Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
This goes way beyond cultural relativism
If you’ll excuse a serious post once in a while, THIS is reprehensible:
Dozens of men stoned Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow to death Oct. 27 in a stadium packed with 1,000 spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo, Amnesty International and Somali media reported, citing witnesses.
The Islamic militia in charge of Kismayo had accused her of adultery after she reported that three men had raped her, the rights group said.
Initial local media reports said Duhulow was 23, but her father told Amnesty International she was 13. Some of the Somali journalists who first reported the killing later told Amnesty International that they had reported she was 23 based upon her physical appearance.
She looked 23. Like that excuses anything? As best I can tell from the news media, this girl was raped by three men, then had the temerity to report the crime. In retribution, she was accused of adultery, then buried up to her neck and stoned to death.
In case you’re thinking this is Western media seizing and perhaps inflating a story that will fuel anti-Islamic sentiment, Al Jazeera also reported the story without any significant variation in detail.
Duhulow was stoned to death on October 27 by dozens of men in a stadium packed with 1,000 spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo, Amnesty International and Somali media reported, citing witnesses.
It takes a lot to shock me. This shocked me.
I can’t see how this is anything but a hideous injustice. And, yes, I know horrific crap like this (and worse) has been going on for a long time . . . but this one touched me for some reason.
Donate to Amnesty International. I don’t know what else to do, save appeal to our government — once we have a sane government.
D.
But… but… but… It was Muslims who did it – and Obama’s a MOOOOSLIM! Only McCain stands between us and being overrun by the dusky hordes of Sharia!
*sigh* I know the right-wing lunacy won’t stop if Obama wins, but man… I’m ready for this to be over.
Beyond comprehension by Americans. Thank God we can vote.
“…save appeal to our government — once we have a sane government.”
Our government has no juridiction over Somalia. The Italian, French and British governments once did, but that ended in a wave of euphoria. They would not have let this happen:
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”
No sane government is in sight. This administration promised to end profiling at airports, fulfilled that promise, and threw away 3000 lives. And no one in either party has called it to task!
Excuse the HTML error. The quote was from this fellow:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_James_Napier
I think it important to note that 1. yes, this is reprehensible. It is horrible. 2. it isn’t going to stop any time soon.
It’s a cultural attitude that has more to do with the society than the dominant religion. Christian societies were doing similar things only about 400 years ago. Would I rather be stoned to death or burned alive? Damned if I know.
One measure of our society is that we find such horrific cruelty incomprehensible. However, we have to remember that these things are rooted in thinking right out of the Middle Age, and it takes more, much more, than an invasion or some economic sanctions to change these societies.
I happen to think that increased trade with such countries is the best solution, because I don’t think that medieval attitudes stand up against modern ways of life.
Thanks, folks.
ps: me too.
Lucie: sadly not beyond comprehension, but not beyond the ability to shock, either.
Reg: wonderful quote. Bear in mind, I’m not advocating any military intervention, nothing so coercive. But the US once had enough influence to put pressure on other countries. With someone rational in the White House, this could be a force of good.
I do hope we’ll see some massive rollbacks of the civil rights restrictions imposed by the Bush administration (habeas corpus, anyone?)
Dean, you’re right. McDonalds to everyone! Which raises an interesting question: what single institution or business would go farthest in this regard? Cheap internet access, perhaps? Not long ago, I reviewed a story with that as its premise.