Marte Dalelv is a Norwegian woman who reported being raped in Dubai last March. Unfortunately, she lacked the four Muslim male witnesses required by Islamic law who could report that they saw the requisite joining of body parts without the victim’s consent. As a result she was sentenced to sixteen months in prison for having sex outside of marriage.
Happily for Ms. Dalelv, the worldwide furor that arose over her case has shamed the government of Dubai into pardoning her, and she is now free to return to Norway (where more sharia awaits her, alas, but that’s another story).
Notice that the Gulf News headline refers to the incident as the “Dubai sex case”, eliding any mention that an accusation of rape was involved. Then, in the article itself, the descriptions using the word “rape” say that she was “imprisoned for falsely reporting a rape”.
Also notice that after the first sentence, the article refers to the victim by her Christian name rather than her surname. Does that signify a deliberate lack of respect for her? Or are the Gulf journalists simply confused about which name is considered the formal one by Norwegians?
Norwegian woman in Dubai sex case is pardoned
Norwegian Marte Deborah Dalelv had been imprisoned for falsely reporting a rape, drinking and having consensual sex
Dubai: A Norwegian woman at the centre of a sex case in Dubai has been pardoned, her lawyer confirmed to Gulf News.
The lawyer of 24-year-old Marte Deborah Dalelv told Gulf News that he and his client went to the Dubai Public Prosecution office today, where they were informed that the Dubai government had granted her a pardon.
Mahmoud Azad Abu Gareda said Marte’s 33-year-old Sudanese boss, H.A., who was jailed for 13 months for consuming liquor and having consensual sex, had also been pardoned.
Following the pardon, Abu Gareda said Dalelv has dropped an earlier appeal against the primary verdict.
The lawyer said they are approaching immigration officials to get the violations against Marte cancelled and arrange for her departure from the country, considering that she has received her passport back.
A confirmation from Essam Al Humaidan, Dubai Attorney General, could not be obtained.
Earlier, the Dubai Misdemeanour Court handed Marte a three-month imprisonment for falsely reporting to police that she was raped, a month’s imprisonment for drinking and 12 months for having consensual sex.
When she appeared in the courtroom, she admitted to drinking alcohol but denied having consensual sex and falsely reporting to police that she was raped on March 6.
Rarely nowadays is the first name referred to as the Christian name. It is another example of the deliberate stamping out of all traces of Christianity from our culture. I also do not know how persistent the custom is of christening a baby in church, but I suspect it is declining. So it was good to see your reference to the woman’s Christian name and not as her first name, as is always done today.
I also noted that the name of the rapist was given only as first initials. I guess his identity is the one being protected and not the woman’s, who was the actual victim of the crime.
William —
Standard American usage has always been “first name”, as far as I know. “Christian name” was standard when I lived in England in the 1960s, which is where I learned to say it.
I make a particular point of using it in Multicultural contexts. In fact, I like to refer to “Anjem” as “Choudary’s Christian name”. Just a little poke in the eye. 🙂
A Christian name is given at baptism. I refer generally to ‘given’ name, unless I’m sure it’s actually Christian.
Well, obviously you’re not as prone to ironic satire as I am, then! 😀
Dear Baron,
I have a problem – a problem that has tormented me throughout the years – and still does. My full name is Lars Gösta Mårten Gantelius (Damned my dear parents!). I’ve always been called Mårten (Or Marten outside Sweden – the Swedish pronunciation “Le mort” is an association I try to avoid.).
What is my name?
Mårten —
I assume you mean, how would I designate your names.
Traditionally, under the British system, there are no middle names — that’s more of an American custom. They would designate “Lars” as your Christian name, and “Gantelius” as your surname. The others they would prefer to ignore.
When I was in high school in England, they ignored my middle name. It didn’t appear in their records.
In America, “Lars” would be your first name, and “Gantelius” would be your last name. The others would be your middle names, and if you wanted to specify one of them, it could be the first/second middle name.
You might tell people, “My first name is Lars, but I go by my middle name, Mårten.”
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A pardon still implies that she was to blame. This is nothing but a desperate PR manoeuvre.
Not good enough. Good that she gets to go “home” but this is the masters throwing a bone at the slaves.
Disgraceful.
Another reason for women NOT to go to Dubai.
Note that her rapist was charged with having consensual sex and was thus ‘pardoned’ too – which IS the entire point of Sharia Law – that men should NEVER be convicted of being rapists – even when men rape infants, boys, girls, men, women – or even goats!
Muslim men see the sentient world as one big hole to be filled with the manhood of Islam. Ahem.
But, Muslims will tell you with a straight face that there is NO rape in Muslim lands….
I don’t understand why the world just doesn’t boycott the whole mess that is the Middle East. Just don’t go there.
Yep pardoned implies her guilt remains and it was just that her sentence which was curtailed. Will she get her job back? Doubtful. Still for her sake its better she’s out of there. Yet the Australian airline Qantas has made Dubai its main hub in conjunction with Emirates (whose female flight attendants wear symbolic face veils). With all the gay flight attendants Qantas employs both male and female staff Qantas should be asking for danger money flying into there.