SUDANESE JOURNALIST FACES LASHINGS OVER CLOTHES

TROUSER-WEARING SUDANESE JOURNALIST
LUBNA AL-HUSSEIN READY FOR '40,000 LASHES'

(CNN) - A Sudanese journalist is fighting charges of wearing indecent clothes that could get her 40 lashings for getting caught wearing trousers. A Sudanese court Wednesday began hearing Lubna Al Hussein's case and decided to continue the hearing in the next days. Hussein, who writes for a newspaper and works for the media department of the United Nations mission in Sudan, told CNN she was released to her home in Khartoum. She and 18 other women were arrested by Sudan's general discipline police July 3 for wearing indecent clothing. Six of the women were released, and another 10 received 40 lashes, Hussein said. She and two others fought the charges and hired attorneys, she said. This Sudanese journalist arrested for wearing trousers said she is willing to endure “40,000 lashes” in order to change her country's unfair laws.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said he was "deeply concerned" and would take every effort to protect his staff member. "The flogging is against the international human rights standards," he said. "I call on all parties to live up to their obligations under all relevant international instruments." The indecent clothing charge has only one punishment under Sudanese law, which is to receive 40 lashes in public, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. "This case is the official retaliation against the reporter for her writings criticizing the Sudanese regime and extremists," the human rights organization said in a statement. Hussein said she will stand firm on her position that she did nothing wrong. At the time of her arrest, she was wearing pants, a blouse and a hijab, or head scarf, Hussein said. Police accused her of wearing trousers which were too tight, and alleged that her blouse was too transparent, she said.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

After hearing Ramananda Raya expound upon the proper execution of a regulated life, Lord Caitanya said that such regulations are simply external. Indirectly He asked Ramananda to expound on something superior to such an external exhibition. Formal execution of rituals and religion is useless unless it culminates in the perfection of devotional service. Lord Visnu is not satisfied simply by a ritualistic adherence to Vedic instructions; He is actually pleased when one attains the stage of devotional service. ... Ramananda Raya wanted to present these facts before the Lord, but apparently discharge of ritualistic duties wasn't sufficient, for Lord Caitanya said that it was external. Lord Caitanya was pointing out that if a man has a material conception of life, he cannot attain the highest perfection even if he follows all the ritualistic regulations.

Srila A.C. BV Swami Prabhupada:
"The Teachings of Lord Caitanya - Chapter 27"