Letter to the Editor
The Muslim religion claims to be a peaceful religion and it strives for acceptance in the world community. However today the Muslim dominated government in Iran will execute a 19 year old girl for sex crimes as a result of her being forced into prostitution by her mother. They are going to execute this girl by stoning her to death.
Stoning children to death is an act of a society of barbarians. There is not redeeming virtues at all to a society that stones children to death. This act tarnishes the relationship of all Muslims in the world who stand silent and allow this sort of thing to occur. Muslims can talk about what they supposedly believe but what you believe is what you do and when you kill children by stoning then that's in part what being a Muslim is all about. And it's sick!
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It's interesting to note that Muslims are already trying justify this in term of "Christians do it too" or that it discourages other parents from prostituting their children. If Christians did it too they would be just as bad. And - the idea of killing children to teach their parents a lesson is also totally sick. First - wouldn't it be more of a lesson to stone the parents who forced the girl into prostitution in the first place?
Societies who stone people to death are primitive barbaric cultures and their barbarism comes from their religion. That is what is referenced as to why they are stoning people. Stoning is WRONG - period. There is no reason that justifies it - never never never - under any conditions.
Here's the Link to the Story
Posted by marc at December 20, 2004 10:11 PM | TrackBackMarc,
Women sell themselves to survive. In the West, prostitution usually supports a drug habit. In Iran, it's just as likely that this girl's earnings went to feed her mother, her younger brothers and sisters, and herself. With no husband around, no income is available to the mother. If she has no sons or brothers, she soon has to send her daughter to the brothel or everyone starves.
The authorities in Iran -- theocrats in charge -- consider stoning their best method of discouraging other parents from repeating this mother's actions in future. They would clamp a lid on such things to scare others off this solution. They do not address the indecent hunger, illiteracy and illness that drives fatherless families beyond all social mores into whoring their children for food.
Yes, there is faith-based charity available to the indigent in Iran. And it is as utterly insufficient there as it will be here in America after Social Security is safely in the hands of Wall Street bankers.
When there is no safety net in America, we will see the likes of Falwell and Robertson and Dobson spending government funds on those who are bibilically correct, in their eyes. All these holy rollers have spoken in favor of stoning, in line with the same Old Testament that Iran's Mullahs are drawing from.
Religious charity is mighty thin soup, all over the world. It is slower than stoning, but it is death just the same.
Antifa
Posted by: Antifa at December 21, 2004 01:32 AMThe problem is not Islam, it is the literalists who follow every word in the Qur'an. Much like if a Christian dominated government (like the U.S) were to base their laws on the Bible, this would be a very cruel country. The Bible advocates stoning for a number of things. Should people actually do that? No. Neither should Muslims. Or Jews. Or anyone. See my point?
Posted by: Stancel Spencer at December 21, 2004 06:56 AMBut the problem IS Islam. If they are following every word of the Qur'an then that means it's in the Qur'an. And of it's in the Qur'an then the problem is with Islam. The fact that it's part of they culture and their society stains Islam. This isn't a rogue act. This was upheald by the Iranian Supreme Court.
Posted by: pekel at December 21, 2004 07:46 AMI don't know, I think the problem is Fundamentalism...I think that man has a great ability to corrupt and change what at one point might be a simple, loving, and easy way one can believe and live their lives...into a horribly convoluted, rule ridden society, where all the cards are stacked against,(women), one portion of that society, and stacked in the favour,(men), of another portion of society. All religions seem to have a form of fundamentalism, you know 'were going and your not' kinda thing...dont think these things thru too hard, live the doctrine, or you wont find salvation, god hates the same people you do, interpreting text that has been manipulated by man for political power and then taking that text literally....i dont know, I think religion is and should remain a personal quest, when people get together alot of the time the message is corrupted and gets lost as followers are mamed, humiliated, robbed, cheated of money etc...just a thought
Posted by: minervajones at December 22, 2004 07:25 PMNo. The problem is Islam. Period. Repeat until this is understood or suffer the consequences.
Posted by: Numlock at January 2, 2005 12:55 PM