In an act of depravity, Saudi Arabia has sentenced a gang-rape victim to six months in jail and 200 lashes.

This decision comes after substantial judicial review by Saudi judges. The judges decided the initial punishment for being in the presence of a male student, who she said she was trying to retrieve pictures from, was too lenient.

This occurs due to a lack of humanity by the Saudi judicial system.

The “Girl from Qatif,” as she has become known, did, after all, attempt to seek justice. In doing so, she brought undue attention to herself, her case and the Saudi justice system.

I do not suggest that such miscarriages of justice don’t occur closer to home or even within our borders, but I can’t help but notice that Saudi Arabia is an American ally in the Middle East.

It isn’t that the Saudi royal family hasn’t made giant leaps toward civility. Just recently, Prince Faisel made the earth-shaking declaration that he doesn’t have a problem with women learning to drive.

Considering the vast gender divide in Saudi Arabia, it’s not surprising this government justifies beating a rape victim for being in the presence of a man.

If judges appointed by the royal family can’t be trusted to apply logic or compassion, how can regular citizens living in the kingdom be expected to know the difference between right and wrong? They are being led by a misguided set of morals that specifically degrade women’s rights.

Americans stay silent in the face of continuous human rights abuses by our allies because of more than just oil. What does that say about Americans? There is no excuse for our response.

The Saudis are responsible, after all, for nearly nine million barrels of oil per day, according to AP/Reuters. That’s more than a tenth of the world’s supply. It makes good sense for America to maintain a cordial relationship with a nation in possession of such a vital resource.

Other factors apply. Militarily, it makes good sense to keep as many allies in the region as we can. But what do we give up in exchange for this status quo?

In addition to standing idly by as victims are further victimized, America is allowing its image to be tarnished, perhaps irrevocably, throughout the world. Nations that violently crush dissent, commit human rights abuses or arbitrarily impose military rule should not be considered our allies. To call them such is shameful and irresponsible, as well as dangerous.

Change cannot and will not happen overnight. The reality is that the mutual dependence created between America and despotic regimes in the Middle East doesn’t have to continue forever.

To achieve the admittedly lofty goal of self-reliance, sacrifices at the individual level must occur. A good start is refusing to support, in any and every way, governments that condone institutionalized abuse of their citizens.