Tel-Chai Nation

In Colorado this past week, Homaidan Al-Turki, a Saudi student who may have also worked as a translator, was convicted for keeping an Indonesian woman as a slave in his household and raping her. And during the trial, he even admitted what Muslim behavior is like (Hat tip: Debbie Schlussel):

CENTENNIAL - Sniffles and sobs resonated in a packed courtroom Thursday as a Saudi man convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper was sentenced Thursday to 20 years to life in prison.

Oh dear, it appears that we have a sob story in motion here as well. I'm guessing that if there was any weeping there, it was Al-Turki himself and his actual wife, who was betrayed by her adulterous husband but under Islam not only accepts it, she pretty much aided and abetted it too.

Homaidan Al-Turki, 37, was also ordered to serve eight additional years for theft charges.

He denied in Arapahoe County District Court that he enslaved the woman and said authorities targeted him because of his religion.

"Your honor, I am not here to apologize, for I cannot apologize for things I did not do and for crimes I did not commit," he told Judge Mark Hannen.

"The state has criminalized these basic Muslim behaviors. Attacking traditional Muslim behaviors was the focal point of the prosecution," he said.

Well well well. So he admits that his actions stem from the influence of Islam that he underwent. Very interesting.

Prosecutor Natalie Decker said the trial had nothing to do with Al-Turki's Muslim beliefs.

"It has to do with what he did to her for five years," she said outside the courtroom.

Al-Turki was convicted this summer of 12 felony counts of unlawful sexual contact with use of force, one felony count of criminal extortion and one felony count of theft. He also was found guilty of two misdemeanors: false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.

In all due fairness, it should be made clear that Al-Turki's religion that indoctrinated him into committing the crime against his housemaid has everything to do with his said crime, and no religion or ideology that encourages or teaches such abominable acts should be recognized as legitimate.

It should be noted that the Saudis, always ready and willing to back up their followers, gave him money for defense and are still trying to get him released even now:

The case has captured the attention of the Muslim community worldwide. The Saudi government gave Al-Turki the money he needed to post a $400,000 bond on the charges in Arapahoe County.

Prosecutors said Al-Turki brought the victim, who is now 24, from Saudi Arabia in 2000 to work as his family's nanny and housekeeper in their Aurora home. Al-Turki is married and has five children.

The victim testified in court that she worked seven days a week and was paid $150 a month. She said Al-Turki and his wife kept most of that money. Al-Turki also allegedly took the woman's passport and sexually abused her.

The Rocky Mountain News is withholding the nanny's name because she is a sexual assault victim. She now lives in Aurora.

"This is a clear-cut example of human trafficking," Decker said. "It's important he is put in prison."

Absolutely correct. And that's exactly why the state of Colorado should also make sure that the Saudis cannot intervene in efforts to do justice. For, as seen in this article from Arab News (via Dhimmi Watch), Saudi officials have been trying to get him released via diplomacy:

JEDDAH, 4 September 2006 - Saudi officials have held high-level talks with US authorities in order to win the release of Homaidan Al-Turki, the Saudi man who was sentenced Aug. 31 by a Colorado court to 27 years to life in prison, the Saudi Press Agency said in a report yesterday.

"Senior Saudi officials have intervened at the highest level to resolve the case of Al-Turki," the agency said, quoting its correspondent in Washington, Abdul Mohsen Al-Misfer. He did not disclose further details.

Everyone's a diplomat in the House of Saud, aren't they? Well, the males anyway. The officials should be told clearly that such interference is not acceptable.

Labels: House of Saud, islam, misogyny, sexual violence, United States