Crime and Punishment

For our semester long topic we will be comparing the enforcement strategies for small crimes in the middle East and Africe.  Special attention will be paid to the countries of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Kenya.  The enforcements of these small crimes have been particularly harsh in these countries and it extends throughout their nations.  Religion plays a large role in society in the Muslim world and further comparison of these nations will indicate if that is a factor  We will continue to compare their treatment of men, women, and even examine the different policies within the countries for children (particularly in a school setting).  Through comparing various aspects of each of these nations governments and societal backgrounds we hope to find common indicators to why these nations are so harsh when it comes to common theivery.

Comparison #1

“We used to be the locomotive that pulls the train, and to a large extent we still are; Chinese factory owners will not be happy about a U.S. slowdown. But while we still influence the world economy, the new reality is that the world economy increasingly influences us.”      

     “A three-judge panel in northern Afghanistan has sentenced a student journalist to death for distributing a paper he printed off the Internet that allegedly blasphemed Islam”