"Malaysia wants to organise an international conference to "discuss" the caning of women."

[ensho]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/asia/2010/02/24/malaysia-caning-women-debate


Malaysia in caning women debate


Malaysia wants to organise an international conference to "discuss" the caning of women.

It will be international only in a limited sense, since only other Muslim nations will be invited, and the agenda is extremely vague. Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil says only

'The ministry hopes ... we can make a comparative study on whether the sentence is normally practised among Muslim countries.

Since that information can easily be compiled with a few phone calls, and the subject of the conference as proposed does not, at first glance, hold much promise of enlightened or even interesting discussion, you have to wonder: what's going on here?

Well, in true Malaysian style, it's looking increasingly like a hasty and ham-fisted effort to manage the fallout - and gain political leverage - from the news that this month, for the first time in Malaysian history, three women were subjected to caning by authorities.

The women (along with four men, but there was no information provided about the apparent mismatch in numbers) were accused of having sex outside of wedlock, and sentenced by Malaysia's autonomous sharia court.

-snip-

For its part, the government is attempting to paint the canings as within the bounds of accepted practice; the deputy prime minster believes all that's required is a little explanation and dialogue to clear up any "wrong impressions".

But the strongest impression that is likely to remain from this incident is one of an increasingly paternalistic and sexist society seeking to convince its women that caning is necessary for their own good; something the DPM believes is necessary for reminding them "to honour and abide by their religion".

The attitude is unambiguously driven home by the somewhat Orwellian announcement that the caning conference will be organised by the "Secretariat of Advocacy and Empowerment of Muslim Women".
----------------------------





religiously insane men are dangerous

[left coaster]

1. "religiously insane men are dangerous"

Agreed.. I'd even go so far as to say that religiously insane men are the cause of the bulk of human suffering throughout human history..

This kind of shit just makes me feel so sick and tired..

[snagglepuss]

3. That is a sexist remark. Are you blind to the fact that the person delivering the blows is a

woman? Who do you think performs clitorectomies in societies that condone the practice? Religious insanity and the danger it poses is not related to gender.

[ensho]

5. the rules were made by religious men and the women were forced

to obey.

it wasn't that long ago when US women were considered the property of men and it wasn't that long ago that US women got the right to vote.

[snagglepuss]

6. That doesn't in anyway alter the fact that religious insanity is not just male

characteristic.

[left coaster]

9. Name me one religion that is controlled by women.

And I mean one of the major religions, that wields great political/social/economic power.

Go ahead, I'll wait.

[Last_Stand]

13. That's For Sure...

Baby 'starved to death by religious cult leaders for failing to say "Amen" before eating'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1253133/Baby-starved-death-religious-cult-leaders-failing-say-Amen-eating.html

If this is true, this is but one example of how religious insanity grips both genders.

[left coaster]

8. You're ignorant. nt

[Coventina]

2. "clear up any wrong impressions"?!?!?!?

That would be hilarious, if it weren't so gruesome.

:wtf:

[LeftinOH]

4. How does Malaysia manage to stay in the Commonwealth of Nations?

(The British Commonwealth, that is). I thought they suspended member nations for this sort of thing -not that it would really change anything.

[ensho]

7. actually having a conference is a good idea

shining more light on the dark ages can only help the women

[gratuitous]

10. I'd be glad to attend

Pay my way, cover my bar tab and hotel room, and I'll be happy to sit in as many sessions as they have to say, "No, you shouldn't cane women. In fact, you shouldn't cane anyone. It's a cruel and barbaric practice harkening back to less enlightened times and appealing to backward minds of a similar cast. Just knock it off, you slap-happy bastards." In fact, I may get a little more expansive as the conference goes on and my bar bill goes up.

[Odin2005]

11. There is nothing to discuss. you either respect HUMAN RIGHTS or you are an asshole.

No ifs, ands, or buts. And the Cultural Relativists can go STFU.

[Gabi Hayes]

12. would this be similar to the CCC having called for a discussion of lynching back in the day?

[Art_from_Ark]

14. CCC?

Civilian Conservation Corps? :shrug: