Reported by the Associated Press this morning, a 12-year old Yemeni child-bride died after struggling in labor to give birth for three days; she bled to death giving birth to a stillborn baby. She was 11 when her father married her to a 24 year old.

Two years ago an 8 year-old Yemeni girl went to court demanding a judge dissolve her marriage to a man in his 30's; she eventually won a divorce and sparked calls for legislative action.


With all the discussion and heated debate surrounding bias toward Muslims and Islamic nations, I am wondering how much of it is based on the deep-seated cultural issues of protecting our children. In our nation, we have gone so far overboard that a parent can now be jailed for spanking their child's behind; we have made the child's rights more important than the parent's. Contrast that with the Middle East and Asian countries, where children are sold into prostitution to keep the rest of the family fed, or married off at disgustingly young ages. How much does this color the way in which people react when they look at folks garbed in turbans and burkhas, maybe even only subconsciously?


Can a Holy Crusade against Islam to protect children and make women equal (and to eliminate the fanatics, of course) provide a sufficient diversion to ward off the looming civil war?

Something else to consider:

Many cultures still hold onto traditions that were necessary when the average lifespan was 30 years.

If a girl wasn't married by 15, she was an "old maid" back then.

Reported by the Associated Press this morning, a 12-year old Yemeni child-bride died after struggling in labor to give birth for three days; she bled to death giving birth to a stillborn baby. She was 11 when her father married her to a 24 year old.

Two years ago an 8 year-old Yemeni girl went to court demanding a judge dissolve her marriage to a man in his 30's; she eventually won a divorce and sparked calls for legislative action.


With all the discussion and heated debate surrounding bias toward Muslims and Islamic nations, I am wondering how much of it is based on the deep-seated cultural issues of protecting our children. In our nation, we have gone so far overboard that a parent can now be jailed for spanking their child's behind; we have made the child's rights more important than the parent's. Contrast that with the Middle East and Asian countries, where children are sold into prostitution to keep the rest of the family fed, or married off at disgustingly young ages. How much does this color the way in which people react when they look at folks garbed in turbans and burkhas, maybe even only subconsciously?


Can a Holy Crusade against Islam to protect children and make women equal (and to eliminate the fanatics, of course) provide a sufficient diversion to ward off the looming civil war?

First of all, this sort of thing is not unique to the islamic world. It happens all over the "third world" for a variety of cultures. As Sixee pointed out, it is a holdover from times when the life expectancy was very much lower and people needed to reproduce quickly and often to replace those who died. For that matter, child abuse in general is a worldwide problem and we don't have to look very far to find it in our own backyard.

I personally have a lot of issues with the Islamic dogma, but as long as it is not being forced down my throat, I am content to live and let live. I would not buy into this whole "Holy Crusade" notion based on how a different culture treats its own adherents. I also disagree that a civil war in the US between liberals and conservatives is at all likely. The difference of opinion are not particularly regional in nature and there are far more people who are middle of the road than are at either extreme. The alternative to working together to find acceptable compromise is far more destructive than the disagreements we currently face and people realize that.

First of all, this sort of thing is not unique to the islamic world. It happens all over the "third world" for a variety of cultures. As Sixee pointed out, it is a holdover from times when the life expectancy was very much lower and people needed to reproduce quickly and often to replace those who died. For that matter, child abuse in general is a worldwide problem and we don't have to look very far to find it in our own backyard.

I personally have a lot of issues with the Islamic dogma, but as long as it is not being forced down my throat, I am content to live and let live. I would not buy into this whole "Holy Crusade" notion based on how a different culture treats its own adherents. I also disagree that a civil war in the US between liberals and conservatives is at all likely. The difference of opinion are not particularly regional in nature and there are far more people who are middle of the road than are at either extreme. The alternative to working together to find acceptable compromise is far more destructive than the disagreements we currently face and people realize that.


/sigh


How do you expect us to be able to start a revolution if you are going to use that kind of thinking??? :(

This stuff still happens in the US, today. So I think we should solve that problem here first before we focus on others.

Hell yea it still happens here... or maybe she is a Muslim living a twisted reverse reality where the women rule and rape the boys!?!

Michigan Mom Found Long-Lost Son Online, Raped Him

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,549323,00.html

She's kind of hot. If she were my mom, I'd let her rape me...LOL

She's kind of hot. If she were my mom, I'd let her rape me...LOL


There is SO much wrong with that statement!

There is SO much wrong with that statement!


Ya think?