Muslim Model to Be Caned for Drinking Beer

When a Malaysian night club was busted and 32-year-old Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was caught with a beer, she knew she was in trouble. Not because alcohol is illegal in the country -- it's not -- but because Kartika is a Muslim.

Under Sharia law -- which regulates the day-to-day life of Muslims, including politics, business, sexuality and hygiene -- consuming alcohol is a major offense. Though non-Muslim in Malaysia would be prosecuted under civil law, Kartika had to face Islamic courts.

"I accept the punishment," she said, according to a Daily Telegraph report. "I am not afraid because I was ready to be punished from day one. [The authorities] hope to use my case as a way to educate Muslims. So go ahead. I want to move on with my life."

While she did break a law, the punishment is far different from those most alcohol offenders receive: fines. In this case, prosecutor Saiful Idham Sahimi decided to make an example of the part-time model. Kartika will be -- according to Saiful -- the first woman to be caned under Islamic law, and could spend up to a week in a women's prison where the caning will take place.

So why the extreme punishment? According to Saiful this is an attempt to "educate" rather than punish, and the rattan cane used on Kartika will be lighter than the one used on men.

[link to www.slashfood.com]