RIYADH, 9 April 2006 — “Not again!” said a Saudi upon hearing of a new Bluetooth video being distributed in the Kingdom. Unlike the notorious “Barjes” video clip in which the offender made his servant rape a Saudi girl, the offender this time has made sure the photographer zoomed in on the woman’s face.
The new sex clip — less than one minute long — shows a man holding both hands of a Saudi girl while he is raping her. He says to the woman, “You lied. You said you were going to visit your family on Friday!”
Many people in Saudi Arabia, especially the young, use the Bluetooth technology on their mobile phones to swap clips of pranks, practical jokes, photos and even explicit sexual pictures.
Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said that criminal investigation units in police departments handled such cases when they were aware of them. “The video clip shows the possibility of a crime being committed and this calls for investigation in order to establish the offender’s identity. After that he is brought in and interrogated. Then he would be transferred to court and charges – if necessary — would be filed.”
The idea of a woman being publicly defamed and having her honor destroyed has caused outrage as well as anguish and disgust. “The woman’s life is ruined. I do not know how she will survive when people recognize her. I feel sorry for her,” said a Saudi woman.
Another Saudi, a married man with children, said: “This is sickening. It is obvious that whoever did this wanted to ruin this woman’s life in the worst possible way. I hope he is caught and put behind bars.”
Saudi authorities have dealt harshly with such cases in the past, making sure that justice was served. In December, 2004 Riyadh Governor Prince Salman gave orders to police to capture the persons behind the filming of the notorious “Barjes” clip. The suspects are now on trial in a Shariah court.
