We read about 'child brides' then, for the majority of us in western countries, the thought is too hard to handle, so we try to ignore it.
Our troops have been in Afghanistan for nearly a decade in the belief, from government, that they are protecting our streets.
In Afghanistan, as in some other countries, young girls are forced into marriages with men much older than themselves.
In this video (which I'm grateful I can't embed on the blog), one young girl of 13, tried to escape a forced marriage yet was arrested by police, who knew she would be severely punished, and returned to her isolated village where men imposed the punishment of 40 lashes on each. There was another girl who underwent the same punishment. The video shows the brutality and power of men within that culture and the attempt at dignity of a young girl who would still be at school here.
Our troops can do nothing to stop this abuse. We have no influence over the corrupt Afghani government. Flogging is illegal and fortunately, in this instance, someone was able to copy the video the abusers made and send it to the New York Times.
What can our troops do when they know of such torture to young females? Nothing sadly. The Afghan government is corrupt and totally male dominated. This abuse of females will continue until women have the strength to speak out. There are few women in power in Afghanistan and like most, they speak out initially then keep quiet as they begin to enjoy the trappings of power. It is a cruel society.
Is it the responsibility of our armed forces to stop these atrocities? I think not. It's up to our politicians to say money stops right now unless the law breakers are given a lengthly jail sentence. It won't happen. Jails in Afghanistan are as corrupt as the government.
Thank you to Radio Free Britain who explains the event leading up to this hellish result.
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I watched the video. It is no more savage than I expected it to be, though savage it is.
What a very brave and strong girl! I'm not sure I could have taken such a beating without even a squeak!
This filthy cult should be stamped out, not pandered to.
The Israeli Defense Force has recently shown us the best course of action with these animals. It needs to be repeated, numerous times.
The only people to stamp this out is the Afghanis English Viking. There's no point in our troops spending time and money building parks with ferris wheels for women when, within days, it was taken over by men.
We continue to support a corrupt and brutal regime there. We must stop.
I am sorry, Subrosa, but there seems to me to be something very fishy about that beating. Notice how the beater is aiming in a downwards direction. Notice how the blows are directed at the lower legs (see how the clothing billows). Notice how the girl is swaddled in clothing. Notice how she walks away afterwards without appearing to have suffered in any way at all. Notice how static the camera is (clearly visible to all).
One wonders who might wish to gain some advantage from faking his event and filming it. Maybe it is a very clever way of doing exactly what the perpetrators want - that is, to disgust we Westerners and persuade us to demand the withdrawal of our troops.
Our troops are there in order to destroy Alqaida and the Taliban, and, hopefully, help the Afgans form a stable government. It is not for us to interfere in their customs.
"Is it the responsibility of our armed forces to stop these atrocities?"
No. The responsibility of our armed forces is to protect our country's borders, not act as the world's policeman.
Our troops are there in order to destroy Alqaida and the Taliban, and, hopefully, help the Afgans form a stable government. It is not for us to interfere in their customs."
The Taliban IS 'their culture'; it grew out of their culture and only they can decide that it no longer suits their culture.
And we do not raise and maintain an army to fight other people's wars for them.
We rightly condemn cultures that have practices and political systems that we consider abhorrent. However we must be careful how far we go in this condemnation as firstly is our own culture and political system a paradigm of virtue I say it is not. Secondly is not our own history littered with practices as bad as and sometimes worse than those we condemn in others today and did we not have to slowly advance to a more civilised way of doing things.
So I say we should show more forbearance, understanding and patience and do less castigating and instead concentrate more on assisting in as gentle and friendly way as possible. To do this assist people to assist themselves in improving their standard of living and give them the means to improve literacy from which their culture will slowly improve of it's own accord.
It did look rather strange to me too junican, but I'm sure the NY Times has checked out its source.
Exactly Julia.
I would agree Antisthenes but do you think it's the job of our troops to do this?
Afghanistan has had international help for years to no avail. Any financial help goes straight to the corrupt.
It's said our troops are building schools for females. As soon as troops withdraw from these areas the schools will become something else.
The Afghanis will change at their own pace and own wish. It's a totally male society and men won't give up any power to women easily. We still have areas of our society which aren't quite equal.
Subrosa, I would say that we should leave them to advance at their own pace. It will take at least decades maybe centuries the former is more likely as unlike us when we came out of the dark ages they are exposed to more advances cultures (Although we did have the Arabs to thank for passing their knowledge on to us) in the world around them. There is a case that we should never get involved in this way at all, it smacks of colonialism. Unfortunately if we are prepared to live and let live there are many others who are not and will enter any vacuum we create to our disadvantage. Our soldiers are there to create the conditions that I alluded to previously and to keep others out if they are there long enough they will succeed but it will be at a high price one that is not worth taking.
There is one particular problem however with leaving Afghanistan and that is the instability of Pakistan. No allied soldiers in Afghanistan then the probability that Pakistan a nuclear state will fall to the likes of the Taliban.
Antisthenes, the Taliban already control parts of Pakistan, particularly the SWAT region which, in what I considered was a moment of madness by the Pakistani government, they handed to the Taliban.
Having allied soldiers in that area is useless. The Taliban have government authority to behave as they wish.
We should leave middle eastern countries to grown and modernise at their own rate. Let them influence each other. There's nothing like your neighbour having something you don't have/do to motivate change.
Doing it will force is counter productive.
Subrosa, A bit behind the times I think the SWAT is mostly back under government control now the problem area is Wurziristan (incorrectly spelt I know). I know I should not correct a Lady and I hope you will forgive my rudeness. If you are ever in France let me know and I will treat you to a restaurant meal in way of apology. Apart from which your company would be I am sure extremely pleasant for me and we could spend time discussing the ills of the world and how they may be cured.
This misogynistic cruelty and barbaric feature of this culture shames us all. Our troops do not belong there and never have. Such young victims are deserving of our asylum but we allow violent scum here to pollute our shores, (circumsision?,), rather than these innocents. My solution would be to send our politicians to these villages for a year at a time.
Antisthenes, never ever apologise for correcting me. I appreciate anyone letting me know I've erred in any way.
It's just over a year ago Pakistan permitted the introduction of sharia law in the SWAT area. http://subrosa-blonde.blogspot.com/2009/02/pakistan-concedes-to-sharia-law-in.html
They knew the Taliban would 'cash i' on this and that's proven to be the case.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8651519.stm
True, it's not only the Taliban who are extreme Islamists but is it only the Taliban who is fighting for power in Pakistan?
OR, Last of the Few has posted about this on his blog. Do have a read.
Hi SR
I have the impression that their attitude to women is conditioned by their culture which is conditioned by their religion, which is what they tell us regularly. All same Pakistan.
We see the problem and the cause, they dont believe there is a problem.
So that is the first thing to solve, until they are CONVINCED there is a problem to be SOLVED, AND they WANT to solve it, we should get out and leave them to it.
They have a thousand years of what we call civilisation to catch up on, may be that the beliefs they hold will never allow then to do this.
Subrosa,
I meant in this country, before it gets a real grip. They can do what they like in their own countries, and our troops should not be there to act in any capacity.
That's it Apogee. Their culture is built upon their interpretation of their religion.
We cannot change anything until those in power accept their religion will permit it. I don't see that happening.
Ah English Viking, thanks for clarifying your point.
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