I don't know about the US, but In Europe there is a lot of coverage of these issues. And a lot of complains and shouting from the rooftops. Sure it could be more, but what makes you think that the Islamic fundamenatlists would listen?

"my growing disdain for the left, the feminists, the progressives (...) Why is that, where does this hypocracy come from. Why aren't they shouting from the rooftops about this?"

So your point is that the feminists are not fair, right?
You want them to shout at the Islamists. Not because that would make any difference, but in order to be fair rather than hypocritical?

What do you suggest to end the massive abuse of women, girls, and many others in fundamentalist countries?

I am willing to climb on a rooftop and start shouting, but the guys in Afghanistan won't hear me. They don't read your blog, my blog or any other blog.

We need a more sensible plan. Since you feel strongly about this issue, I would like to hear what policy you recommend.

What you have been doing so far is preaching to the choir.

Besides, how do you compare the status of womens rights in Iraq before the war with the status quo today? It seems to me that women's rights have deteriorated. Sure, man and women can freely vote and criticize the government, but in terms of other women's rights, recent developments are bad. Women are pressured to wear the head scarf, burka, they are worse of in the courts, regarding divorce etc.
The China shop rule applies to liberation as well, i.e. the US has a responsibility to make sure that women are not worse off than under Saddam. What is the US doing to improve womens' rights in Iraq?

What do you suggest that we all do in Afghanistan. I think Germany has more troops in Afghanistan than the US does. I never understood why Iraq is more important to the US than Afghanistan, the home of Al Qaeda.

Saudi Arabia is one of the worst violators of women's rights in the world. SUV drivers finance this abuse. My policy is reducing the dependence on Saudi oil and oil from other countries who violate womens rights. Drive smaller and more fuel efficient cars. The US is the biggest customer of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi use your money to oppress women in Saudi Arabia and to finance an extremist version of Islam, which is responsible for the oppression of women in Afghanistan and other Muslim countries.

By the way, the Saudi are building nukes as well:
http://americanfuture.net/?p=1564
but the US is only interested in Iran, although the Saudi nuclear program is financed by billions of dollars you give them for oil.

What do you suggest to end the massive abuse of women, girls, and many others in Afghanistan and around the world? Shouting from the rooftops does not sound helpful.

Posted by Jorg at April 2, 2006 03:33 AM

GM,

"Shouting from the rooftops" might not be the final answer (re: Jorg), but it is a start. Much better than doing nothing....or doing the whole "diversity" deal.

Meanwhile, I have had NO respect for the National Organization for Women for a very long time. Why?

Not enough time just now to list all the reasons, but I do not understand why we all stand still for all those anti woman "lyrics" in what is alledgedly "music" in our pop "culture". What it does is constantly reinforce negative behaviors. It tells girls and young women that they are "hos" and it tells im/amoral young men that girls and young women are just to be used.

Is this tearing a the fabric of society? Yep.

GM, I know you know all of what I speak and maybe you can address this in a further blog. As the father of a daughter and the grand dad of a little girl, I've long been an observor of really, really awful behavior in my own country.

Posted by tad at April 2, 2006 07:24 AM

The left has been preaching "diversity" for years and saying that one culture is "just as good--or, better!" than the culture of western civilization. If the left goes after just one culture (other than ours), then they admit that another culture has flaws, and that translates into opening the flood gates to criticize all cultures--and destroys political correctness, which is a tool to keep the right quiet.

Posted by Woody at April 2, 2006 08:16 AM

When I first read this story, my initial response was that there is no pit in Hell deep enough for this young girl's "family."

Aside from that knee-jerk (all though appropriate) response, I sent the article to my dad (GM) for a reason. So that he may want to post it on his blog.

Yeah...the people who commited this atrocity will probably never read dad's blog in a million years. That is not the issue.

The issue is getting information like this out into the world. Every time it happens, every time we can. Because though shouting from the rooftops will not cause these people to change...perhaps SOMEONE will hear and THAT someone will be motivated to do something.

The first steps in stopping these atrocities is getting the information out there. Then, proper steps can be taken. That is not to say that these kinds of things don't happen in other parts of the world, or even in the US. I'm sure somewhere that they do happen. And if I hear of those, I'll be sure to post about it in my LJ and pass it along to dad if it's appropriate. Because I may not be in a position to do something (other than shout from the rooftops) someone may read who IS in a position to do something.

I forget who said it, and I forget the exact quote, but it's something like "All that's necessary for evil to take over the world is for good men to do nothing."

Something has been done. It may not be the something you feel is appropriate but it has been done.

Blessings on Gulsama's neighbor for being kind and helping this child, the rickshaw driver for taking her to the hospital and her brother-in-law, Atiqullah, for trying to help.

Posted by Jennifer at April 2, 2006 09:34 AM

Bringing my same comment over here...

This kind of thing is what has turned me into a blogging fool. The children--what is done to them is so low that I can't find the words.

I'm done with trying not to offend. My gloves are off. The one image which really did it for me was of a beheaded Indonesian schoolgirl. She was walking to school in her Catholic school's uniform and was murdered; the savage then pranced around with her head as his trophy. God!

I saw that image a few weeks ago and have been fuming ever since.

The feminists sit silently on the sideline. I'm done with them too.

Posted by Always On Watch at April 2, 2006 09:48 AM

So much for the feminists whining, "It's for the childrennnnnnn."

Posted by Woody at April 2, 2006 10:26 AM

For purposes of "enlightenment" (or so I like to think), I pose a question to classes of students:

Three men break the front door of your house. It is night. They are armed. What do you do?

a) ask your children to assist start taking all your valuables out to the men's truck out front. Ask your spouse to make sandwiches and milk for the men. Get your guitar and start singing "We are the world, we are the children."

b) open fire with your shotgun.

Right. I KNOW the second one is violent. I know that it will bring death (to them vice you and your family). I know that there may be all kinds of "reasons" why the men are, themselves, violent and maybe they did not start the chain of violence and anti-social behavior.

None of that is important at the moment. In my view, the ONLY thing that will stop others from doing really awful things is to do even worse things to them. Sure, if we could all intervene in the life of every child and assure they received love, good food, AND were socialized and made to understand that they should respect others....their persons and their property, that would be grand, but we cannot.

We live in the world as it is. We must deal with it.

I might add, I also suggest how women might defend themselves. I have had speakers (women) come to my classes and talk to my students about violence towards women....more often than not by their "boyfriends" or their spouses/relatives.

I do what I can. It is, sadly, precious little. If everyone did it, however, I submit that there would be less violence against women in part of the world.

Meanwhile, I remain horrified, how many women almost encourage more violence towards women. One young women told me that her own mother told her (the young womens') husband to beat her as she wasn't a proper wife....i.e. staying at home having children, cleaning and cooking. The young women was working full time in a bank and going to school (near full-time) to obtain her BA. Swell. I am happy to report that the young womans' husband did not beat her and she continued with her education despite what her own mother had said.

Why, indeed, are there so very many pinheads in the world?

Posted by at April 2, 2006 10:51 AM

Jorg, you are right, both you and I could shout it from the roof tops and perhaps no one except those in the neighborhood might hear.

On the other hand, my daughter is right, it is the right thing to do and needs be done lest evil triumph. If we bloggers pay enough attention, perhaps the National Organization of Women will take up the gauntlet. Perhaps the Human Rights folk at the UN will do something.

You will note that I stated that this kind of abuse occurs as another war on terror

There is another War on Terrorism, the war against the treatment of women and children in Afghanistan, Iran, and much of the middle east."

Like me, you write what you write hoping someone will pick up on it and carry that ball. Well, I hope also for the same thing.

Let me take you back almost one hundred years in these United States, a novelist by the name of Upton Sinclair wrote a book called The Jungle and the outcry it created started the movement towards safer food processing. So, the answer is yes, if enough people pay attention, if enough get angry than things can change. So keep writing about Saudi Arabia and I will keep writing about the islamofascists and their ilk who practice inhuman cruelty on their fellow man out of a sense of religious fervor.

Posted by GM Roper at April 2, 2006 11:09 AM

Jorg, I posted previously an article about the stupidity of the Borders/Walden books organization. The outcry is growing and it may show as this article says that the outcry is definately having an impact. So, blog on about Saudi irresponsibility and I'll blog on about human rights vs. the islamofascists.

Posted by GM Roper at April 2, 2006 11:41 AM

George,
I thought you did not like the UN and the feminists. I thought you considered them useless talking heads?
But now you expect them to solve this problem?

What exactly should they do?
Somekind of education and awareness campaign?
Those are the programs conservative Americans usually criticize the UN for. You say it it is inefficient, too much talking, not enough action etc. I don't know what you think about this and whether you indeed call for more funds for UNICEF and UNDP or not.

Increasing awareness is fine, but I think it is a bit simplistic to think that the UN and the feminists are not doing enough due to a lack of awareness.

I think the UN, Amnesty and feminist organization know exactly what is going on, but what should they do?
If Amnesty complains about US wrongdoing, they know Americans are listening. Islmaic fundamentalists do not listen to them. What do you suggest to change their way of thinking and their traditions?

More education for women in Afghanistan and elsewhere?
How much are the US and the EU spending for educating women? Should there be more? Perhaps thats where we should increase awareness and pressure.

I focus on Saudi Arabia, because they are responsible for Islamic fundamentalism and the lack of progress in many parts of the Muslim world.

And I write about Saudia Arabia, because we are morally responsible for their wrong doings! We finance them, whenever we buy gas.
The KSA depends on the US for security i.e. you have lot of leverage, but your goverment does not use this leverage and is very soft on them.
The MSM and the blogosphere complains a lot about "Islamofascists", but does not name those who finance the teaching of oppression, hate, discriminatino and prevent the reformers from suceeding etc.

In order to help the women and girls in the Muslim world, we must import less oil from Saudi Arabia, Iran etc.
Buying smaller fuel efficient cars is more helpful than shouting from the roof tops about abuse. Most effective would be too shout from the rooftops that others should buy smaller and more fuel efficient cars etc. Perhaps the gas tax should be increased in order to fight terrorism:
http://atlanticreview.org/archives/151-NYT-calls-for-raising-the-gas-tax-to-fight-terrorism-and-global-warming.html

Who has the bigger influence on the Afghan governement? The UN or the US, which liberated Afghanistan and pays the bills for the Karzai government?

Posted by Jorg at April 2, 2006 05:24 PM

Imagine the US used all the money spend on the Iraq war to educate women and girls in the Muslim world. They would be empowered to stand up to the abuse by men.
For the immense cost of the Iraq war read:
Stiglitz

I just wrote about our own energy problems and how to save energy:
Germany's Energy Summit should reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas
Calling for saving energy is IMHO more constructive than shouting from the rooftops about evil Russia or evil oil rich Arabs.

Posted by Jorg at April 3, 2006 05:57 AM

Correct link: http://atlanticreview.org/archives/290-Germanys-Energy-Summit-should-reduce-dependence-on-Russian-oil-and-gas.html

Posted by Jorg at April 3, 2006 05:58 AM

Jennifer,

The quote is from Edmund Burke.

BTW Jorg,

here is another photo now missed.

Posted by M. Simon at April 3, 2006 10:40 AM

Jorj promotes the "it is easier to see under the lights" theory of finding lost keys.

So you think that just because it is easier to get the west involved in minor infractions against women that they have no responsibility to take up the cause in places where the abuse is 100X worse because the abusers aren't listening?

=================

I used to be a liberal once - I gave it up exactly because of attitudes like yours.

Posted by M. Simon at April 3, 2006 10:49 AM

Jorg:

I thought you did not like the UN and the feminists. I thought you considered them useless talking heads?

But now you expect them to solve this problem?

No, I expect them to speak up, to act, to make the effort. Don't you?

Posted by GM at April 3, 2006 10:51 AM

The UN and the feminists don't worry about these things. I hate to say this but they are more interested in making sure women have the right to control their own bodies...ie. abortion, population control. Really. Esp the feminists. They could care less about how Muslims treat their women because they respect the "culture" and bylaws of each society; it's not America's or anyone else's place to step in.

BULL SHIT. (sorry GM..)

I was caught up in some pretty BAD stuff when I was a teenage and only once did I try to get out, through a women's health clinic. They knew what I was invloved in (young girl's prostitution ring) but did this feminists clinic do anything to help me get out? NO. They gave me birth control and told me I could go there for an abortion if I ever needed it.
I was abused- hit, thorwn, kicked, burned, drugged.

It took my own inner strength to get out of that life. No feminist helped me.

Posted by Raven at April 3, 2006 02:43 PM

M.Simon, please be more specific than "to take up the cause." What exactly are you proposing?

George, the UN does "speak up." Just go to their homepage.

The UN does make an effort. Do you know about the work of UNICEF and UNDP?

Again, what do you want them to do?

It is soooooooo easy to complain. Tens of thousands of bloggers do this all day.

Please, be constructive and say what you want.

What do you propose to help these women?

Posted by Jorg at April 3, 2006 04:28 PM

The feminists should speak loud and often about this, until the media starts reporting it more.
But like Raven said, they are only concerned about abortion, and they manage to get plenty of air time to talk about that.
The US is already spending billions to educate women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Are you serious, Jorg? The women of Iraq are worse off today than under Saddam? No way!
I'm sure you can't find women there that agree with that.
Maybe you forgot about the rape and torture of so many women on a daily basis.
Why is it that the vast majority of Iraqi's believe they are better off now, than under Saddam and his butchers?
The UN wanted Saddam to remain in power, so they could get rich from money meant for Iraqi's.
The UN and NOW are worse than useless, they do alot of harm.
It's never too late for them to start speaking out. But they won't, because that would help President Bush, and they're vicious, unreasonable hatred of him, blinds them to the real evil in the world.

Posted by Ben USN (Ret) at April 3, 2006 09:18 PM

More On Gulsoma (an Update)

Posted by Jennifer at April 3, 2006 09:19 PM

Ben,
what difference is speaking out going to make?

Why do you guys never get specific?

Why do you guys always complain about others and whine about the UN, but never make a constructive proposal?

"The women of Iraq are worse off today than under Saddam?"

More women wear the veil and the burka than under Saddam because they are intimidated by the religious fundamentalist you work with.

From the Boston Globe in August 2005 about the draft constitution:
The fine print on women's rights undercuts Bush's claim. The draft constitution states that Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination because of gender. It guarantees women at least 25 percent of seats in parliament.

But way above those provisions, in the second of 153 articles (the women's 25 seats are Article 151), the draft constitution also says that Islam is the official religion of the state, that it is a basic source of legislation, and that no law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam.

Women's rights groups in both Iraq and the United States say that is a trump card that will allow clerics to paternalistically restrict the rights of women in marriage, divorce, abuse, child custody, and inheritance -- to a point that looks worse on paper than under Saddam.
====

Did they change this in the meantime?

"Why is it that the vast majority of Iraqi's believe they are better off now, than under Saddam and his butchers?"

Why does not the vast majority inform the police where the insurgents are hiding?

There are plenty of polls indicating that many Iraqis support and/or sympathize with the insurgents.

"The UN and NOW are worse than useless, they do alot of harm."

Tell this George, who would like to see the UN help the women.

Besides, if you think the UN do a lot of harm like most conservative AMericans apparently do, why don't you pull out of the UN?
Why don't you kick them out of NY?

Stop whining and take action, my friend!
What are you afraid of?

Posted by Jorg at April 4, 2006 05:19 AM

Jorg, surely you are jesting. If you really believe that the UN is effective, why do you post so much about the onslaught in Darfur? Why do you post so much about the need for Germany to be careful about buying Russian Gas and Oil?

It should be obvious, you want to CHANGE PEOPLES MINDS ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION

Posted by GM at April 4, 2006 06:17 AM

George,
that's obvious. I am an independent thinker rather than a blind and staunch supporter of some ideology.

If Germany does somethnig bad, I criticize Germany. If I am unhappy with the US, I criticize the US. If I want more from the UN, I write what they should do.

You however only defend the US and criticize the UN. Are you independen thinker?

I have no clue why you bring up Darfur and Russia, but thanks for the links.

"It should be obvious, you want to CHANGE PEOPLES MINDS ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION"

I don't get. Do you think Islamofascits read your blog and will change their mind if you shout from the roof tops?

Please be more specific: Whose minds do you want to change? And what should these people do?

Why don't you propose something to help the women?

You have written dozens of posts about the "Islamofasicts", but I have not seen a single proposal of yours how to defeat them and reduce their harmful influence.

"If you really believe that the UN is effective, why do you post so much about the onslaught in Darfur?"

1.) I have never said that the UN is effective. Why do you put words in my mouth? Why do you go on a counter attack rather than answering my simple questoin.

2.) You don't seem to understand how the UN works. The UN isn't independent. The UN is as strong or inefficient as its member states want them to be. If the UN isn't doing enough in Darfur, it is not because the UN Sec Gen or the thousands of employees are stupid/bad/evil/hypocritical etc, but because the UN memberstates don#t give them a mandate.

You said you want to see the UN make an effort to help women.

Why don#t you answer my simple questions for a change and tell us what do you want the UN to do?

It is soooooooo easy to complain. Tens of thousands of bloggers do this all day.

Please, be constructive and say what you want.

What do you propose to help these women?

All you have been saying is "I expect them to speak up, to act, to make the effort."

This is superficial blabla.

If you would be really interested in helping those women you would do some research and write something constructive, but I gather you are just interested in complaining about feminists, Islamofascists and the UN for the hundredt time.

Posted by Jorg at April 4, 2006 09:44 AM

@ BEN

From Gen Zinni: "If, like General Casey said a week or so ago, 99.9 percent of the people are opposed to the violence and the perpetrators of these violence. Well, all those people have to do is call up on the phone and tell you where the insurgents are ... And the security forces and the Iraqis would be able to handle it. We're not fighting the Waffen SS here. You know, we're fighting a bunch of ragtag people with AK-47s and IEDs and RPGs. They can be policed up if the people turn against them. We haven't won the hearts and minds yet."

Posted by Jorg at April 4, 2006 09:50 AM

I am sick and tired of you putting down feminists. Feminists are working hard for the rights of all people-- men, women, gay, straight, black, white, etc. Also, are you all just thinking about U.S. feminists or what, b/c there are feminists everywhere even in countries like Iraq and Iran. There are so many negative stereotypes and beliefs about feminists and it needs to stop.

Posted by Cigar at April 7, 2006 07:53 PM

Cigar wrote: ..Feminists are working hard for the rights of all people--men, women, gay, straight, black, white, etc. ...There are so many negative stereotypes and beliefs about feminists and it needs to stop.

Cigar, Promise Keepers work to be good husbands and fathers. Doesn't that benefit women? Yet, I don't see feminists working hard to support them, but, rather they oppose them. NOW and other feminists just work for groups who will further their own agenda--usually immoral and socialist.

Feminists aren't fighting for "rights." They are for eliminating morality, some of which is defined by law and some of which is defined by our God-given human spirits. Eliminating morality allows them to do whatever they want for their selfish motives without guilt or consequences.

In the 1960's, they heralded the birth control bill and the "free love" that it provided. Great! Women engaged with multiple sex partners with no guilt or fear really made them and the world better. For those who forgot the pill, there was abortion. In their cries about "their bodies," they forgot that there was another body who didn't have a say. I found it amazing that an expecting mother could simply say that her unborn child was only "fetal tissue" and have it ripped out of her body and disposed of like waste. These are the "rights" that really concern feminists and that is why I have no respect for them or their movement.

A few months ago I remembered a girl that I knew in college in the days of "free love." She became pregnant and decided to go to New York for an abortion, as that was the only state where it was legal at that time. She later wrote me about the trauma of the experience and how sick she felt when the nurse attendant said of the ripped out "tissue," "It's a boy"--or, was. Today that young man would be thirty-five years old with a wife and children of his own and be a productive member of society. He might have found a cure for a disease or have been able to help people in many other ways. We'll never know. Instead, because of her decision backed by feminists, that young man never had a chance and is now dust in some dump today. I wonder if my friend thinks about that. I suspect that she does, because you can't legislate away those materal feelings and those feelings of guilt. That thought of what her son might have been must haunt her every day. That is the real picture of what NOW can do for women and their rights. Does that deserve respect?

Thank goodness that the ERA was exposed for the real purpose that was intended and defeated--despite every illegal trick to keep it alive. Otherwise, matters would be even worse today. Of course, the left never abandons a cause. They just hope that people will forget about it long enough to sneak passage through. We can never let down our guard against them--which is why they always should be exposed.

Of course, now we have to deal with VAWA pushed by NOW, passed by a Democratic Congress, and signed by Pres. Clinton, who really cares about women being abused. That act gives billions of dollars to radical feminists for such missions as:

A woman seeking help from a VAWA-funded center is not offered any options except to leave her husband, divorce him, accuse him of being a criminal, and have her sons targeted as suspects in future crimes. VAWA ideology rejects joint counseling, reconciliation, and saving marriages.

VAWA forces Soviet-style psychological re-education on men and teenage boys. ...because of a vast male conspiracy to subjugate women.

VAWA encourages women to make false allegations and then petition for full child custody and a denial of fathers’ rights to see their own children.

VAWA-funded centers engage in political advocacy for feminist legislation such as the “must-arrest” laws even if there is no sign of violence and even if the woman doesn’t want the man arrested....

Are those noble goals and methods? I don't think so.

Maybe instead of being "so many negative stereotypes and beliefs about feminists" there are hidden truths about them and their agenda that they don't want others to see and expose. Rather that saying that "it needs to stop," we need to be doing more to expose them. Evil hates a light shining on it.

Rather than being "sick and tired" you need to do some more investigating and soul searching and determine if the radical and immoral left defines your values--or, you can determine to learn the truth, expose lies, and lead your life as you know is right without fear of criticism by your peers.

I suspect that you are a student, and it's tough to take stands against the left in the academic environment where "freedom of expression" is only permitted for radicals and denied to decent conservatives. However, your life is important and you need to determine how to live it, with the loving guidance of your parents, rather than give in to group pressure by so-called feminists who seek to use you rather than help you.

I care about women and I care about you. I hope that you will think about your stands and your values and find the path that will give you joy rather than the path that can kill your spirit--like my friend did.

You have my best wishes for courage to stand up for what is right and for a happy life.

Posted by Woody at April 8, 2006 08:47 AM

Wow, Woody. You just brought a tear to my eye.

You are so right; particularly about abortion advocates. The psychological trauma that accompanies abortion cannot be legislated away, but groups like NARAL and VAWA can certainly keep hammering away at young people by desensitizing them and redefining moral values. It is so effective that I've read some of the most disgusting comments I've ever encountered posted on blogs in abortion discussions like describing an unborn child as, "a parasitic growth that has the "potential" of becoming a living breathing person. [...] And yes it is a parasite. Until it is born, it is feeding off it's host, weaking(sic) it's host. It is much like a tumor." And that is a direct, verbatim quote!

These groups also blur the lines between what is spousal abuse and what isn't. They effectively trivialize those women who are really suffering and their constant demonization of men in general creates a hostile environment between men and women. It's almost a self-fulfilling prophesy in the manner in which they operate.

Feminism often does more damage than good.

Posted by Oyster at April 11, 2006 09:59 AM