QATIF, 18 April 2006 — Nabel Al-Ramadan, owner of “Ranoosh” restaurant here, told Arab News in a phone interview that he has left the Kingdom in a bid to fight his sentence of 90 lashes for employing two women in his restaurant one and a half years ago. He left the Kingdom more than a week ago.

Al-Ramadan was accused of violating morality by employing women in his restaurant on Aug. 10, 2004. He was sentenced only last month after about a 19-month court battle after he was reported for his breach.

“I appeal against the judgment because it is an insult to me as a human being. In order to avoid this situation I preferred to travel before the application of the sentence,” said Al-Ramadan.

The two girls were wearing hijab while working, Al-Ramadan said, adding both himself and the girls respected Islam and Saudi traditions, and didn’t do anything that contradicted Shariah.

The girls worked for four hours only on a single day before authorities closed down the restaurant the same day.

But that still caused problems for Al-Ramadan, which started with him being jailed briefly before being released. The case was reopened recently.

Al-Ramadan was not allowed to take a lawyer with him when he was called to the Qatif court.

“I was informed that the court wanted me to attend the trial to investigate the employment of two girls and was told that the hearing was to be on March 25,” said the restaurant owner.

“I went to the court on March 22 just to receive the papers but the judge on hearing that I was there asked to see me. He didn’t give me a chance to hire a lawyer and sentenced me to 90 lashes — spread over 30 lashes a time. The judgment was announced after only a quarter of an hour.”

Al-Ramadan preferred to leave the country quickly because he feared that the swift decision against him could mean that it would be meted out quickly.

He did not ask for help from the National Society for Human Rights although he had thought about it. However, he felt leaving the country was a better option.

Al-Ramadan was initially jailed for a night for employing the two women and his restaurant was closed for three days, but at that time he was only accused of employing women who don’t have medical records.

The restaurant owner said he was unapologetic about hiring the young ladies. He said that he supports women’s right to work, and that there is nothing forbidden under Islam in this regard.

“I’m not the only man that thinks that women should be able to work,” he said. “Other people also think that this is the right situation. Some have even tried to do it just as I did.”

A similar incident happened in Qatif a couple of months ago when a woman who worked in an optical shop to help women customers was stopped from working as the news of her job spread.