Writer used veil to escape

Nov 25, 2009 10:54 PM | By Sapa

Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein said she had donned full Islamic costume, which leaves only the eyes exposed, to sneak out of Sudan and travel to France, two months after she was freed from jail - punishment for wearing trousers.

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Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein speaks during a press conference in Paris.
Photograph by: CHRISTOPHE ENA
Credit: AP

Trouser woman sneaks out of Sudan

Hussein is in Paris to promote her new book 40 Coups de Fouet pour un Pantalon (40 Lashes for a Pair of Trousers). She told French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that Khartoum had tried to block her departure, but that she was determined to exercise her right to travel freely.

"They wanted to prevent me from leaving so I resorted to wearing the niqab [Islamic costume] and managed to leave," said Hussein.

She was jailed for a day in September for violating Sudan's clothing decency laws by wearing trousers.

She faced punishment of 40 lashes when she was convicted in July.

After her prosecution attracted worldwide notoriety, a Sudanese court in September ordered her to pay a fine instead - but 10 of the 12 other women arrested with her were lashed. When she refused to pay the fine, Hussein was jailed.

Comments

Nov 26 2009 01:04:47 AM
airbud

May I just point out that Mbeki is currently trying to protect this country (Sudan) from war crimes charges, let alone lashing women for wearing trousers.

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Nov 26 2009 07:56:36 AM
Mainsteyn

Why does the western world tolerate these primitive Muslim culture?

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Nov 26 2009 09:43:13 AM
Mjah

Nov 26 2009 07:56:36 AM
Mainsteyn

Its a mystery grounded in fear prevalent in the West. It has always been a mystery to me to see Muslim allowing themselves to be dictated to by a bearded old men of what to wear and generally how to behave. Its a mystery only Muslims can answer...