Thursday, January 8, 2009

Punishing Victims:

This is what I was talking about.

This 13-year old Somali girl was stoned to death because she attempted to report her rape by 3 men. Because their strict religious worldview has no place for victims -- a just world under Allah (or the Judeo-Christian god) does not allow for people being genuinely victimized. If any such event does happen, God/Allah will sort it out on Judgement day.

And yes, this sort of thing does happen in predominantly Christian countries. Here in the US we have better law enforcement, and so men do not stone women on the street. Still, the attitude is essentially the same:
A Broward jury, saying a 22-year-old woman got what she deserved, acquitted Georgia drifter Steven Lord on Wednesday of kidnapping and raping the woman at knife-point. The woman, who lives in Coconut Creek, had been reluctant to testify and was jailed for six days in June because of that. "We all feel she asked for it for the way she was dressed," said jury foreman Roy Diamond of Fort Lauderdale. The others -- three women and a man -- nodded in agreement
This from the Miami Herald.

Obviously there is a certain level of misogyny involved as well, but this too is part of the Abrahamic tradition - one in which women are not permitted to speak in church.


If you have feelings on this issue - if you think I'm horribly wrong - tell me! I'd be happy to read your responses.

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