She was executed for the crime of being raped.


Taliban publicly executed an Afghan woman last week. The villagers cheered and shouted joyfully while watching the execution. The woman was accused of adultery. Her crime was she was either raped or she was in love with someone.

A lawmaker saw the video of the execution. She cried for the woman. She could not accept the cruel, barbaric, unethical and inhumane practices of religion.

The men who enjoyed the killing and the woman who blamed the killers are both humans. We will be unkind or kind depends very much on our upbringings. Little boys get brainwashed to become Talibans. They do not learn anything about love and compassion. All they were provided to learn was the Quran and the Hadith. All they were asked to become was the servants of Allah and the soldiers of Muhammad.

If we want to make the world a better place, we have to stop the system that forces our children to read the books of barbarism and lies and believe everything without asking questions. If we do not inspire our children to study science and have a thinking mind, we will see the crowds of ignorant people everywhere. If we do not encourage our children to study secularism and humanism, we will not be able to stop fanaticism, caste-ism,racism, sectarianism. If we do not let our children’s interests in feminism, women’s rights, equality and justice grow, it will be difficult for us to stop violence against women, rape, sex trafficking, sexual slavery, stoning or shooting women to death.

Comments

  1. Abdul Basit says

    You should get a ‘share’ facility for your blog,so they can be shared on facebook and twitter easily.

  2. StevoR says

    Horrendous. Very moving. Very grim.

    I hope there is still hope but what the situation here is just horrendous.

  3. StevoR says

    PS. No share on facebook (or share on anything else) button here for this, Taslima?

    Guess I can just cut’n’paste to share but would be nice to add that fb share button if it really isn’t on here. Or is it an issue at my end?

    • says

      Facebook authority banned all my facebook accounts. I created a new one again. Not many people are there. I will be happy if you can share it with your friends and followers. Thanks.

      • Emburii says

        What?! Why did they ban your accounts, Ms. Nasreen? The usual story of a spineless corporation bowing to pressure?

      • Pierce R. Butler says

        I hope by the above you mean the “Taslima Nasreen Group” page [http://www.facebook.com/groups/185935154765227/] on F’book – otherwise, I’ve just requested to enlist in some imposter’s group.

      • StevoR says

        Thanks Taslima. I’ve shared via cut’n’pasted web address.

        Also what the .. ?! Facebook banned your accounts? Why? First time that I’ve read about this and am rather stunned. Have you blogged about this here or somewhere and, if so, is there a link on it you can direct us to?

        Is there anything that we can do to help?

        • says

          I do not know the reasons behind to ban my facebook accounts. There were 100s of fake accounts in my name. Much of them are gone. But not a single real facebook account of mine is there. All are vanished. I created a new account a few days ago but did not use my real name and my date of birth. Probably because of that the new account is not yet banned. I protested against facebook authority for banning my accounts on twitter. You probably know that my books and writings get banned in some parts of the world and I am not allowed to enter some parts of the world. Banning, banishment and burning over my ideas–nothing new.

          • StevoR says

            Thanks for the explanation there. Surprised and disappointed that facebook would behave that way though. Getting banned for unIslamic ideas and words in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia I can understand although never approve of – but in the West and by global companies? Shame on them!

    • says

      You’re joking right? women in the US have it way better than men in the US. This is about insane religions…not about women.

      • Hes right says

        The poster Chris you responded to is right. There is no war against women worldwide. While there are certainly some societies that scorn women, and that should be corrected, statistically in the US, women have it easier when it comes to getting jobs, aid, and general better treatment. Just because he didnt agree with the post above doesnt make him resentful. However, judging by your brash and immature response to Chris, I am taking it that you, yourself are resentful towards men, and cannot grasp simple concepts like religious intolerance.

        • Emburii says

          Women are paid less on average than men and are severely underrepresented in the upper echelons of government and business, so I’m not sure how that equals better jobs. Rape, a crime that is more often directed at women by men (not always, but more often) has an incredibly low conviction rate even against abusers who leave bloody and bruised victims in their wake, so that kind of knocks down the ‘better treatment’ as well. As for more aid in general, women are generally the ones taking care of children or are stereotyped as such and thus might be given more resources for that.

          This is not to say that classism and nepotism don’t hurt men as well. This does not mean men are not raped. This does not mean men do not or should not take care of children. But it’s funny how most MRAs seem more interested in making up statistics rather than trying to figure out why society is structured the way it is and how to fix it for everyone.

          • No Light says

            Oh you with your reasonable views and earth logic!

            Why should MRAs learn and commit to making the world better for everyone?

            They’re too busy doing important man stuff like protecting themselves from spermjackers and insisting that the removal of r/gonewild violates the first amendment.

        • F says

          statistically in the US, women have it easier when it comes to getting jobs, aid, and general better treatment

          Than whom?

          Even if this were true, it is part of an ongoing corrective action. Guess why we need such things as affirmative action policies.

          • StevoR says

            @theoblivionmachine : Depressing but you’re right.

            Of course I suppose that Poe’s law dictates they’re indistinguishable anyhow.

            That so many MRA / male supwemacist people actually *do* think like that is just sad.

        • mynameischeese says

          No, Hes. He’s wrong. Wrong in very basic ways.

          It would be interesting to have an actual discussion about the factors that turned a country into a violent, misogyny-ridden mess (religion, colonisation, drought, war, more war, some more war) without MRAs stopping by to set the bar so low that a meaningful discussion is no longer possible. But, alas, I guess today is not the day.

          Some times I’m annoyed that MRAs swamp this blog. Other times, I think it’s rather nice for Taslima. All she has to do is post the word “sexism” and the MRAs flood in and comment compulsively about how sexism doesn’t exist and each click means a bit of cash. So yeah, just looking on the bright side here.

      • ShowMetheData says

        American women have it much easier in comparison to Aghani women in this Talibani hell-hole

        In America, women get paid less(for jobs of equal value), have less power, and women have men legislate away control over their bodies.

        Men have it harder during…. uhhhh … they don’t have it harder…

        These are the ABCs of feminists discussions of male privilege and power – go re-invent the wheel somewhere else

      • StevoR says

        Chris – July 8, 2012 at 10:46 pm :

        You’re joking right? women in the US have it way better than men in the US.

        Really? What is the basis for that extraordinary claim and where is your extraordinary evidence to back up that rather ludicrous assetrtion?

        This is about insane religions…not about women.

        Can’t it be, oh I dunno, about *both* those items? Insane religion doing insane and horrific things to women unfortunate enough to be under that insane religions control? That’s what I’d say this was.

        (Wonders if the Taliban commander involved in the supposed adultury and possible rape of the executed murdered woman has been publicly executed too or not.)

        • StevoR says

          Oh & Chris :

          I guess that “women in the US have it way better than men in the US.” claim of yours explaisn why the US President is female and why the vast, vast majority of US congresscritters and Supreme Court Justices and Corporate Cheif Executive Officers and so on are also female, right?

          Oh wait, that’s NOT actually the case now is it?

          Indeed quite the reverse.

          So .. men are mostly making the decisions and holding the power in everybody’s lives including womens lives. Consider that for a second and care to explain it in light of your ridiculous assertion would you?

    • says

      He doesn’t have an argument.

      A much better book on the subject is Patricia Churchland’s Braintrust. Also naturalistic morality, also neuroscientifically informed, but with arguments.

  4. Brea Plum says

    “The men who enjoyed the killing and the woman who blamed the killers are both humans.”

    No. The men who enjoyed the killing are not human. And until you stop treating them as equal in humanity (you know, until you start treating them the way they treat women?), they will continue because they will never face consequences for their actions.

      • Robert B. says

        I agree with Ms. Nasreen. If we say that people who do horrible things aren’t human, we deny that we ourselves have the potential to do horrible things.

        Every great crime and human horror in history has been performed by people who thought they were doing the right thing. As Ms. Nasreen says, the difference between thinking you’re doing the right thing and actually doing the right thing, is learning.

    • Jim Baerg says

      BTW I wonder if some decent humans there cheered because they were afraid of getting shot themselves if they did not show approval of the Taliban’s actions.

      • Brea Plum says

        That’s an interesting point, Jim Baerg. Where are the actual lines of acceptance drawn, and where do they only appear to be drawn? How far does the acceptance really go? You don’t do the woman any good to be hauled off by the authorities yourself, especially in a society where an ACLU can’t step in and defend you, or where the community may exact punishment not just on you but your whole family.

  5. The Prof says

    The US has spent $3,000 per man, woman and child in Afghanistan. However a family of 4 does not appear to have $12,000 worth of aid or belongings. Where has all the money gone? Ok infrastructure. Who is being employed? Not the population of Afghanistan. Yet they are the ones in need of fair paid work. That would go someway to rid that backward land of its biblical (koranical) adherence. Give the women jobs and pay for childcare. Ensure the jobs are more suitable for the women. Emancipate the women. What the hell are the US forces doing there if they let this barbarism go on in front of their noses.

  6. F says

    Yeah. Education doesn’t go over so well with the Talibans, either. It is sad, horrible, and difficult from all directions.

  7. HOUSELESS INDIAN says

    THE SITUATION IN INDIA IS ALSO NT VERY MUCH DIFFERENT. HERE IN INDIA THE GIRLS ARE KILLED IN THE PREGNANCY,THERE AFTER ON BIRTH MERELY BECAUSE OF THEY ARE GIRLS . THERE AFTER THEIR FATHERS, BROTHERS ARE GENERALLY INSULTED BY DOWRY EATERS/ HUNGERS MERELY BECAUSE THEY ARE THE F/B OF GIRLS/BRIDES . SOME GIRLS ARE KILLED BY THEIR PARENTS/RELATIVES MERELY BECAUSE LOVE OTHER CASTE/RELIGION’S PERSON.AND FINALLY THEY ARE KILLED VERY BRUTALLY BY THEIR DOWRY EATER( DAHEJ KHOR IN HINDI) IN LAWS. BUT VERY SMALL DIFFERENCE IS THAT HERE IN INDIA THESE BRUTAL KILLINGS EXECUTED IN THE DARK OF KNIGHT BY WAY OF HANGING,BURNING,PUSHING FROM ROOFS,BLUNTS FORCE APPLICATIONS ON HEAD, BULLET,KNIFE,BARBARIC BEATING ETC.LOT OF MURDERERS ARE NOT ONLY ACQUITTED BUT THE VICTIM PARENTS OF BRIDES ARE HARASSED,HUMILIATED,HATED BY VARIOUS SECTIONS OF SOCIETY AND ADMINISTRATION.A HOUSE LESS INDIAN , NEW DELHI INDIA

  8. says

    “The men who enjoyed the killing”

    I’m sure that a few women enjoyed it as well. Keep in mind that FGM is practiced almost exclusively by women. Yes, you can go on and on about how the patriarchic society is the cause of this, and that is true to some extent, but the fact remains that it continues to function only because women play along with it.

    • No Light says

      Oh not this again.

      Please read the comments on any of Taslima’s posts on FGM.

      In short – women are agents of the patriarchy, trained* to act in ways that lead the unthinking to blame them, instead of wondering WHO demands the mutilation in the first place.

      Hint: it isn’t women.

      *You know the shitty behaviour, the abuse and oppression meted out to women in general in these regimes? Imagine what they do to women who refuse to go along with certain demands.

      Does Taslima’s situation mean nothing to you? Women are murdered for daring to be raped, or for disobeying men. If Taslima hadn’t escaped it could be her we were reading about.

      Stop blaming women for doing whatever they can to survive.

  9. says

    “Women are paid less on average than men and are severely underrepresented in the upper echelons of government and business”

    Most people in prison are men. If there are a disproportionate number of, say, Black men in jail, people say that it is either direct racism or they are there because society puts more pressure on them to be criminal than on White men.

    So, why are there more men in prison than women? Is this a similar injustice, or are men just bad?

  10. StevoR says

    BBC World news online is currently discussing this here :

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3244975657806&set=a.1316826455281.36472.1669322760&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_reply#!/worldhaveyoursay

    WHYS = World Have Your Say :

    Earlier we had a conversation on WHYS about a video of an Afghan woman who was publicly executed, allegedly for committing adultery.

    During our programme, Hameed said “as Afghans we have to accept responsibility that we have a culture of …violence.” Bunsen Bwana tweeted WHYS saying it’s “pathetic how many Muslim men disguise criminal behaviours with Islam,” while the Afghanistan government condemned the killing as “un-Islamic and inhuman’.

    What do you think? Does this execution reflect a “culture of violence” in Afghan society or within Islam? We’ll be discussing this at 17:00 GMT. Leave your comments below, or Skype us on BBC_WHYS.

    Folks may want to particpate? Hope this helps – have mentioned & linked this blog and thread there – hope that’s okay, apologie s& pleaeslet me know if not.

  11. Gorbachev says

    Islam is a horrible, awful, terrible religion. Our multicultural bones tell us not to say this, but the more people learn about Islam the better: Nobody defames Islam better than Muslims. It’s xenophobic, supremacist and oppressive, The “good” Muslims are generally the worst offenders: The best Muslims to know are those who aren’t very religious. The more religious they are, the worse they become to non-Muslims, women and even animals. It’s a horrible, horrible religion, and is nothing remotely similar to modern Judaism or Christianity. Other religions are just idol-worship to Muslims : idol-worshippers need to be killed or converted. They’re not even truly human.

    Ms. Nasrin has Islam’s tag on this one.

    Other religions are bad and illogical to many degrees, but none are as oppressively judgmental and murderous as Islam. Call this “racism” if you want (Islam is not a race), but millions of African animists would love to argue with you: Islam is a force for evil and oppression, not liberation.

    There is no laughter in Islam, said the Ayatollah. There is no music. Music is forbidden. Islam is Serious. Islam is Submission to God: There is no freedom.

    This is the message of Islam. Argument is Haram: Obey or die as an apostate. Ms. Nasrin is under permanent death threat, because any Muslim who disagrees with Islam in any way can be branded an apostate and MURDERED – legally.

    How is this freedom?

    Everywhere Islam goes, poverty, oppression and war follow. There are no exceptions. The correlation is precise.

    Wake up, people.

    • peace says

      i am sorry but what you have been exposed to is a truly distorted and misinterpreted version of islam. my trying to defend it will lead you no where i s’ppose but if you really want to know about islam then read about Muhammad (SAW)..
      today some of the muslims have taken the law in their hands and they destroy everyone coming in their path or oppposng them !! thats what is leading people away from the true message of islam..
      Quran,our holy book-the word of Allah,asks us to ponder and reflect..so we can grow spiritually…nd learn through the phases of of growing up..

  12. Gorbachev says

    And as far as Ms. nasrin’s earlier posts go, she framed herself as a champion of women by promoting the Swedish model for “social harmony” – and against prostitution. As an equal-righta (male) feminist, one who aggressively promotes equal rights for women and wants to see women treated *exactly* the same as men, in a genderless way, as far as official policy goes– with women taking an equal role in power and society –

    I found her comments on prostitution noxious and truly offensive, without the barest understanding of what “free will” actually means.

    I post this here because her poster-child for prohibition, Stella Mar, has been outed as a complete fraud. We all knew this before, but for those with quasi-religious ideological beliefs surrounding human sexuality.

    It shouldn’t be lost on Ms. Nasrin or her readers that her position is fundamentally oppressive of women, in a paternalistic fashion. Please forgive me for harping on this, but when someone like Stella Mar gets outed, it’s absolutely worth holding up the poor judgment of prohibitionists like Ms. Nasrin for scrutiny.

    Indeed, as *always*, the hysterical porn-like stories of “survivors” of Western prostitution are once again proved … complete, total fabrications.

    Stella Marr is a fraud and a hoax and a scam. She’s not unique: almost all of these stories are like this. The reason prohibitionists fall for these stories is that their belief systems are religion, not reason.

    Here. Read this:

    http://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/tangled-web/

    “Many of us sex worker rights activists have been well aware of the vicious lies told about us by an abolitionist calling herself “Stella Marr.” She has bullied us and lied about us in numerous articles, forums and on her blogs. There was nothing we could do about it because we did not know her real identity. She felt free to spread her falsehoods anywhere and everywhere, knowing that there was nothing we could do as long as her cloak of anonymity protected her.

    It seems her whole story is a fraud, that she is not who she claims to be (in addition to her fake name), and that she was never the victim of pimps who trafficked her into prostitution. Her real story is much more interesting, but I will not share what I learned if she agrees to publicly apologize to all of us who were defamed by her. A number of you already know who she really is, because the person who outed her originally has shared that info with many other people.”

    More on the links.

    It’s ver yeasy to get caught in the lies, deceptions and outright scams of the hard-core prohibitionist “feminists” (quotes because they’re not proponents of equal rights or even rights).

    Unfortunately, like someone who believes almost religiously in an authoritarian, absolutist doctrine of “salvation”, Ms. Nasrin was utterly taken in by Stella Marr’s obviously phoney story.

    That Stella Marr was a complete scam artist was obvious to anyone who read *anything* she ever wrote.

    Except to the other Disciples who Believed.

    As I said before she was outed, when I noted her story was ridiculous and more like victim pornography than anything real: An obvious huckster that only the “True Believers” of a religion would fall for.

  13. Gorbachev says

    Alas, on both sides of the gender debate, there’s little reasoning involved – just resentment, naked politics, and arguments.

    Unfortunately, nobody feels like reasonable discussion. Everyone is internally assured of their own absolute correctness. Everyone has a conspiracy theory to suit the moment (patriarchy, matriarchy). Everyone has an Exalted Victim who represents the apotheosis of the other party’s evil.

    In one aspect are both sides alike: they both demonize the other.

    Such is the modern state of gender discourse.

    And in such a way are men and women more or less identical.

  14. F says

    Gorbachev

    Both of your posts are déraillment. The first could have been posted in an appropriate thread. The second is utter dreck. Neither should have been posted in a thread about a woman sentenced to death for being raped. You, sir, are an ass.

  15. StevoR says

    Just posted this stream of consciousness poem to be titled ‘For those who’ve had their deaths ordered by Allah / In memory of Najiba, (aged 22), one of too many dead.’
    on this atrocity and so many others here (hope you don’t mind the links to Maryam Namazie’s blog comments, apologies and please let me know if so) :

    http://freethoughtblogs.com/maryamnamazie/2012/07/10/allah-ordered-the-execution/#comment-32400

    Thought you may find it interesting or useful, I hope that’s okay and you like it.

  16. says

    we got a bad headache, and my nose is running.Is the cut still painful? It’s too good to be true!Many young girls dream of being a fashion model.I would like to check out.Let me tell you some details about clearance.Let me tell you some details about clearance.You are a chicken.I will arrange everything.Could you tell me your secret for a long, happy life?

Trackbacks

  1. […] Taslima’s If we want to make the world a better place, we have to stop the system that forces our children to read the books of barbarism and lies and believe everything without asking questions. If we do not inspire our children to study science and have a thinking mind, we will see the crowds of ignorant people everywhere. If we do not encourage our children to study secularism and humanism, we will not be able to stop fanaticism, caste-ism,racism, sectarianism. […]

  2. […] Executed for Being Raped – Taslima narrates the anguish she feels for an Afghan woman who, in July 2012, was condemned to execution by lawmakers because she was either raped or in love; includes a video with ghastly details. […]

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