| Trouble in Paradise |
I was reading the newspaper yesterday and there was a tiny little article dedicated to something that I think needs a lot more attention. The case of rape in the Maldives of a fifteen year old girl by her own step father, where she under the national law, which has elements of Sharia law, is being sentenced to 100 lashes for pre-marital sex. The claims that she has admitted to having pre-marital consensual sex with a man beside her step-father, don't seem to stand up at all, as he remains undiscovered, identity-free and really it would not be enough evidence to convict someone of anything in any court of law. Basically it appears the girl is being punished for being a victim of sexual abuse. I also think that it is damaging that Sharia Law is being used to support this disgusting abuse. Sharia Law is connected with the Islamic faith, and some see it as the Islamic justice system of course most (sane) people will completely disagree with the way this girl has been treated, and I think as a result this could cause an amount of animosity towards other Muslims, who may be tarred with the same brush, so to speak.
To me this is like putting someone in prison because it rained yesterday or someone halfway across the world got diagnosed with cancer. IT WAS NOT HER FAULT. Rape is rape. She had no choice in the matter, how this could happen on this wonderful, mystical planet we inhabit is beyond me. I thought that society had evolved one tiny iota beyond this, beyond drowning women in the duck pond because she had a cat and was therefore a witch. I hate the fact that there seems to be 'levels of rape', like certain types are worse than others. Like Daphne said, RAPE IS RAPE, the level of violence used may cause more scars (physically) but it doesn't lessen the situation. It's like the whole 'legitimate rape' scenario in America, where some dumb-ass American politician suggested that because the victim became impregnated the rape wasn't legitimate This was based on every weak, and unjustified theory that on occasion when violated the female body rejected the pregnancy, these claims are founded on absolutely nothing worth any form of consideration. Ever.
Amnesty international have done their bit to try and change the verdict, but the fact of the matter is this poor girl has gone through something incredibly traumatic, not to mention giving birth to a child fathered by her step father at such a young age, which was then killed. All this being known to her own mother, who allowed it to occur. To put her through anything more seems inhumane on so many levels. She has had so much taken from her already how they can further degrade this girl is really beyond comprehension. Yet I don't feel like there is enough outrage. Where is the outcry? I am outraged, I want to fly to the Maldives and smuggle her into my own home. I want to start a campaign to get holiday makers boycotting the Maldives until something is done to help this poor girl, CANCEL YOUR HOLIDAY TO THE MALDIVES PEOPLE. Hear Hear.
Until the international community stands up and recognizes that rape is one of the most serious crimes someone can commit, it is a violation of everything intimate and personal. Women world over are subject to this atrocious and heinous act, many unreported. The recent documentary about the hidden rape scandals in the U.S army is just one representation of how nothing has really changed, these men are getting medals. We are rewarding rapists.
Sometimes, well most of the time I feel completely powerless, and it depresses me that I get so worked up about something like this, and I want to change the world and I can't, because I know that no one will listen to my voice. I feel ashamed for getting excited about trivial things such as leather look nail varnish when we see the pillaging of peoples souls happen all around us. And I don't just mean this particular rape, but all the acts of violence, such as the epidemic of rape hitting Syria, for more go to this great article:
War rape: The forgotten pandemic sweeping Syria
This seems to be ignored by the media, instead there are currently are 1600 more articles on the Kardashians than Syria on the Daily Mail website. Vomit.For more on the Maldives case
http://minivannews.com/society/raped-victims-punished-failed-by-law-in-the-maldives-53760
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