Afghan women in jail for being raped

[Banquo's Ghost]

Can someone explain to me why NATO soldiers are dying to perpetuate a system where women and girls are incarcerated because they have been raped?

Lord knows I'm no fan of imperialism, but if we have decided to invade a place and impose regime change, and then continue to sacrifice our young people to keep the mullahs down, why would we countenance such appalling imprisonment? Surely we have a duty, once we have decided that intervention is the only recourse, to impose decency? Should not Karzai be jailed himself? If it's not our business to interfere with cultural "norms" why are we there in the first place?

"They are very aware of the inequality in the system," said Royal Navy Lieutenant Rebecca Parnell, a member of the Cimic, or civil-military co-operation, team. "The most refreshing thing is that there are plans coming from the Department of Women's Affairs. It is not just us pushing our ideas on to them."

Oh, that's all right then. We are very aware. There are plans.

[Kralizec]

I recall that a few years ago an Afghan christian, former muslim was about to be executed for apostacy but the court took an escape route by declaring the man insane. Sadly the treatment of rape victims seems to be a structural problem.

As for my explanation, the most obvious reason would be that overtly forcing down our values on the legal system would only add to the perception that the Kabul government is a puppet of the west. Imagine if we had to send more troops to fight unruly peasants picking up AK's and mopeds for their God-given right to rape women and let the victim get the blame for it.

[Adrian II]

Can someone explain to me why NATO soldiers are dying to perpetuate a system where women and girls are incarcerated because they have been raped?

Because we flattened that country, so we own it. And own it we do. If we didn't, the Taliban would be back in power within a year. And if the Taliban weren't a proven security danger to Nato countries, I think we should leave Afghanistan to its own mess and get the hell out of there. That's the ony reason we are there: for us. None of those fancy 'plans' will ever work until Afghanistan joins the 21st century. Unfortunately one can bomb a country back to the Stone Age, but not forward into the future.

[PanzerJaeger]

Disgusting. And I agree, we need to be doing a lot more imposing and far less acquiescing in that ____hole.

[rory_20_uk]

The Brits went in there before. We got slaughtered. There are many areas of the world that could be better. It is not for us to try to sort out every mess - especially ones furthered by perverted religions.

If you think you can change the culture post invasion, I'm sorry but that isn't going to happen.

[Leet Eriksson]

Didn't the US release a statement that amounts to "we have to respect their laws!" when saudia put a woman in jail for talking to a saudi man at starbucks.

Afghanistan is pretty much like saudia as far as the US is concerned, an ally and a security measure for american influence in the region, they rule however they damn well want basically.

[rvg]

Saddening, considering that 35 years ago it was a relatively progressive and liberal (by middle-eastern standards) state.

[English assassin]

Bad news Louis.

Because we flattened that country, so we own it. And own it we do. If we didn't, the Taliban would be back in power within a year. And if the Taliban weren't a proven security danger to Nato countries, I think we should leave Afghanistan to its own mess and get the hell out of there. That's the ony reason we are there: for us. None of those fancy 'plans' will ever work until Afghanistan joins the 21st century. Unfortunately one can bomb a country back to the Stone Age, but not forward into the future.

I'm not convinced Afganistan was ever a member of the 20th century, not before we got there, not before the Russians got there. So I'm not inclinded to take any responsibility for the less than enlightened attitude of its population.

The demographics are a real worry. As I've said before about that region, no country where a major demographic is sexually frustrated young men with guns is going to work out. Of course women are handed over to men at the age of 7 as "payment", and of course they have their first child at 11.

If we had the troops (which we don't) and if we flooded the place, could we enforce a slightly more liberal system for the 20 years it might take to become embedded? Probably not. But it occurs to me this must be a problem that the British encountered a lot in the good old days. We must have had an answer. For instance we made suttee murder, (eventually) and hung those responsible. I do wonder about the father of the seven year old. Can we find him? If we do, could we shoot him? If not, who was the village senior man at the time? Can we find him? If we do, can we shoot him?

I bet word would get round PDQ.

NB all suggestions of capital punishment without trial are metaphorical. Sort of.

[rory_20_uk]

Suttee was villified by the locals as well as the Brits. As far as I am aware the ways of the Afghans are generally liked by most of those who live there. With the support of the locals and something like 50 years, Suttee was destroyed. With neither the time, the support or the manpower it's a lost cause.

[English assassin]

Suttee was villified by the locals as well as the Brits. As far as I am aware the ways of the Afghans are generally liked by most of those who live there. With the support of the locals and something like 50 years, Suttee was destroyed. With neither the time, the support or the manpower it's a lost cause.

I bet they aren't liked by the 50% of the population who are women.

But you are probably right. Containment then. What we need is some sort of local strongman...

[Fragony]

Bad news Louis.




I'm not convinced Afganistan was ever a member of the 20th century, not before we got there, not before the Russians got there. So I'm not inclinded to take any responsibility for the less than enlightened attitude of its population.

The demographics are a real worry. As I've said before about that region, no country where a major demographic is sexually frustrated young men with guns is going to work out. Of course women are handed over to men at the age of 7 as "payment", and of course they have their first child at 11.

If we had the troops (which we don't) and if we flooded the place, could we enforce a slightly more liberal system for the 20 years it might take to become embedded? Probably not. But it occurs to me this must be a problem that the British encountered a lot in the good old days. We must have had an answer. For instance we made suttee murder, (eventually) and hung those responsible. I do wonder about the father of the seven year old. Can we find him? If we do, could we shoot him? If not, who was the village senior man at the time? Can we find him? If we do, can we shoot him?

I bet word would get round PDQ.

NB all suggestions of capital punishment without trial are metaphorical. Sort of.

We aren't there to civilise afghanistan we are there to deny hatebeards the room to operate. Afghanistan will of course fall back to tribalism but that is of no concern to us, always been like that. Find beards shoot beards and build a school for cosmetics-sake.

[KarlXII]

Just when I thought we were making progress