…can get you into a lot of trouble if you are one of Malaysia’s 16.2 million Muslims adherent to Shariah Law. In 2007 Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno had a beer at a hotel bar. The usual punishment is a fine or short prison time, but last week Kartika was sentenced to caning. Fortunately an Islamic court suspended the caning indefinitely because they worried that Malaysia would be given a “cruel” image. This is one of many examples of how women across the world are subjected to harsh punishments for actions we take for granted everyday.
