# Saudi Cops Grab U.S. Woman In Starbucks



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

*Saudi Cops Grab U.S. Woman In Starbucks

Kingdom's Religious Police Take Her To Jail For Sitting With Man In Coffee Shop*

(CBS) An American businesswoman was carted off to jail by religious police in Saudi Arabia for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks in Riyadh, the Times of London reported.

The woman, who spent a day behind bars, was strip-searched and forced to sign a false confession before being released, the newspaper said. The Times declined to publish her name at her request.

The 37-year-old businesswoman works for a finance company in Riyadh. Her problem began when her office lost electricity. She and her male colleagues then went to a nearby Starbucks to use the coffee shop's Internet connection.

She sat with a male colleague in the Starbucks' family area, the only place women are allowed to sit with men.

"Some men came up to us with very long beards and white dresses. They asked 'Why are you here together?' I explained about the power being out in our office. They got very angry and told me what I was doing was a great sin," she told the Times.

Following her arrest and interrogation, the woman was hauled before a judge.

"He said 'You are sinful and you are going to burn in hell.' I told him I was sorry. I was very submissive. I had given up. I felt hopeless," she told the Times.

The newspaper said the woman had received a visit from officials at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. A U.S. official told The Times that it was being treated as "an internal Saudi matter" and refused to comment on her case.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/world/main3800725.shtml


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## MLB (Oct 4, 2006)

I'm surprised that American companies even do business in such a backward land. I'd be embarassed to subject my employees to that environment.


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## Nozoki (Feb 1, 2008)

"religious police" is perhaps the scariest term I've ever heard.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

When my spousal unit was in Saudi after Desert Storm, they carried special ID cards that identified them as US Military and were given a little bit of leeway on their rules. Instead of being with a spouse, father or brother, they required female USAF members to be with male USAF members, Marines with Marines, Navy with Navy, Army with Army, as if they were brother/sister. I always wondered how they handled civilians.

The mutaween enforced their religious laws and were above the regular police.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutaween


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## Joeshwa24 (Nov 14, 2007)

Man I don’t get it, why would anyone willingly associate themselves with a religion that has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I'm not saying that everything in Christian history has been without its major issues but that seams to be all there are in Islam, Its asinine.


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## Devildog341 (Jul 25, 2007)

Coming to a western European country near you.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23436203-details/Adoption+of+Islamic+Sharia+law+in+Britain+is+'unavoidable'%2C+says+Archbishop+of+Canterbury/article.do


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

Joeshwa24 said:


> Man I don't get it, why would anyone willingly associate themselves with a religion that has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I'm not saying that everything in Christian history has been without its major issues but that seams to be all there are in Islam, Its asinine.


They probably say similar things about us.


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## fivehourfrenzy (Aug 12, 2007)

Ethnocentricism at it's finest.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Went to prep school with a bunch of kids whose parents worked for ARAMCO. One guy had a pony tail before Christmas break and came back without it. According to him, he was outside the compound, the religious police stopped him, one pulled out a knife, and cut off his pony tail right in the street. Not sure if it's true, but I tend to believe it.


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## ScottyB (Dec 13, 2007)

fivehourfrenzy said:


> Ethnocentricism at it's finest.


Any religion that treats women as some sub-species below men is embarrassment to humanity.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

ScottyB said:


> Any religion that treats women as some sub-species below men is embarrassment to humanity.


The problem is far more widespread than you think, and it isn't just the religions.


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## Guest (Feb 8, 2008)

We're paying how much a bbl for their oil and financing this behavior. At least we aren't drilling in Anwar. Right.


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## fivehourfrenzy (Aug 12, 2007)

ScottyB said:


> Any religion that treats women as some sub-species below men is embarrassment to humanity.


I never said I don't look down on other cultures. But us thinking they're crazy, and them thinking we're crazy, is simply put, ethnocentricism.


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## ZMP_CTR (Jun 6, 2007)

I am looking for a video that I saw a few years ago. There was a pretty stocky army woman working in Saudi with her uniform top off. (she still had a t-shirt on you pervs!) The Saudi religious police came by with their little compliance sticks. One of them hit the woman. Big mistake! She proceeded to kick their butts! Has anyone seen the video?


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

I can't speak for Saudi Arabia, with its strict Wahabbi strain of the virus called Islam, but not all Muslims are like this. I've spoken well of some of the Muslim guys I've met here in Afghanistan, but I note that none of the guys I like ever seem to pray, don't take Friday off, and barely observe Ramadan.

I am sure this will be resolved quickly and the woman released, but I doubt our policies will change, unfortunately.

Of course, the Saudis are our "friends."


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## SigZagger (Aug 16, 2006)

Devildog341 said:


> Coming to a western European country near you.
> 
> http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23436203-details/Adoption+of+Islamic+Sharia+law+in+Britain+is+'unavoidable'%2C+says+Archbishop+of+Canterbury/article.do


Oh yes, I saw this on cable news. Apparently the UK is thinking/planning on giving into Islamic law due to the massive muslim population in that country. WIMPS! But, the report also mentioned Canada is considering the same. This s*** is beginning to get out of hand. Seems "that" religion doesn't have a need for threatening violence. Just wait awhile and the government of their choosing will fall to their knees and agree to Islamic law. If the next US president doesn't "stand tall" to America, it could get ugly. Doesn't Barrack Hussein Obama have a muslim background?


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

The demographics of Islam versus Western nations, along with Western immigration policies, have the ability to do vastly more damage to Western civilization, over the long run, than practically _any_ number of terrorist attacks.


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