Woman's Caning Sentence Upheld On Appeal In Malaysia

In Malaysia, apparently a controversial sentence of a Muslim woman for drinking alcohol is back on track. Last month Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno became the first woman to be sentenced under the country's Islamic law to caning for drinking alcohol. When she defiantly asked that her punishment be carried out in public, the sentence was delayed because of Ramadan and to allow for a government appeal after objections from activists. (See prior posting.) Now, according to AP, the chief Shariah judge of Pahang state has ruled that the lower court acted in accordance with law. It is now up to the Pahang Islamic Religious Department to carry out the largely symbolic caning.