, but was postponed to May 31.

Ruot, who is from Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, was arrested Dec. 21 after he delivered a Sunday sermon in Omdurman, a Sudanese city across the Nile from Khartoum. Reith, who, like Ruot, is from the Presbyterian Evangelical Church, was arrested Jan. 11 when he was called in by security services and taken into custody. His supporters believe his arrest was prompted by a letter he wrote to the Office of Religious Affairs in Khartoum inquiring about Ruot.

You might remember this is the same country that sentenced a pregnant Christian woman, Meriam Ibrahim, to death. She was later released, but only after worldwide condemnation.

More here.

Typically, churches have been destroyed in that country, and new ones are not allowed to be built. Muslims in the West are fortunate they do not have to face what Christians are subjected to in Islamic countries.

Islamic Shariah Tribunal Runs In Texas

Think Islamic shariah isn't already creeping into the United States, think again. It's alive and well and operating in Texas.

Breitbart has all the info regarding the Islamic Tribunal that has 4 judges, who handle everything from divorce, to business disputes to family law.

An Islamic Tribunal using Sharia law in Texas has been confirmed by Breitbart Texas. The tribunal is operating as a non-profit organization in Dallas. One of the attorneys for the tribunal said participation and acceptance of the tribunal’s decisions are “voluntary.”

Breitbart Texas spoke with one of the “judges,” Dr. Taher El-badawi. He said the tribunal operates under Sharia law as a form of “non-binding dispute resolution.” El-badawi said their organization is “a tribunal, not arbitration.” A tribunal is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “a court or forum of justice.” The four Islamic attorneys call themselves “judges” not “arbitrators.”

El-badawi said the tribunal follows Sharia law to resolve civil disputes in family and business matters. He said they also resolve workplace disputes.

In matters of divorce, El-badawi said that “while participation in the tribunal is voluntary, a married couple cannot be considered divorced by the Islamic community unless it is granted by the tribunal.” He compared their divorce, known as “Talaq,” as something similar to the Catholic practice of annulment in that the church does not recognize civil divorce proceedings as ending a marriage.

[snip]

El-badawi said they follow Texas family law when it comes to child support, visitation, and custody. He said that in most cases, custody of children is awarded to the mother.

Breitbart Texas asked what happens when there is a conflict between Sharia law and Texas law. El-badawi said most of the time, the laws are in agreement. When pushed further he admitted that, “we follow Sharia law.” However, he explained, “If the parties are not satisfied with the tribunal’s decision, they do not have to accept it and they can take the matter to Texas civil courts.” He did not say what the social ramifications of rejecting the “judge’s” decision would be.

The website for the Islamic Tribunal states, “The courts of the United States of America are costly and consist of ineffective lawyers. Discontent with the legal system leads many Muslims in America to postpone justice in this world and opt for an audience on the Day of Judgment.”

It goes on to state, “It is with this issue that Muslims here in America are obligated to find a way to solve conflicts and disputes according to the principles of Islamic Law and its legal heritage of fairness and justice in a manner that is reasonable and cost effective.”

The rest here.

And you know there have to be similar tribunals elsewhere.

Malaysia's Moderate Muslims Call For Sharia Law Reform

Extremist Muslims have been taking center stage in what's supposed to be a secular democratic Malaysia, and the moderates are finally taking a stand.

[snip] An open letter urging a rational discussion on religion signed by 25 former senior servants and addressed to Prime Minister Najib Razak has gained popular support. The group, which came to be known as the “prominent 25,” is petitioning Najib to lead a peaceful dialogue about the application of Islamic laws in Malaysia.

The letter raised several issues concerning what they think is the excessive and unfair implementation of the shariah law in many aspects of governance. They questioned why some religious bodies are “asserting authority beyond their jurisdiction,” such as in the issuance of various fatwa that violate the Federal Constitution. They also cited the indifference of authorities over the “rise of supremacist NGOs accusing dissenting voices of being anti-Islam, anti-monarchy and anti-Malay.” And they pointed out how the Sedition Act “hangs as a constant threat to silence anyone with a contrary opinion.”

“These developments undermine Malaysia’s commitment to democratic principles and rule of law, breed intolerance and bigotry, and have heightened anxieties over national peace and stability,” they added in the letter.

They wanted Najib to “assert his personal leadership” in reviewing the implementation of Islamic laws in the country: “Those who act in the name of Islam through the administration of Islamic law must bear the responsibility of demonstrating that justice is done, and is seen to be done.”

In recent years, some hardcore Islamic and nationalist Malay leaders inside Malaysia’s ruling coalition have successfully lobbied the government to act against perceived threats to Islam and the dominance of the Malays in the affairs of the country. Those who opposed or criticized their views are often accused of conspiring to undermine either Islam or the state.

They have support from activists and academics who were ignored or chastised in the past for their criticism of religious intolerance. And support from others who were too fearful to speak out.

After the letter went viral in the cyberspace, other moderate voices were encouraged to speak out against religious and racial discrimination. Ninety-three NGOs declared support for the letter signers. They were joined by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, which praised the group for drafting the letter. Internet users circulated online petitions using the Twitter hashtags #KamiJuga25 (We are also 25) and “I am #26” to show support for the stand taken by the group of 25, “by standing together in solidarity as #26.”

No response from the government. Yet. But as expected some of the radical elements have piped in.

I wish them luck, because the hardcore Islamists aren't going to give up their fight for supremacy that easily.

Mauritanian Muslim Sentenced To Death For Apostasy/Blasphemy

You don't hear much about Mauritania, the West African former French colony. It's a piss-poor Islamic Republic led by a military junta,that still allows slavery (though now illegal). Other abuses include:

-discrimination against its black population and women.
-child labor
-female genital mutilation (FGM).
-child marriage
-leblouh, the force feeding of young girls to make them obese- a sign of beauty and wealth.

And they love their sharia. They have sentenced a Muslim 30-year-old man, Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, to death for apostasy, although it sounds more like blasphemy.

Mohamed has been detained since January 2 and pleaded not guilty to the charge when proceedings opened on Tuesday.

Mauritania has the death penalty but has not executed anyone since 1987, according to human rights organisation Amnesty International.

During the hearing the judge told Mohamed that he was accused of apostasy "for speaking lightly of the Prophet Mohammed" in an article which was published briefly on Mauritanian websites. In it he challenged some of the prophet's actions, the source told AFP.

Mohamed explained that it was "not his intention to harm the prophet", the source added.

His lawyer asked for leniency as he said his client was repentant but the judge agreed to the prosecutor's request for the death penalty.

Although it is said they rarely enforce strict punishments like death or floggings- and one can only hope it's the case with Mohamed- he's still going to rot in jail for the rest of his life for nothing.

More here.

Moderate Muslims Have Same Beliefs As Radicals- Video

At a conference of so-called 'moderate Muslims' the moderator asks the audience of males if they are "normal Muslims" not extremists. They all raise their hands.  He then asks how many agree that men and women should "sit separate."  They all raise their hands.  He then asks how many agree that the punishments set forth in the Quran and Sunnah, like death by stoning, death for homosexuality etc, is "the best punishment for humankind," and that it should be applied throughout the world. All raise their hands. He then asks if they are all radical extremists. They laugh.

In other words, they do not think differently than extremists, and this should worry us.

Liveleak Video here.

H/T: Tarek Fatah, who says this is a Norwegian Islamist.

ISIS Orders Veils For Mannequins In Mosul Shops

Unveiled mannequins are haram- according ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)- so shop owners in Mosul, Iraq are being forced to cover the faces of both female and male mannequins. Apparently, Sharia law forbids it.

" Mosul shop owners said they had been told to cover the faces of both male and female mannequins, apparently in line with strict interpretations of Shariah law that forbid statues or artwork depicting the human form."

Mannequins are considered art work?

Such breathtaking ignorance.

At least they didn't just target the female form.

Source: Al Arabiya

"Execute her" Demands Brother Of Sudanese Christian Convert

It appears the Sudanese woman who has been sentenced to death for apostasy was turned in by her own brother who believes she "should be executed" if she doesn't convert back to Islam.

Al-Samani al-Hadi told CNN that he handed his sister over to the authorities because his family are “Muslim people,” and that she should “repent.”

“It's one of two; if she repents and returns to our Islamic faith and to the embrace of our family then we are her family and she is ours,” he said.

“But if she refuses she should be executed,” he said.

Meriam Yehya Ibrahim was born to an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mum and a Sudanese Muslim father. After the dad abandoned the family, Meriam was raised as a Christian. She is also married to a southern Sudanese Christian man who happens to be a U.S. citizen.

Proving just how unfair Islam is, Muslim men are allowed to marry women of any faith, on the other hand Muslim woman are only allowed to marry Muslims.

Response from the U.S. State Department: "deeply disturbed."

Christian Sudanese Woman Sentenced To Death For Apostasy

27-year-old Meriam Yehya Ibrahim was raised a Christian, but because her father (who abandoned the family when Meriam was a kid) happens to be Muslim, she is considered a Muslim as well. Meriam, who is 8 months pregnant and married to a Christian, has now been convicted of adultery and apostasy, and was sentenced to death by a Sudanese court. She's to get 100 lashes for good measure, for the adultery.

Ibrahim's lawyer Haram Othman told CNN that her legal team will appeal the verdict within 15 days.

According to the rights group Amnesty International, she was convicted of adultery because her marriage to a Christian man was considered void under Sharia law. She was sentenced to 100 lashes for the second crime.

"The verdict is contrary to commitments Sudan has made in its own Constitution and commitments made under regional and international law; Meriam has been convicted solely on account of her religious convictions and personal status," said Katherine Perks with the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies.

"The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion, is abhorrent and should never be even considered," Manar Idriss, Amnesty International's Sudan researcher, said in a statement.

" 'Adultery' and 'apostasy' are acts which should not be considered crimes at all, let alone meet the international standard of 'most serious crimes' in relation to the death penalty. It is a flagrant breach of international human rights law," the researcher said.

Ibrahim is eight months pregnant and is in custody with her 20-month-old son, according to Amnesty International, which considers her a prisoner of conscience.

This is Islam and Sharia for you.

More here.

Homosexuals To Be Stoned To Death In Brunei

Brunei has just taken a giant step back into the dark ages. The death penalty, by stoning, will now be meted out for the following offenses:

Homosexuality, sodomy, adultery, extramarital relations for Muslims, blasphemy (defaming Mohammed), apostasy, along with rape, murder and robbery.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights is "concerned."

"We are deeply concerned about the revised penal code in Brunei Darussalam, due to come into force later this month, which stipulates the death penalty for numerous offences," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights.

"Application of the death penalty for such a broad range of offences contravenes international law," Colville said.

Although no-one has been executed since 1957, the current sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, wants to institute harsh Islamic Shariah law as the law of the land, which allows for death by stoning. Homosexuality, which is illegal in the country, could get you 10 years in jail, that will change on April 22.

Source: Opposing Views.

It's all very interesting considering some of the Sultan's family members have a not so Islamically stellar reputation. Mansions, jets, harems full of prostitutes, jets and other excesses.

Man Who Beat Son To Death Over Grades Has 1 Year Jail Sentence Rejected By UAE Court

An Emirati man beat his 12-year-old son so severely with a cane and an electrical chord the child died. Apparently, papa was unhappy with the boy's school grades. The mother found the bloody, unconscious boy and drove him to the hospital, but the child was dead on arrival.

Under sharia law this is how the judicial process went down for the accused:

Parents can't be sentenced to death under sharia, so that was ruled out. Of course, the death sentence is perfectly fine for adulterers, blasphemers, apostates and homosexuals. But beating someone to death? 15 years max. However, this dad lucked out. The 'beating' charge  was changed to premeditated murder.

Now this is where it gets interesting. There's that 'blood money' clause under sharia law, whereby relatives can receive money and a reduced sentence as retribution.

As the boy’s heirs, the father’s parents, waived their rights to a death sentence, R M was sentenced to three years in jail and a blood money settlement of Dh200,000.

His sentence was later reduced by the appeals court to one year, as the boy’s mother also waived her right to blood money.

On Wednesday, the court of cassation ruled that the heirs should not have been consulted in this case.

The law states that a father cannot be charged with premeditated murder unless he confesses, which R M did not, or if it was a straightforward murder act.

In this case, as the tools he used to kill his son were not weapons, it proved it was an attack driven by anger and not planned.

[snip]

Also, the medical report showed there was not a fatal blow from the father, as the boy died from shock caused by the pain of the beating.

So that pre-meditated murder charge? Thrown out, along with the year sentence. So another hearing will be scheduled.

Gotta love sharia.

The full story here.

Danish Muslim Lab Techs Could Be Fired For Refusing To Wear Short Sleeves

Two female Muslim lab technicians at a hospital in Denmark are about to lose their jobs because they refuse to wear short sleeves- a dress-code requirement at the Hvidovre Hospital near Copenhagen. The dress-code is a measure the hospital has implemented for sanitary reasons.

According to the hospital Deputy Director, Torben Mogenson, this has been an ongoing issue since last fall:

"Short sleeves are part of the Capital Region's dress code. This is in the interest of our patients. You can not wash your hands with long sleeves. We do a lot for people with different ethnic backgrounds. But when it comes to hygiene we do not compromise the safety of the patients. We have fought for years to get doctors to use short sleeves."

This is the first case where someone could be fired because of their religious practices.

Both of the women are on sick leave, and one of them explained that she'd visited with several imams who told her that good Muslim women must always wear long sleeves at work. In other words, health of the patients be damned

I guess they don't have an equivalent of CAIR (Council on Islamic American Relations) over in Denmark, because you know if that happened here they'd be on the case in a flash, and those lab techs would be working with their long sleeves, happily compromising the health of patients and others.

Original story in Danish.

From Jihadwatch.

Indonesian Christian Fighting Conviction In Malay Shariah Court

In so called 'moderate' Malaysia freedom of religion is supposedly part of the country's constitution, and both civil and Shariah law is practiced. Muslims are the only ones who are meant to be subject to Shariah law, but apparently that's not always the case. One Christian Indonesian woman living in Penang is living proof of that.

42-year-old Halimah is a reflexologist (an alternative healing modality) who was hauled into Shariah court and convicted for  "khalwat" back in 2011 after she was found in 'close proximity' of a male at the reflexology center where she worked. In 2012, without legal representation, she pleaded guilty and received a RM3,000 fine and 14 days’ jail sentence, though she was eventually allowed a 'stay of execution' pending an appeal. Her boss, also non-Muslim and unaware of Shariah law, eventually contacted Legal Aid and hired a lawyer for Halimah after the conviction and sentence were meted out. According to that lawyer, Wan Faridulhadi Mohd Yusoff, Halimah is illiterate and had no clue what she was confessing to, including admitting she was Muslim. Authorities didn't bother reading that part of the charge sheet to her, and Wan Faridulhadi claims she was coerced into admission, not fully understanding what would happen.

"This is a travesty of the law, the first such case where a Christian woman is charged for khalwat in shariah court; it should have been thrown out of court immediately upon proof of her religion," said Penang Legal Aid Centre consultant Cecil Rajendra.

Since her case is still pending, Halimah, has not been able to return to Indonesia.

Her lawyer and legal aid are still working to overturn the conviction.

More here.

Gang Rape Victim In Sudan Charged With "Indecent Acts"

Another example of how oppressed women are in Islam.

An 18-year-old woman in Khartoum is gang-raped by seven Sudanese men, efforts to report the crime are ignored, and she gets penalized.

Apparently, the young Ethiopian migrant was lured into an empty property, while seeking housing, where she was then raped by seven men who videotaped the atrocity and then posted it on social media sites 6 months after the attack. Only then were the men arrested and tried.

The punishment for the men:

Three were sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery.
Two were given 40 lashes and fines for indecent acts.
One received 40 lashes and a hefty fine for distributing indecent material.
The seventh rapist- off scott-free because of insufficient evidence.

Punishment for the woman, who is now 9 months pregnant:

"During the trial, she was found guilty of committing “Indecent Acts,” sentenced to a month in prison, which has been suspended, and fined 5,000 Sudanese Pounds (about $961.00). She has also been threatened with “punishment for illegal entry” under Sudan’s immigration law and faces a prison sentence of 1 to 2 years and/or a fine, followed by expulsion."

She could have received a death sentence (stoning) since she was initially charged with adultery, but was able to prove she was divorced, so those charges were dropped.

Source: Amnesty International

Tunisian MPs Choose Civil Over Shariah Law For The Land

Well, here's some good news for a change. After a continuing battle against growing Islamism in Tunisia post-Arab spring, Tunisian MPs have voted for civil rather than Shariah law for the land, though Islam will remain the country's religion.

The full story here.

We'll see how long that lasts. The Islamists in the country are already balking.

Afghanistan Mulls Reinstating Stoning For Adultery

It's the 21st century, and according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) some officials within the Afghan government are lobbying to get public stoning for adultery back into the penal code. The Taliban enjoyed that public form of punishment/entertainment when they reigned supreme some 12 years ago. So popular, they were held in the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul.

A draft, put together by the Justice Ministry, proposes stoning for married adulterers and flogging for unmarried ones- remember, sex outside of marriage under Shariah law is considered adultery.

“Men and women who commit adultery shall be punished based on the circumstances to one of the following punishments: lashing, stoning [to death],” article 21 states. The draft goes on to specify that the stoning should be public, in article 23.

And we're thinking of staying on past 2014??

Sources: RFE/RL, Gulf News

FSA Statue-Smashing Cleric Omar Gharba' s 2012 Interview- Lesson In Contradictions

Omar Gharba' is a Wahhabi cleric with the Free Syrian Army (FSA).  They're supposed to be moderates, and obviously some are- the secular ones who started off fighting for democracy at the beginning of the revolution, but many, like Gharba', are not.  In this 2012 interview Gharba'  talks about establishing an Islamic state. He's full of contradictions, including stating he does not support foreign fighters from a tactical standpoint, but from a Shariah standpoint- bring 'em on. This same man who in 2012 talks about Omar ib al-Khattab not destroying churches when he entered Jerusalem, is recently seen destroying a statute of the Virgin Mary in Idlib. The interviewer keeps questioning Gharba' about what the FSA will do if the majority of the Syrian people want a civil state (after claiming it is better to let people choose), and asks if they will use arms to establish an Islamic state. He never really answers her.

FSA Claims Syrian Christian Converts To Islam Because He Was Treated So Well

This video was originally posted on IslamTube (yep, the Muslim version of YouTube). It's a Syrian man, Fawzi Jamil, claiming to have converted from Christianity to Islam because he was treated so well in prison and the FSA Sharia Court after he was jailed for something not mentioned. Probably for being Christian.

The poor man looks scared witless. Do they really think we're stupid enough to believe he converted of his own free will?

Raped Norwegian Expat Pardoned In Dubai

The Norwegian woman who was raped by a colleague on a business trip to Dubai has been "pardoned."  Marte Deborah Dalelv is free to leave Dubai. One would hope that women might think twice before choosing to live in a Middle Eastern country where such draconian laws can land a rape victim in jail. Being "pardoned" for being raped is as egregious as the sentence itself, though I'm happy that she can get the hell out of dodge.

A Norwegian woman at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute said Sunday that officials have dropped her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage and she is free to leave the country.
"I am very, very happy," Marte Deborah Dalelv told The Associated Press. "I am overjoyed."
The sentence against the 24-year-old Dalelv last week stirred widespread outrage in the West and highlighted the frequent clash between Dubai's Western-friendly image and its Islamic-based legal codes.

Dalelv claimed she was raped in March by a co-worker, but was charged with having sex outside marriage after going to the police. Her decision to go public about the sentence last week in a series of interviews appeared to put pressure on authorities in Dubai and tarnish the city's reputation as a cosmopolitan hub, including possible fallout on its high-profile bid for the 2020 World Expo.

"I have my passport back. I am pardoned," said Dalelv, who worked for an interior design firm in Qatar and was in Dubai for a business meeting when the alleged rape took place.

More here.