Pakistani girl being beaten by the Taliban
One night in early July, Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein was having dinner with several of her friends, when between 30-40 police officers rushed into the restaurant and placed all of the women under arrest for wearing pants, which the police claim is forbidden by Muslim law. Many of the women opted to be punished at the time of their arrest, and received 10 lashes, along with a $100 fine. However, Hussein decided to go to court, which risks the stiffer penalty of 40 lashes if she is convicted. Hussein wanted to go to trial in order to bring world attention to the brutal treatment to which women are often subjected inside Muslim countries. She printed up 500 invitations for the trial which began Wednesday. Hussein told the BBC: "I want to change this law, because hitting is not human.” This past April, the Taliban in Pakistan released a video of a teenaged girl being beaten repeatedly, in punishment for hosting a man in her home. The video appeared on Pakistani television as a warning to others. The disturbing footage shows the young girl being held down by two men, as a third man whipped her on her back over 30 times, while one of the men rubbed her face into the dirt. Her painful screams cry out: “Stop. It's killing me." "For God's sake, stop," "I swear on my father and grandmother I won't do it again." Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told the Guardian: "She came out of her house with another guy who was not her husband, so we must punish her. There are boundaries you cannot cross.” He also said that her offense is actually punishable by death, and that the whipping was in fact a “lenient” penalty. Brutal treatment of women and young girls is rampant throughout the Muslim world. The abuse and even murder is usually condoned by Muslim governments. Muslim women are regularly subjected to beatings at the hands of their husbands, for a host of reasons. They may suffer a savage attack for having an affair or for simply disobeying their Muslim husband's daily orders. It is also perfectly socially acceptable within the Islamic world, for a father to beat his daughter. The young girl may have spoken with a boy of whom the father does not approve, or merely forgotten to cover her face in public. While the physical abuse of one's spouse or child is taken very seriously by American police officers and courts, the practice is ignored by even the so-called 'moderate' Muslim states. The term 'domestic abuse' simply does not exist within the Muslim world. In 2007, during a Saudi television show, Muslim author and religious leader Muhammad Al-Arifi advised young Muslim men on how to deal with their new wives. Apparently in the shadow of Mecca, it is perfectly acceptable to beat your wife as long as you do not hit her in the face, so as not to "make her face ugly." Al-Arifi said: "Beating in the face is forbidden, even when it comes to animals. Even if you want your camelor donkey to start walking, you are not allowed to beat it in the face. If this is true for animals, it is all the more true when it comes to humans. So beatings should be light and not in the face." Al-Arifi went on to admonish the young would-be grooms: "If he beats her, the beatings must be light and must not make her face ugly. He must beat her where it will not leave marks. He should not beat her on the hand...He should beat her in some places where it will not cause any damage. He should not beat her like he would beat an animal or a child--slapping them left and right." While this Muslim cleric's words may be shocking to those of us who live in the civilized world, his advice is not new to the Muslim world. In 2004 on Qatar television, a Muslim cleric declared the Quran to be an instructional book on how Muslim men should discipline their wives. "He said: We must know that [wife] beating is a punishment in Islamic religious law. No one should deny this because this was permitted by the Creator of Man, and because when you purchase an electric appliance or a car you get instructions--a catalogue, explaining how to use it. The Creator of Man has sent down this book [the Quran] in order to show which ways he must choose." He went on to explain that there are three types of women who must be beaten. "[The Quran says:] 'and beat them.' This verse is of a wondrous nature. There are three types of women with whom a man cannot live unless he carries a rod on his shoulder. The first type is a girl who was brought up this way. Her parents ask her to go to school and she doesn't--they beat her. 'Eat'--'I don't want to'--they beat her. So she became accustomed to beatings; she was brought up that way. We pray Allah will help her husband later. He will only get along with her if he practices wife beating." "The second type is a woman who is condescending toward her husband and ignores him. With her, too, only a rod will help. The third type is a twisted woman who will not obey her husband unless he oppresses her, beats her, uses force against her, and overpowers her with his voice." Despite the fact the rest of the world is living in the 21st century, most of the Muslim world continues to live as though it is the 7th century.
Comments
I wonder how many Christians read this is say; "Those people are evil..George W Bush was right",
while forgetting, their own Bible has been used and can be quoted as saying the same things about how to "treat" woman.
Not to mention all the incest, rape, genocide, etc.
Corey, you're a liar.
Show from the Bible commands to beat wives, rape them at will, give them half the inheritance of a son, count their testimony as half a man's, allow polygamy, rape married "infidel" women you possess as slaves, begin raping prepubescent little girls as "wives" as young as nine, and convict rape victims of adultery because when they reported the attack they did not have the necessary four witnesses.
The closest you'll get is some punishments under the Mosaic Law for the people of Ancient Israel only and rules for war (engaged in almost solely defensively).
If you look to Christ's teachings, you'll see mutual submission between husbands and wives, gender blindness under Christ ("neither male nor female"), protecting and caring for wives as one's own body, and "treating others the way you want to be treated."
Your false moral equivalence only aids Islamic brutality against women (and little girls).
Not to mention the global jihad.
The author has too many errors in his article. This is pretty standard in America when it comes to writing about Islam and Muslims. This ignorance is no longer acceptable. If you want to write about Muslims, then go and learn some things before writing. This ignorance is appalling. Who can take such a newspaper seriously.
HOW SAD AND UNNECESSARY.
I'VE BEEN SO BLESSED TO BE A CHRISTIAN MOST OF MY LIFE.
HOW SAD THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS GIVE CHRISTIANS A BAD NAME. HOW SAD THAT SO MANY FALSE IDEAS ARE CIRCULATED ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE HOLY BIBLE, GOD'S WORD.
BTW, THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD.
hi, i m Paki girl and i m born muslim.. i lived all my life in Pakistan as muslim and i wear pants!! it is very common in pak, pak is very liberal country this article is just propaganda article against muslims!! this video was fake!! And in ISLAM pants are not forbidden nor skirts but their is criteria that our clothes should full fill , which is that our bodies should b covered.. THIS IS FAKE ARTICLE WHICH NARATES FAKE STORY ITZ PROPAGANDA AGAINST ISLAM<< ISLAM IS VERY LIBERAL!! if no one beleive this , go to right books( not propaganda ones) and learn the reality of Islam!! I m proud muslim women n enjoy my all rights!!!
Re: the clerics' alleged (and possibly mistranslated) statements, for goodness sake, people say stupid things everywhere. I'm sure I can come up with a list of Americans -- some leaders in their own respective communities -- who espouse a stupid viewpoint on any given topic.
Some Muslims undoubtedly abuse their spouses. Some Christians also abuse their spouses. Several million Americans are abused each year. Domestic abuse is no more Islamic than it is American or Christian. It is not condoned by Islam, and the vast majority of Muslims would tell you this.
I am a Muslim woman of Arab descent, who visits the Middle East regularly, and in my experience, it is NOT common or "socially acceptable" to beat wives or daughters. Clearly, there are terrible cases to be found, but these are not representative of Muslims or Islam as a whole.
Here's what prophet Muhammad actually told men on how to treat their wife: "The best of you is the best to his family."
Also, Amillennialist, every thing you listed is either incomplete or flat wrong. There is not space to get into it all here, but I'll give just one or two examples: In Islam, women do receive half the inheritance of a man, but the man is required to use his money to support his family, whereas the woman CANNOT be required to use her money for household expenses. Her money is entirely hers, while a man's belongs effectively to the entire family.
Re: convicting rape victims because they don't have four witnesses, that is completely false -- the ACCUSER of adultery must have four witnesses, and even if he does have those witnesses, if the woman denies it, her testimony overrides all the others'.
I don't like to counter-attack, but how about Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (command to stone non-virgins), Judges 19:22-29 (man sends concubine to be raped, then cuts her to pieces), Genesis 19:4-8 (Lot offers daughters for rape), Ephesians 5:22-24 (commands submission to husband), etc? Be fair.
Any way what this policemen did was so horrible thing as this amazing religion gave us the complete freedom to do what we want sure when it is right and when some do something the the instructions of this religion don't permit the punishment is not like that sure these people were sure did that in astupid manner and sur they r so poor minded people Allah forgive them ..... what they did let every one to say wrong things about this amazing religion I am agirl and I need no other religion as I FOUND that it is the only true one and it lets my mind free and do every right thing in this short life .......
Look, no matter what it is obvious in the muslim countries that beating woman is acceptable. It would not be done in public in the first place if it was not condoned by the government and the religion. That tells everyone the country is backwards and the people are animals. At least the men are. I feel the woman should bann together and try to force changes. The men are ignorant - they are animals. The women are the civilized ones.
Anyone who would want to be controlled through religion or government is weak. There is only one God, and it doesn't matter what you call "your God" but to use religion as an excuse to torture and control people is not Holy or Wise, it is an excuse to do the Devils's work. Yes, it is plain cruelty and mental illness. Violence is evil and cowardly - use education you muslim islam creepy people....
That is great news! Women who wear pants deserve to be punished! There should be laws against women wearing pants in every country on earth! Everyone knows that pants are a man's attire, while skirts and dresses are a woman's attire. Women should only wear skirts and dresses, period!
[I already posted this a few hours ago; for some reason, it was deleted. You cannot just pick and choose what comments you allow and what ones you do not! I have as much right to express my opinion as anyone else does! I want you to leave it this time; I have a right to my opinion just as much as everyone else!]
What type of tragedy is this! When a man is found with any other women then there is no harsh punishment and same with vice-versa these people treat women like animals.What type of law is this.They say that it was told god.Did god told you beat up women.Don't these know how to behave with women.A man can have sex with any one he want but when it comes to women they beaten up so harshly they might be dead. But in this case this girl just wearied pants and she was beaten. What type of Justice is this.
Can't the women have there freedom to wear what they want(ofcourse they should cover there body decently).Hence these people need to get educated and give equal rights to womens
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!