Malaysian Lesbians Arrested Under Sharia

Religious police have arrested a lesbian couple in a hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. They are believed to be the first lesbians to be arrested by police who enforce Islam in the thriving Muslim nation, although a number of gay men have been detained over the years. Former deputy prime minister and current opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested twice on sodomy charges, which he maintains were trumped up. The two women, both students, were said to be found with a sex toy in their hotel room by officers from the Johor Islamic Religious Department during a raid. One woman reportedly answered the door while the other remained in the bathroom, nude. The women face three months in jail, six cane strokes, and a fine.