As you know I am constantly reading the newspapers and watching the news to see which stories emerge. My blog features a lot of posts about love/sex/relationships so when I read about this case, I HAD TO blog about it. I was shocked to read that an eighteen year old Muslim guy, Adil Rashid, had been spared from a person sentence, after raping a thirteen year old, on the basis that he attended an Islamic faith school where he was taught that “women are worthless“. Actually, to say I was shocked is an understatement and I was fuming, similarly to the way you may be feeling down. Something else that angered me more was the fact that he claimed he was not aware that it was illegal for him to have sex with the girl because his education left him ignorant of British law.
I can’t say whether his claim is true or false but it’s a pretty stupid excuse. I’m not an expert of the Islamic faith, neither do I know what is taught in faith schools. However, I’m sure that most religions do not agree with pre-marital sex, let alone rape. A lot of people would say that rape is unacceptable regardless of what the excuse is. To be fair, I don’t think that type of behaviour CAN be excused or justified. I definitely don’t think that it can be blamed on religion. People should be responsibility for their own actions.
The judge handed Rashid a suspended sentence, saying: “Although chronologically 18, it is quite clear from the reports that you are very naive and immature when it comes to sexual matters.” I disagree. If you are having sex, then there’s no way you can naive and immature. He knew what he was doing before he took the young girl to a hotel room. This is not a ‘typical’ date for a young couple such as themselves. I actually believe he knew he was going to have sex with the girl. But more to the point, why is an eighteen year old male hanging around with a thirteen year old female. I know it’s only a five year age gap but still, it’s not the usual type of friendship. He admitted he had sex with girl after he has been “tempted by her” after they met on Facebook. They had only known each other two months before the incident took place.
More to the point, Rashid received a suspended sentence, I think he should have been trialled as an adult which according to British laws, he should have received a four to seven year prison sentence. The judge said sending Rashid to jail might cause him “more damage than good“.WHAT????? I don’t understand how this judicial system works. I definitely don’t understand why and how we have laws put in place if they are not being adhered to. I know I can’t do anything to change the laws but it seems like a waste of time to have them if they can be bent. This is a prime example of how the justice system isn’t fair.
The girl told the police that she and Rashid they stayed at the hotel for two hours and had sex after Rashid went to the bathroom and emerged wearing a condom. This just backs up my opinion that he knew he was going to have sex with her. To make the story even more shocking Rashid returned home and went straight to a mosque to pray. I find that pretty sick and vile. He was arrested a week later the girl confessed what had happened to a school friend, who informed one of her teachers. He admitted to the police he knew the girl was thirteen years old but said he was initially reluctant to have sex before relenting after being seduced. WHAT?????? I don’t care what his claim is. How do you NOT know that what you are doing is WRONG, IMMORAL and ILLEGAL. I’m baffled by his justifications. Apparently and according to Rashid, the Islamic faith school that he attends teaches the students that “women are no more worthy than a lollipop that has been dropped on the ground“. It makes me wonder how he treats his mother and other female relatives. It’s disgusting! Does Islam really teach you that men are superior than women?
Even though I don’t agree with the outcome of this case, the Judge bought up some very valid points. He said that Rashid “must have known it was illegal, unless he was going round with his eyes shut”. He also stated that Rashid “had an unusual education, certainly in terms of the sexual education provided. Comparing women to lollipops is a very curious way of teaching young men about sex.” Women. Lollipops. I don’t understand the connection myself. It’s a good job that I do not attend that school because I would have been really confused. The judge sentenced Rashid to nine months youth custody, suspended for two years, along with a two-year probation supervision order.
Yes, there are two sides to every story which brings me on to the girl’s involvement in this case. Firstly, I don’t understand why youngsters are using social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook etc, as a form of dating. I think they are being misused and this is a prime example of that. Don’t even get me started on whether children know the dangers of meeting strangers online. If they don’t, they should read my post about CatFish. Yes, the girl is young as classed as a minor as the British laws state that the age of consent is 16 years old. I think she knew what was going to happen when she agreed to meet him in a hotel room. So maybe she isn’t as innocent as she comes across. I do believe she is partly to be blamed BUT I’m not saying she deserved to be raped. No one ever deserves that. However, as I’ve previously stated, going to a hotel room is not a typical date for teenagers. However, whether she consented to having sex or not, Rashid was the adult in the case which is the reason why he is the one to be punished.
My Naughty Views 