Afghan national, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh was up until very recently living under the threat of a death sentence. For 20 months he has been rotting on death row in a prison in Kabul, you may wonder what heinous crime he committed to have such a drastic sentence passed by a jury of his peers. Planting a roadside bomb maybe or perhaps kidnaping and beheading a western aid worker? No, nothing like that, Afghanistan is a Muslim country and a different morality exists there. Sayed was sentenced to death for downloading information on Women's rights from the internet, let that one sink in a while.
Following a petition from readers of the independent and various representations from state leaders and governments around the world the Afghan authorities have finally released him, dropped the charges and flown him out of the country into hiding (why hiding?).
I can't help but be amazed at the reluctance on the part of the media and the Government here in the UK to point out the Elephant in the room here. These are not minor cultural differences, local tradition or emergency rules, this is a huge chasm in the way we in the West think about human rights and the way Islamic regimes like Afghanistan interpret and implement the perceived wishes of ancient literature. Now clearly the reasons for the West to be involved at all in Afghanistan are wide and numerous with self-interest undoubtedly playing a part in the mix. However, I am struggling to get my head around the inescapable conclusion that (among other things) our soldiers are being killed and maimed in order that a medieval system of morality, which is completely at odds with our own can be imposed on a population at least 50% of whom will be demoted to a status slightly above "property", is everyone OK with this?
No comments:
Post a Comment