England Says No — To Shia Beatings for Teens UNDER 16
September 25, 2008 Far-right, Immigration
The granddaddy of Western civilization has found the strength to at least partially resist the creeping Shariah law in England.
The BBC reports,
A devout Shia Muslim has been given a suspended prison sentence for making two boys beat themselves during a religious ceremony.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court found Syed Mustafa Zaidi, 44, guilty of two counts of child cruelty last month.
The boys, aged 13 and 15, were urged to beat themselves with a zanjeer whip, with five curved blades.
Still, the beatings obviously have to continue for teens of consent…that’s what being a Shia is all about!
Local Muslim leader Safdar Zia said the ceremony could not be eliminated.
Oh, of course not!
If England cannot find the strength to resist the fanatics, Europe is screwed. And the U.S. is at further risk. Britain, don’t fail us now. We need you. Please don’t fall. Give these maniacs that stiff upper lip you are so famous for! Do not forget your grand heritage!
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My mom and her brothers used to peak out of the curtained windows from her home in Tehran during parades of such self-flagellation. It’s the very reason her family left “that shit-country”, in her words.
If adults want to beat themselves into bloody pulps… well whatever. But encouraging children to hit themselves with blades? That’s the worst form of child abuse I’ve ever heard of.
UK reporting restrictions forbidding identification of child abuse victims prevented mentioning that this Shia’s victims were his own sons
You get such weird mutilation rites in other cultures as well, e.g. in some parts of Southeast Asia, it’s customary to file youths teeth even with stones (an extremely painful procedure) as a rite of initiation to adulthood. In parts of central Africa, patterns get cut into the flesh of adults-to-be, and the wounds are kept open / infected on purpose with the help of salt or sand. Those “decors” stick with those people through all of their lives. Not to sound snobby, but apparently many “primitive” cultures share rites in which self-inflicted pain / injuries symbolize (the passage to) adulthood. How that compares to getting squeezed beyond recognition by all one’s aunts t one’s bar / bat mitzvah / confirmation, I do not know…
should read: at one’s bar / bat mitzvah…
Religious flagellation is sadly common. In many South American countries, people redo the whole crucifixion thing and nail people to crosses on the ground, they whip each other, etc.
Humans seem to inherently hate themselves and be filled with guilt, and hurting themselves like that sometimes makes them feel like they’re getting closer to G-d by carrying out His punishment on them, as if it is some sort of weird honesty and taking of responsibility. Meanwhile they go one making the Earth a nightmare…
As far as England and Sharia go, they need to not go farther than they would with a beit din. Religious courts should have ZERO civilian enforceability and only be taken as a sign of how the situation at hand is viewed in the religious community. For instance, a religious court says a divorce is not warranted and documents neither side taking the marriage seriously or trying as directed, then the civilian court should consider that, but if the religious court orders a divorce but neither party wishes to, then the civilian court should not be bound either to force that.
Much less cutting hands off like they do down in Saudi Arabia.
I’d also add that there is a sadomasochistic element in this sort of thing, a sublimated eroticism. It’s unsavory at any time, but when it’s forced upon children – there are no words. There are limits beyond which I cease to be a cultural relativist (don’t tell half-sours). I hope they throw the book at him. A large, heavy book. With curved blades.
Jeff,
I’m not sure how you define “cultural relativist”, but I wouldn’t consider myself an extremist in that direction. Are you referring to our discussion of religious messianists?
I’m saying that I’m a cultural relativist – it’s part of my liberal persona – but I’m suspending it in this case. In other words, in cases like this, I cease to be a “liberal”. It’s self-deprecating humor. I’m kidding you.
Could any of you please define “cultural relativist” to me? I’d appreciate it…
Cultural relativism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relativism
Ah, get it; would be “sozi-kultureller Kontext” in German (the concept, that is). Certainly, different cultures have got different views on matters, but if one immigrates to and benefits from the socio-cultural context of a certain place, they also have to accept the values that are commonly accepted there.
S/F, I’d go even further; I don’t think it should be allowed even in their countries of origin. Certainly not when it involves children.
Jeff, I feel that way as well; however, that is beyond “our” control unless we’re willing to do what’s highly needed in those countries: making secular education accessible for all ages and all genders. – We can’t even get our fellow brethren to do it.
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