Sudanese Protesters Support Lubna Hussein

Last month, my colleague Thomas discussed the story of women arrested in Khartoum for wearing trousers. Today, I want to draw attention to the protesters who have gathered in support of Lubna Hussein, who was among the women arrested and who resigned from her UN position in order to give up diplomatic immunity so that her case could go to trial in an attempt to win the right to wear pants for the women of her country (though UN officials have said she should still have immunity due to her employment at the time of her arrest).Reuters reports:

Dozens of men and ululating women gathered outside a Khartoum court room where Hussein appeared on Tuesday, carrying banners with the message “No return to the dark ages” and “Lubna’s case is a case for all Sudanese women.”

The CBC puts their numbers at around fifty, while ABC reports that riot police beat the protesters as well as using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

These protesters have added their courage to Ms. Hussein’s, putting their bodies on the line to make a point about the simple right of women to dress as they please.

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• Sudanese woman ‘faces 40 lashes’ (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Trial adjourned for Sudanese woman who faces flogging for wearing trousers (telegraph.co.uk)
• Sudan ‘trousers trial’ to resume (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Journalist on trial in Sudan for wearing trousers (ctv.ca)
• Sudanese woman in court for wearing trousers (guardian.co.uk)
• Forty Lashes For Wearing ‘Indecent’ Trousers (news.sky.com)
• Who wears the trousers in Sudan? (guardian.co.uk)
• Sudan Women Punished for Wearing Pants (takepart.com)
• World Briefing | Europe: Sudan: Women Who Wore Pants Are Flogged in Public (nytimes.com)

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