…or not, as in this case. Once again when the strangeness of the Islamic judicial system is exposed to the cold light of day we find some interesting changes of mind.

Lubna al-Hussein was put on trial for wearing clothing deemed indecent by Sudanese authorities was fined Monday, but will not get the 40 lashes she could potentially have faced. She has refused to pay the 500 Sudanese pound fine ($209) and so faces a month in gaol pending her doomed appeal to have the law declared unconstitutional.

On July 3rd the local ‘morality police’ were conducting routine sweeps and raided a restaurant in Kartoum, arresting 18 women after a clothes check. She was “wearing pants, a blouse and a hijab, or headscarf. Police accused her of wearing trousers that were too tight and a blouse that was too sheer“.

So why aren’t the other 17 in the news? Or anybody else arrested that night? Well, Al-Hussein  is a journalist who worked in the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan. She resigned from her U.N. position in order to waive her immunity as an international worker and face trial. U.N. Secretary-General and climahysteric Ban Ki-moon got involved.

So what we have, basically, is a situation where you can only wear trousers or have a beer and escape the lash if you are able to bring the focus of the world on to your case by having some decent contacts. Otherwise, bend over and drop’em. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the fairness of the islamic courts.

Moral of the story: keep away from Islamic states if you don’t know any good phone numbers.

See what she was wearing (pervs will be disappointed). Story here.