Lubna Hussein's Day in Khartoum Is Far From Over

Lubna Hussein on her way to court in Khartoum, minutes before the fighting broke out.UPDATE 5:06:32 In the short time since I read, commented, and wrote about Andrew Heavens first blog post, he has published a story picked up by Swiss Info: Sudan trouser case woman jailed but not whipped.

Lubna’s lawyer Lama Omar says that she was taken Monday to the capital’s Omdurman Women’s Prison, after refusing to pay the fine. Omar says that Lubna’s supporters (including me) will step up the campaign calling for an end to the decency law. As reported previously, Omar is appealing Lubna’s sentence.

Previously:

Andrew Heavens Reuters Africa blog offers solid insights about events on the ground today in Khartoum. He also weaves in a good amount of political analysis of the day’s events, suggesting that the outcome was a good resolution all the way around.

I commented that the situation is not so tidy, but I agree that the judge handled the situation in a way that tried to make everybody ‘happy’ — everybody but Lubna, that is. Luba is far from finished with this Article #152 law.

• she was found ‘guilty’ and fined so the Islamists are pleased

• Lubna wasn’t flogged, so we’re all happy that she wasn’t subjected to that humiliation and pain, although we know she would have accepted her punishment with total dignity and determination.

• Andrew drops in the new piece of information that US Sudan envoy Scott Gration is due in Khartoum in two days. He also creates some political context around Sudan’s US relations and the history of Bin Laden in Sudan.

***** Five-star article ending for Andrew Heavens:

“For the campaigners, Lubna had her chance to publicise her case and got off with a relatively light sentence. For the police, order in the streets was restored As the last riot police moved off in their caged vans, and the last protesters dispersed, two southern Sudanese women stood no more than 100 yards away from the site of the demonstration, buying oranges from a pavement stall. Both wore tight blue jeans and close-fitting t-shirts. No-one batted an eyelid.”

Lubna has always said that the law is enforced at random, often based on the individual opinion of the morals squad guy. And let us not forget that the jean-wearing, orange-buying ladies could be a set up for those who argue that the situation for women isn’t that bad in Khartoum.

Lubna must have done something really bad to get herself in this mess say officials. The NYTimes reported this official explanation both today and yesterday.

Remember the facts: 43,000 women were arrested last year for indecency in Khartoum area alone.

As I commented to Andrew, this matter is far from resolved. The decision today bought time and removed the fear of a public flogging. Trust me, Lubna Ahmed Hussein marches on in her repeal of Article 152. Anne