From the Guardian:
An Islamist rebel administration in Somalia has had a 13-year-old girl stoned to death for adultery after the child's father reported that she was raped by three men.
Amnesty International said al-Shabab militia, which controls the southern city of Kismayo, arranged for 50 men to stone Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow in front of about 1,000 spectators. A lorry load of stones was brought to the stadium for the killing.
Amnesty said Duhulow struggled with her captors and had to be forcibly carried into the stadium.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
UPDATE: Here's a horrifying account of the stoning from the BBC.
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But what should a Christian response be?
ReplyDeleteForgive me, God, but I pray the meeting with their 70 some virgins will be considerably different from what they expect. And I'm thinking far worse than the fleas of a thousand camels. It is hard to be charitable or forgiving in this situation.
Piskie, I don't know. I'm stunned. Maybe by tomorrow, I'll have a coherent thought or two.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I will ever have coherent thoughts about things like this. My heart breaks for the young girl. First the trauma of the rapes, having her father turn her in for adultery and finally being drug into a stadium where you are stoned to death.
ReplyDeleteHow does a society get to this point? Severe patriarchy and what else..........
Two Auntees, her father reported that she had been raped.
ReplyDeleteHe [the father] told Amnesty that when they tried to report her rape to the militia, the child was accused of adultery and detained. None of the men accused was arrested.
I still have no words.
Chere Mimi bien aimee
ReplyDeleteit's not much, but might it not at least help our pain and feelings of remote helplessness if we individualy wrote letters of protest to the government of Somalia http://www.somali-gov.info/
, protesting Aisha's brutal rape and institutionalized massacre, reminding them the eyes of the world are upon them.
There's also Amnesty International, of course.
I'd suggest that the essential that in these days of electronic communication, it becomes even more essential that we, as people of faith make our witness, and it's the very least Aisha deserves of us.
just a thought
David@Montreal
Horrible, simply horrible!
ReplyDeleteA protest sent to the Somali Government who don't control the territory is perhaps the only thing one can do for the poor, poor girl.
head bent, prayers and tears... what else to say?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that Amnesty is doing what they can. It may not be a bad idea to write to the Somali government. Maybe a bunch of emails from the West could help in some way.
ReplyDeleteI guess that I pray that the Holy Spirit will enable me to pray for the murderers' souls. I can not do it without help.
ReplyDeleteForgive me.
I am less generous. The three rapists and the 50 murderers should be stoned. And those in charge publicly flayed. That might give the next jerks some pause for thought.
ReplyDeleteOK, I am not very evolved. I am grateful for those who prayerfully seek to be better.
The death of the patriarchy, which is inevitable and is taking place in our time, is not going to be quick or easy. It will be very ugly because patriarchy is not going without a very violent fight.
Those in power rarely share or relinquish power. Which is why the pattern of Jesus is so very shocking.
There is an appalling BBC radio account of the stoning.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7707000/7707683.stm