Video of girl's flogging as Taliban hand out justice

[nurse1967 287]

My husband is Egyptian and he certainly would think this is totally outrageous. He is Muslim and will tell you his religion teaches love and understanding and not the abuse these people hand out at will.

[Peikko 1,575]

sister purple, it is not based on religion but more on cultural interpretation...

It probably is.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

In the light of the fact that some people would like to change how we punish people in the West, I wondered how actually seeing a real flogging would affect that view.

Probably not a lot to be honest - people like to use stories like this to scream about how barbaric other (read: lesser) cultures are, yet in a heartbeat will whine about the deficiencies of our justice system that will let a rapist off on a 7 year prison term (with a 37" HDTV, HBO and ice cream on a silver tray), rather than mete out the beating he so "richly deserves".

Trying to connect the one reaction with the other is not easy, because it's based on fist-shaking anger.

Edited April 2, 2009 by Private Pike

[Peikko 1,575]

True, but I thought it would be interesting to at least see what the reaction was.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

They feel it's there right under their religious laws, so who are we to say different?

"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 said. He defended the Taliban's right to thrash women shoppers who were inappropriately dressed, saying it was permitted under Islamic law."

[missmissy 38]

The article reads

Minallah and other sources said the girl was punished on suspicion of having had an illicit relationship with a married man. She did not receive a trial. "The whole case is based on the suspicions of one neighbour," said Minallah.

The woman's brother is among the men pinning her down, she added. "It's symbolic that he does it with his own hands. It gives him honour in local society, that he has done it for the sake of religion."

I don't understand that region of the world and will not pretend that I do. Answering your original question - it looks and feels barbaric and out-dated and makes me happy I live where I do. Let freedom ring....

[Peikko 1,575]

Who's to say it's wrong? You don't have a mind of your own? A view of what is objectively ok regardless of what a culture or a religion might tell you? I see, interesting.

[nurse1967 287]

They feel it's there right under their religious laws, so who are we to say different?

"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 said. He defended the Taliban's right to thrash women shoppers who were inappropriately dressed, saying it was permitted under Islamic law."

Well it is only "right under their religious laws" to those who interpret it that way. Most Muslims disagree with this type of punishment.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

They feel it's there right under their religious laws, so who are we to say different?

"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 said. He defended the Taliban's right to thrash women shoppers who were inappropriately dressed, saying it was permitted under Islamic law."

We can certainly condemn such actions - as they are totally incompatible with our world view of how justice is supposed to be prosecuted and meted out.

Dragging someone out of a house and executing a summary punishment goes against about a 1000 years of jurisprudence.

[Heracles 417]

The reality of flogging - or is the flogging ok, just the crime that is wrong?

Link

First off, it's interesting that you picked this video. After all, for years now certain people have said that going to war to chase such people is bad and morally wrong. We should just "let them decide if they want democracy". Funny now you use the same people to make a point. But anyways.

If this was child rapist or some other criminal who has committed a despicable crime yes it should be used. I guarantee it is the most effective and cheapest form of punishment. As we know warehousing people does not work and the likelihood of those released committing a crime again is almost a given.

Ruling this form of punishment out because it is misused does not prove or show it is not an effective form of discipline. I can guarantee you that a kid caught vandalizing public property who received such discipline would never do it again, ever. Something you seem to deny. Therefore, you would rather innocent people continue being the victim all in the name of protecting the criminals rights. Treating the criminal humanely. Screw the victim and their rights of course.

You cannot have your cake and eat it. Something western societies need to learn again. Either the criminals have the rights or the innocent people have the rights. Its one or another. Sorry, cannot have it both ways.

Edited April 2, 2009 by Constellation

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well for one thing - we didn't go to war in Afghanistan because the ruling government was being inhumane to its citizenry. Wars are rarely fought for purely humanitarian reasons.

As to the effectiveness of the punishment - I don't see how you can "guarantee" such thing. It might be what you personally feel is the best option, but a statement that such a method is "effective" really demands some proof.

[Peikko 1,575]

I like his last comment best, either innocent people have rights, or criminals do. I think that says everything.

Regardless, so your point BY is that having seen floggings, you feel that they are a good way of dealing out punishment. Just out of interest, is flogging on top of a jail term or instead of?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

The reality of flogging - or is the flogging ok, just the crime that is wrong?

Link

Let's see:

• Taliban were formed during the 11-year kleptocracy of 1971-warcriminal Zia ul-Haq
• ergo, the maximum level of their morality only reaches that of their "founder-master"

The ones committing a crime are the Taliban!

[Saddle Bronc 124]

You don't think it hurt? Or you think it was a sexual experience for either the men, or the woman or both?

For the Taliban men, possibly (as their basic training/indoctrination has been since 1980's along the lines of those of Nazi-era SS--consequently they probably do get hard-on from inflicting pain).

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

You don't think it hurt? Or you think it was a sexual experience for either the men, or the woman or both?