Aug 18th, 2009 | survey

In the Maldives islands, a haven for rich tourists, 150 women have been sentenced to flogging, because they have indulged in extramarital sex. Each woman receives 100 lashes. Should tourists boycott the Maldives until the whippings stop?


The Maldives are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean with a population of less than 400 000. The President of the Republic has decided to make concessions to his Islamist allies and allow women accused of extramarital sex to be whipped in public. Few tourists have seen the whippings, because they take palce in the capital, not on the beaches of the numerous islands visited by foreigners.

Many Maldivians, including poliricians like Eva Abdulla, a member of parliament, disagree. Tourism is the key industry. We could help stop these inhumane punishments if we threaten to boycott the country. Do you agree?

- see "The New York Times", August, 14




17 votes, 102 views , 9 comments
 
 

 
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Comments (9)
Poldeve
(Reply)
France

posted Oct 22nd, 2009 at 06:35 CDT

Flogging is part of their criminal code, but they may change it and abolish corporal punishment.

Xenosilvano
(Reply)
Portugal

posted Oct 20th, 2009 at 20:30 CDT

Thats not against the law over there?

Poldeve
(Reply)
France

posted Aug 24th, 2009 at 03:32 CDT

Apparently only Maldivian women are flogged. Flogging tourists would be a total disaster for the local economy.

Poldeve
(Reply)
France

posted Aug 24th, 2009 at 03:29 CDT

The Maldivian High Commissioner to London recently said: "flogging is part of the penal code...but we are in the process of changing into a liberal Islamist democracy".

Poldeve
(Reply)
France

posted Aug 24th, 2009 at 03:21 CDT

According to the Maldivian Department of Judicial Administration, 184 people were sentenced to flogging in 2006, 146 were women.

Philgtaylor
(Reply)
Australia

posted Aug 19th, 2009 at 20:26 CDT

Are they flogging the tourists? A) they should not be flogging the women. B) If they are flogging the women, they should also flog the MEN that they are having sex with. Otherwise it is a double standard.

Fariborzpb
(Reply)
Iran, Islamic Republic Of

posted Aug 18th, 2009 at 23:45 CDT

it is their rules,I think I (as a tourist) should obey and respect the rules of every country I travel to.

Juiced
(Reply)
Canada

posted Aug 18th, 2009 at 21:00 CDT

If the flogging is true, how about just ending that sort of punishment? This isn't the 19th century anymore.

Poldeve
(Reply)
France

posted Aug 18th, 2009 at 09:17 CDT

Several British and US papers have begun spreading the news about these floggings, "The Independent", "The Daily Telegraph" and "The New York Times".

 
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