Kabul, 9 March (AKI) - Afghanistan's Supreme Court has upheld a 20-year jail term for blasphemy handed to Afghan journalist Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh, who claimed men and women were equal. Kambakhsh's brother said the family had just learned of the closed-door ruling delivered a month ago in the absence of Yaqub Kambakhsh, his lawyer or family members, the Information Safety and Freedom media watchdog reported on Monday.
56 comments
"the closed-door ruling delivered a month ago in the absence of Yaqub Kambakhsh, his lawyer or family members,"
Islamic justice in action.
If they spoke English in the Middle East and Afghanistan, posts here about Christians nutjobs would constitute about 5% of the quotes here. As much as it is important to stand up to religious bigotry in the West, the fact is that the kind of stuff that is happening to Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh is our business too now. It is not just something that is happening "far away" - this is going on on our planet, and it has to be stopped.
What is with all the Islamic "fundies" being approved lately. Is one of the approvers / submitters an ardent Islamophobe or something?
The reality is that our christian religious extremists are a pale shadow of the ones that exist in the muslim world. We've gone easy on the muslim fundies because they are not in our face. But if christian fundies hassle people here and attempt to legislate their freedoms away, muslim fundies draw and quarter their extended families over there.
I just wish there was something I could do. This almost gives me an appreciation for America's Christian fundie fruitcakes, except I know some of them would consider this a good thing if it were done for Jesus. I agree with Higgs Boson--this is our business, too.
Christian fundies in America would do this too if they could get away with it. For the fact that they can't, thanks be to the Enlightenment and constitutional government, not to any supposed innate superiority of Christianity over Islam.
*shakes head sadly
Truely sick.
Iraq, Afghanistan: two places where the West has interfered, in neither have human rights been advanced, in fact in Iraq the society has turned back some 500 years
@Laughing Man
and let those who want a different policy suffer? Like this man? Let the women suffer acid burns to the face? Let education be limited and the Taliban ban dancing and killing people for daring to be different?
Yeah sure.... not.
I think the very people who are trying to change should be helped, either to change their country or at least to somehow escape.
Oh yeah and bear in mind, if the Taliban or some sort of oppressicve government get in, whats to say they going to stop once they run the country? Hungry for more power they may start invading and oppressing other countries.
I might also add:
Theres got to be a way to change things, even if its helping its own people within.
So try imagine if it was you living in that country? What would you want? Men, women and children are all persecuted in some way or another. Would you live like that?
O yah, we "liberated" them all right.
It's not possible to be liberated from your own culture, tragically.
@Illuminatalie
"The reality is that our christian religious extremists are a pale shadow of the ones that exist in the muslim world."
Not by their own choice though. They'd be just as bad given half the chance, they just haven't been allowed to.
@spaceamoeba
The only place where the west can/should put pressure is Saudi Arabia, home of the particularly vile Wahhabi brand of Islam. But of course as the Saudis are 'partners' (for which read oil rich) against 'terror' nothing will ever get said.
So we toss the Taliban out, bomb the fuck out of them, and put these people in charge? What the fuck was the difference? Besides letting the US oil companies run a pipeline through the country.
Human rights, my ass. Our politicians don't give a fuck about these people or the people they send to die over there.
So we toss the Taliban out, bomb the fuck out of them, and put these people in charge? What the fuck was the difference? Besides letting the US oil companies run a pipeline through the country.
Human rights, my ass. Our politicians don't give a fuck about these people or the people they send to die over there.
"What is with all the Islamic "fundies" being approved lately. Is one of the approvers/submitters an ardent Islamophobe or something? "
I don't see it I'm afraid, Hindu fundies have been quoted as well that hardly makes the site admin anti-Hindu by extension.
Christian fundies are the most quoted here and if a Jewish fundie did something particularly absurd or stupid I'd expect to see it too, and yes they do exist.
The fact is that Muslim Fundamentalists have proven themselves to be particularly ardent (and bigoted) fundamentalists of late.
Fundamentalism is what it is, stupid, brutal and dehumanising. Doesen't matter what stripe it is. I for one am glad to see this quote here.
@spaceamoeba -
I personally am appalled at the fact that what this man did is considered a crime over there. I would love nothing more than to see him freed but as far as government building is concerned I am afraid we just cant help those that won't help themselves. It seems that in any Islamic government the inequality of women and other religions is a given. So as long as the people of a country want an Islamic government they are also voting for these inequalities. No use spilling the blood of our troops to try to help those that are just going to replace one oppressive government with another. If not enough Afghans are willing to risk their lives for their own country (I.E. the police forces quitting at the first sign of a Taliban presence in their town.) then why would we risks our young peoples lives for them??
Enough of that I say the Afghan people need to step up or shut up. Stop running away from the fight and show us you want something WORTH dying for (real freedoms for your people) and then we can help. But if you want to live in a society where somebody is jailed or killed for having un-Islamic ideals then risk your own lives to do it.
And @Chi - If we could get all of the innocents out first that would be great. In practice it would be nearly impossible but its great in theory.
@Mister Spak
"Islamic justice in action."
More like Islamic law if you ask me. Justice actually implies fairness whereas laws are just rules, be they good or bad.
Religion poisons everything.
This journalist is awesome:
"If a Muslim man may have four wives, why shouldn't a wife have four husbands?"
Truer words have never been spoken, yet he's going to jail.
This is why we have to keep on fighting for human rights; if we relax and say "well, it's done now", people like these are going to sneak in and take them away from us in the wink of an eye.
What a relief to hear that he managed to leave the country.
In the absence of everybody, shit.
Reminds me of a buddy of mine who would have his hand in his pocket giving the finger. "Ha! That guy didn't even know it, but I was giving him the finger the whole time! Ha!"
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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