Monday, August 17, 2009

Denial Has Consequences

Rifqa Bary is a teenage girl who recently ran away from home. However, this is not a prosaic story of youthful rebellion. Bary fled home in fear for her life. You see, she had the misfortune of being born into "a devout Muslim" family. By converting to Christianity, Bary has made herself the target of a "honor killing." Of course, her family and the Islamic Center of Central Florida deny this.



"Their faith does not condone murder." Someone should then mention this to the folks in Pakistan. According to a recent Pew Global poll:
One of the ironies in the survey is the extent to which Pakistanis embrace some of the severe laws associated with the Taliban and al Qaeda, even as they reject Islamic extremism [!] and these extremist groups. The new poll finds broad support for harsh punishments: 78% favor death for those who leave Islam; 80% favor whippings and cutting off hands for crimes like theft and robbery; and 83% favor stoning adulterers.
Meanwhile in Nigeria the Islamic inspired mayhem continues:
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (BP)--Twelve Christians, including three pastors, were killed and 20 churches were demolished in Nigeria amid escalating religiously motivated violence, prompting a call for government intervention.

Sabo Yakubu, a husband, father of seven and pastor of a Church of Christ congregation, was hacked to death by a machete, ICC said. Also killed were Sylvester Akpan, pastor of National Evangelical Mission, and George Orji, pastor of Good News of Christ Church.
It was a little over a year ago that I was banned at History News Network's blog Cliopatria for pointing out the unpleasant facts regarding Islam's treatment of apostates. At issue was Bernard Lewis and Edward Luttwak's temerity of stating the truth about Islamic doctrine regarding apostasy. Cliopatria bloggers Ralph Luker and Menen Ahmed denied that apostasy is a capital crime in Sharia Law and that it is enforced in many parts of the world, now including the West. After all, what's the life of a teenage girl compared to being collegial and Politically Correct in the faculty lounge?

History News Network's editor Rick Shenkman has impeccable timing. Today he has posted some drivel titled: "Our Suicide Bombers" by a Jeff Feffer. His highly original thesis is that American soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are no better than Islamic homicide bombers:
We have our suicide bombers -- we call them heroes. We have our culture of indoctrination -- we call it basic training. We kill civilians -- we call it collateral damage.

We -- the inhabitants of an archipelago of supposedly enlightened warfare -- have been indoctrinated to view the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a legitimate military target and September 11th as a heinous crime against humanity.

It would be far better if we opened our eyes when it came to our own world and looked at what we were actually doing. Yes, "they" sometimes have dismaying cults of sacrifice and martyrdom, but we do too.
If you haven't already been banned, feel free to provide Shenkman and Feffer with your views on their deep thoughts.

In other news today,
NAZRAN, Russia – A suicide bomber rammed a truck into a police station in the Russian region of Ingushetia on Monday, killing at least 20 police in the worst attack to ravage the poor North Caucasus republic in years.
Hat tip: Pamela Geller

Crossposted at The Dougout

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, the authorities will allow Rifqa to be declared legally an adult so she can escape from her male relatives.

Of course, she will still have to change her name and go into hiding.

Damien said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Damien said...

Grant Jones,

I doubt that Rifqa will be declare an adult, but if the right people can be convinced that the threat to her life from her own family is genuine, than maybe she could be kept in protective custody in a nice foster home, away from her parents, and other relatives. I'd rather her be a ward of the state until she reaches adulthood, than have her murdered by one of her family members. Just because she's a child doesn't give her parents the right to murder her, because she won't accept their faith. But I can't see how the state could just declare her an adult, because she's not.

Anonymous said...

Damien -

In the US the age of majority is
arbitrarily set at 18. Legally it means that the parents no longer have financial responsibility for the child. It also means you are legally bound by contracts you sign. And that you can be drafted.

In cases where parents are neglectful or dangerous to a teen age child, and the child has some means of support other than the state, courts can be petitioned to allow that child to be declared "emancipated" from his or her parents.

It means the parents lose their rights with respect to that child.

The most publicized cases are with celebrity teens whose parents may be ripping them off.

It is not that much of a stretch for someone to petition the court for emancipation from one's parents at 17, when the legal age of majority is 18.

And I would argue that 18 year olds are not "adults" either.

But our society deems them as such.

In this girl's case, I am afraid it would just end in her deportation anyway. But maybe some country other than an Islamic one would take her. I think she would have a hard sell getting asylum here.

Ro

Damien said...

Ro,

I don't think being Legally emancipated is the same thing as being an adult. Plus I'm not sure what the law is, but she might be consider too young for that. Still the state should separate her from her family, permanently.

By the way, its age of maturity, not age of majority.

Anonymous said...

THe girl isn't a US citizen, if I read correctly. Her turning 18 would mean deportation, wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

sorry, I meant to say, her being emancipated would mean deportation.

Damien said...

Avenging Apostate,

Not if we could get the government to grant her asylum.

Anonymous said...

Don't want to be a party pooper but that sounds too far-fetched. The father and his lawyer look way stronger than the pastor and a little teenager!

Damien said...

Avenging Apostate,

I hope you're wrong. An innocent little girl's life may depend on it.

Pastorius said...

I don't understand why anyone here thinks she would be deported were she to become emancipated.

We hardly deport anybody. Why would we deport her?

Anonymous said...

Damien - just for knowing - the legal term is "age of majority." It is 18 in the US.

She is close enough to 18.

Pastorius - My guess is that she'd probably be deported because to grant her a visa (which she would need as she would probably no longer be eligible to stay here under her parents' visa)would not go over well with the various lobbies, if you get my drift.

I guess she could apply for a student visa to finish HS here and then go to college.



Ro

Damien said...

Ro,

Well its nice to hear that Rifqa might be able to get away from her abusive parents, and perhaps not get killed by her family members. That would be wonderful.

But, sorry to have to repeat myself, on something that is kind of minor, but sill important. The term is "age of maturity," not "age of majority."

Majority means that more than half of the people in a group fall into one category. Here's an example, "A majority of people don't like brown cars." Probably not true, but you get the idea.

Maturity on the other hand is talking about adulthood, and being grown up and being able to take care of yourself.

Anonymous said...

Damien -

It is a legal term of art. I know 'cos I'm a lawyer. Google it.
Or, if you are boycotting Google, Yahoo it! :)


Ro

Damien said...

Ro,

I don't have a law degree, and if you are a lawyer, I don't want to argue with. I just never heard that term before, and it sounded odd to me, so I was just assuming it was a mistake. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Look, I am not hoping things would go wrong. I am not hoping she'd be deported. I am just saying that this is a very sensitive issue and one little mistake can mean death for this girl.

Rifqa and the pastor already made a huge mistake by mentioning "honor killing". Of course the phrase is not in the quran but the concept is. However, the Muzzies pounced on that phrase and thats making Rifqa's case weak already. I hope the judge is smart though. I really do!

Damien said...

You I can't believe I didn't mention this earlier, but I didn't realize that Rifqa was 17. She looks much younger than that.

Pastorius said...

As per usual, Ro is, in my opinion, right on this subject.

The Pastor and Rifqa have miscalculated their approach, considering the reality of American law.

Sadly, Rifqa is likely a dead woman.