CAIRO: In Saudi Arabia, it is best not to party. 7 men and four women discovered this the hard way after they were handed up to 700 lashes and jail terms ranging to 10 months for attending what authorities called an “immoral” party, a local Saudi newspaper reported on Wednesday. The partygoers, aged between 18 and 37, received their sentences amid little protest from within the country. The 11 people include two Iraqis and 9 Saudis, according to Al Watan newspaper. They were arrested in the northern district of Al Ha'il in late June for “drinking” alcohol and attending a mixed-gender gathering, which is forbidden in the conservative nation. The newspaper reported that police said they had kept the group under surveillance for days before making the arrest after the party “fanatics” left their “debauched” late-night party. According to the police report, the group had been drinking arak, a strong alcohol made from dates. It is a popular drink in Lebanon and was hidden in soft-drink bottles in one of the vehicles. Saudi law forbids the drinking of alcohol and has doled out the usual punishment for the drinkers: a public lashing. Even worse was the gathering of both men and women, which is strongly shunned and forbidden by law unless the couple is married. BM
