The headline sets the scene admirably: Rape victim, 13, stoned to death in Somalia.
Some earlier reports had put the victim, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, at 23; now it’s emerged she’s just in her teens.
Ophelia Benson in her Butterflies and Wheels blog post is characteristically – and justifiably – angry. “Bastards bastards bastards,” she begins, continuing, “It can tip you right over the edge sometimes, contemplating how unfathomably foul people can be.”
She cites an Amnesty International report on the issue, which describes how the girl was stoned by 50 men with a lorry load of stones brought for the occasion. This took place in a stadium, watched by 1,000 people. As some ran onto the killing ground to try to save the girl’s life, militiamen opened fire, killing a boy who was a bystander.
Amnesty says:
At one point during the stoning, Amnesty International has been told by numerous eyewitnesses that nurses were instructed to check whether Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was still alive when buried in the ground. They removed her from the ground, declared that she was, and she was replaced in the hole where she had been buried for the stoning to continue.
Many Muslims, we know, would not condone this sort of behaviour carried out in the name of their wrathful, vengeful deity. It remains to be seen how many Muslim groups, mosques and individuals in Britain and elsewhere stand up and denounce it. This report has had a fair airing, so they’ll be unable to say they were not aware of how their “brothers” have behaved.
Let's leave the last word to Benson:
What kind of monster do they think they worship, that wants children smashed to death with rocks for being raped? What kind of hideous loathsome savage bloodthirsty tyrannical cruel monster do they imagine wants them to act like that? What kind of nightmare world do they live in? How do they look on their work and approve it?
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome lively and challenging comments. However, please try to stay on topic, be polite and do not use abusive, racist or sexist language, and do not incite your readers to violence or other antisocial behaviour, or your comment will be deleted. This isn't censorship: it's a case of staying within the bounds of decency and having an eye to the law, although we realise the law will be different in different countries.
We do not bar anonymous comments at the moment, but we would prefer that those commenting play fair and use their name or at least a regular nom de plume. It does show a confidence in your convictions. We know, too, that it's easy to use a false name and be effectively anonymous, but, again, we appeal to your sense of good practice. Even a wacky nom de plume is better, since at least readers will come to know that contributor and maybe remember her or his previous comments.
Blatant commercial advertising will be removed.
Comments should not be construed as necessarily the policy or opinion of the Pink Triangle Trust.
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.