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Thank you London, says Sudanese woman jailed for wearing trousers
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent1 Dec 2009
A Sudanese journalist who was jailed for wearing trousers has thanked Londoners for allowing her to shame her government.
Lubna Hussein flouted a travel ban to visit the capital at the weekend to speak publicly about her ordeal.
She was arrested in Khartoum in July and charged with violating a "decency law" by wearing trousers - a crime punishable by a public whipping.
The 43-year-old was imprisoned for a month and fined, while 12 other women who were with her when she was arrested were given 10 lashes.
She made the trip to London to highlight the plight of women in hardline Islamic nations.
She told the Standard: "A lot of people in London have supported me and it was amazing to hear there was a demonstration outside the Sudanese embassy in support of me. I feel delighted."
Ms Hussein's two-day trip was organised by human rights group the Sudan Civic Foundation.
She gave a lecture to more than 200 people at the Horn of Africa community group in Shepherd's Bush and flew to France last night.
Salah Al Bander, head of the foundation, said: "The Sudanese government is more interested in bad publicity from abroad than inside the country.
"It is embarrassed and sensitive to what is written outside the country. Two lines in the Evening Standard is more serious to them than two pages in a local paper. She is a very brave lady."
Ms Hussein, a widow, has become a symbol for repressed women across the world. She said she did not know if she would return to Sudan, where young girls are regularly circumcised and women banned from driving cars.
She said: "There is a group of women supporting me in Sudan. I will ask them what is best for women's rights - to be outside Sudan and continue the media campaign or go back to Sudan."
Ms Hussein's visit to London came after a 16-year-old girl was given 50 lashes for wearing a knee-length skirt in Sudan.
She said she would write to the girl's family to offer her support.
Mr Al Bander added: "So many men and women in London were interested in Lubna's story. She felt London was very supportive of her."
Reader views (5)
So I'm guessing she'll be living here from now on then because it'll be too dangerous for her to go back, and that she'll shortly be followed by hordes of trouser-wearing sudanese ? since when did this become our problem ?
- Squiz, Islington, 02/12/2009 22:16
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Lubna is very brave human rights activist.
She is, indeed, a moral and personal rle model fo many oppressed wmen in the Arab-Islmic world.
Well Doe Lubn
- Hazim Ahmed, ondon, 01/12/2009 18:05
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"Ms Hussein, a widow, has become a symbol for repressed women across the world. She said she did not know if she would return to Sudan, where young girls are regularly circumcised and women banned from driving cars"
THIS IS NOT TRUE!!! <--- the "Derving car"part!!..please dont publish wrong information about my country. am a Sudanese girl, my sisetr derive! and she has 2 cars, am learning how to derive, almost all my friends who are girl have cars and they derive!! ...
I was supporting her at the begining but now, i see this is turning into a personal benfit thing, heard that she is writing a book and everything..
yes women in sudan are facing problemes, but not deny that we also enjoy alot of our rights, unlike the situation of woemn in other Arab countries.. and lets not make this about Islam. Islam gives women thier rights!
- Noon, Sudan. Darfour, 01/12/2009 14:32
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Lubna Hussein has the potential to unleash a significant wave of unrest in Sudan, focused on women's rights.
As the flogging continues, other Sudanese like the parents of Silva Kashif -- underage, Christian and already lashed 50 strokes with no notice to her parents -- are holding the judicial system accountable, while telling their story to the international press.
Tracking this story since July,2009, I believe that Lubna has inspired women everywhere in the world to demand respect before the law, religious leaders and their own national culture.
Shame is a powerful weapon and Sudan has used it on 43,000 women in Khartoum alone in 2008. Let's hope that Lubna and her supporters -- including me -- can change the tide.
- Anneofcarversville, New York, USA, 01/12/2009 13:01
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We should have done more to help General Gordon, then maybe Sudan would be a peaceful part of the Empire instead of a medieval hell hole run by crazies
- Kerry Trubee, Purley, 01/12/2009 11:20
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