A Taliban firing squad killed a young couple in southwestern Afghanistan for trying to elope, shooting them with AK-47s in front of a crowd in a lawless, militant-controlled region, officials said Tuesday.
The woman, 19-year-old Gul Pecha, and the man, 21-year-old Abdul Aziz, were accused by the militants of immoral acts, and a council of conservative clerics decided that the two should be killed, officials said.
The two had hoped to travel to Iran, which borders their home province of Nimroz, but their parents sent villagers to bring them home, said Sadiq Chakhansori, the chief of the provincial council. Once back home, the pair was either turned over to the Taliban by their parents or the militants took them by force, the officials said, providing slightly varying accounts….
In remote and dangerous regions of Afghanistan, Taliban fighters operate what are sometimes referred to as shadow governments, where militant leaders serve as government officials and run their own police units and pseudo court systems.
What can you say? There’s no end to such stories.
Thanks, K B
Christianity started in the same harsh desert environment as Islam but spread pretty quickly to other locales early on. Islam has pretty much stayed in the harsh desert environment until relatively recently, and I think that has something to do with their harsh outlook on the world. In other words, it stayed immersed in the desert culture from which it came and so stuck with the harsh customs that came from that desert culture.
I don’t blame Islam for the harshness of its punishments. I blame the desert culture which it was create in. Regardless, it’s harsh and needs to change.
#26: Separation of church and state is a pretty new concept in for Chritians as well. I’d probably date its practical application to the formation of the USA. At that time pretty much every other government ruled by divine mandate.
#21:
“Didn’t you just ignore your own sage insight that those regimes ‘did not kill in the NAME of their atheism?'”
Not really.
Jihad is an order from a religious leader to wage war, which Christianity hasn’t done for at least a thousand years.
Someone always pipes up with, “Hitler was a Christian therefore Christianity is just as bad as Islam.” This is almost always some snarky atheist’s attempt at painting every religion with the same brush.
The connection between Hitler’s actions and his religion is very, very thin. What the communists did is at least as, if not less, thinly connected to their atheism.
The logic applies just as well to the atheist communists, but atheists conveniently forget this.
Just for a debate point re #6: If we don’t have a moral duty to help the innocents over there, then we shouldn’t be raising our taxes to help the poor innocents over here either. It’s the same “moral” issue.
My own personal solution to this problem would be relatively inexpensive and useful: we should conduct a series of above ground nuclear tests in the region. Besides solving the immediate problem, we could also get the side benefit of getting some good empirical data on how well our weaponry actually works.
#33–brm==it took a second read, but yes, I agree with you. There are in fact two snarky groups: atheists who claim Hitler was a Christian and Christians who claim Hitler was an atheist and both groups try to brand the philosophy with his actions.
In fact, Hitler was a jingoistic, hate anyone who is different, nutbag politician leading a group of sheep who were predisposed to act their way to begin with.
STFU, you cultural imperialists. This is how one culture handles enforcement of it’s moral demands. You have no right to impose your beliefs on them.
You don’t have to like it but you do have to accept it.
I’m so sorry but nobody else has acted on Godwin’s law and thus I am forced to do so:
Anyone who mentioned Hitler is wrong.
#31 Phydeaux…said ..I don’t blame Islam for the harshness of its punishments. I blame the desert culture which it was create in.
Interesting point but I blame Muslin leaders for sticking to the literal interpretation of the Koran. Perhaps that is what you meant in those living a ‘desert culture’.
For instance, while I despise organized religion as a whole, Christianity has at least mutated to where most ‘worshipers’ simply IGNORE the more ridiculous and radical parts of the bible. The Muslims on the other hand, don’t simply look the other way but tend to take everything literally. In Christian suburbs, you don’t see a women getting stoned to death for having affairs – and “that’s OK”.
I would generally agree that Muslims need to “mutate” as well as they integrate into Western cultures and it will take another hundred years perhaps.
Unfortunately, highly civilized societies like ours will have to deal with loony end of the Christian and Muslim mentality (ex Alfred1). The good news is the averages on the loony scale improve over time. I’m interested to read more some day how countries like Turkey and Egypt seemed to have progressed to where they are.
Where is the liberal outcry for tolerance and poor kids.
#9 paddy o
I asked for proof regarding islam punishing people for falling in love and you brought me verses from quran talking about war. Nice try but stay on the topic of discussion.
Probably the best thing we can do to stop this kind of stuff in the long run is to educate them and try to bring them into the 21st century. Primitive societies have primitive “justice”.
#34 Toxic Asshead… you named yourself well. 🙂
Ah who cares what a bunch of pedophiliac sand nigg (er uh – sorry – Sand Negros) do? That’s one less breeder and one less terrorist.
#42 If you want to be a good troll, watch Paddy O’Troll, he’s pretty good. This attempt is way too obvious.
# 34 Toxic Asshead said, on April 16th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Just for a debate point re #6: If we don’t have a moral duty to help the innocents over there, then we shouldn’t be raising our taxes to help the poor innocents over here either. It’s the same “moral” issue.”
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It’s only the same moral issue if you do not consider yourself a part of a country – our country.
They have their country, and can do what they want with it. We should do what we consider to be correct, here in our own country – and it is quite different (or should be).
I notice that for you, TA, it all boils down to money – your money – being spent on people who are not you. Don’t we get a thank you for the roads you use that others paid for, the public parks, the sewers, the police, the teachers? How about the volunteer military people who risk life, limbs, family and sanity? I guess you don’t use them though.
In my experience, those who moan loudest about helping people who are down on their luck are the first to run to their goverment for help when they find themselves in trouble. That includes the millionaire bankers.
If our country turned out to be only about money, the founding fathers would weep in their graves.
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A word to the a-hole who implied that I favored genocide. Don’t be stupid. I said – if we are attacked. My response would be punishment in hopes of future deterrence. If they don’t like our bombs they can stop attacks on us from their country. It’s their choice.
(that’s more of an explanation than you deserve)
You know it is bad when someones goal is to go to Iran for a better life.
I can’t stand but become tried of reading peoples comments about how they view Christianity and/or Islam. -.-;;
Most of you guy’s view and opinions on Christianity are condemning it for acts that happened a long time ago:
#18 “The Christians didn’t fair a lot better, giving us Holy Wars(tm), crusades, witch trails, and such. This is why the ‘religious right’ scares me”
Seriously? If this is how this guy thinks then he should be fearing Germans or the Greeks.
And this comment by #7:
“…Im still looking for that article that describes how christians are cutting the clits out of 10 yr old girls…”
Yes, this is bad, but is it right to condemn every Christian or the religion on this? I’m sure that if you ask a Christian or look in the Bible that this act would be condemned by Jesus, and the person or group should be punished. What a poor example about Christianity.
Christianity is never called to be a ruling authority in a nations government. In the Bible Jesus talks about how Christians should respect the government that they are under and work with it, not to opress or control. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Look at how they existed in Rome…before it was made into official religion(Yes, this is a bad thing.), and how it came to help shape America’s founding fathers and government.
You can see the examples of Christianity taken to the wrong role in controlling the government. All you need to do is look back back in history. These were perverse abuses and exploitations or Christianity. It was people that read and understood the teachings of the Bible that lead the Reformation, and founding of the US.
“Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
US Constitution 1st Amendment
It was the governemnt founded religious states that the founding fathers wish to prevent. They did not want ANY religion to be the governing force, but they still had moral convictions, something more politicians and leaders lack today, rooted in their faith.
It is the examples of the abuse and perversion of Christianity that people use to condemn it and pervert people’s view of it in today’s society.
That’s what I get tried of seeming, and see a lot of in the comments for to this article and more. Go to a local church, not some crazy radical extremist church and see and talk with the people. Should you go to the Taliban and then judge ALL Islam based it? No, you shouldn’t.
I guess the moral of this comment is that Extremism is a bad judge of a religion, whether it be Secularism, Christianity, or Islam.
Dude actually #7 was being facetious it was not Christians that circumcise women and girls that is an Islamist act.
Actually I think the female genital mutilation was there before Islam came…
I don’t know I think it may have sprouted from literal translations, after all would you not oppress woman kind if they were involved in getting you kicked out of paradise?
#49 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation
Read it if you dare… ugh. 🙁
The traditional cultural practice of FGC predates both Islam and Christianity. A Greek papyrus from 163 B.C. mentions girls in Egypt undergoing circumcision and it is widely accepted to have originated in Egypt and the Nile valley at the time of the Pharaohs. Evidence from mummies have shown both Type I and Type III FGC present.[40] (Note that the earliest evidence of male circumcision is also from Ancient Egypt.) While the spread of the practice of FGC is unknown, the procedure is now practiced by some Muslims, although contrary to their religious beliefs, and Animists.[41]
Wow those sick Dvorak’s
Okay #8 tell the nice people what a father is supposed to do if his son should leave the faith then tell me this is a religion of love.
Small note to others.
Christ never told any of his followers to kill anybody. There is some evidence that he told them to kill nobody. You can look it up and decide yourself like everyone else or not.
Mohammed made the state and church one and gave a rather clear code of laws. They are required to impose those laws on everybody.
Watching people from different religions hurl insults at each other and defending and trying to justify their own ancient holy books is like watching two 5 year olds argue about who has the better imaginary friend. Neither side has any proof of the existence of their friend.
But it is so much fun!
#55 agreed!
In SF, the MUNI buses are driving around with paid ads on the side. They say:
“ISLAM – You deserve to know. Submission to GOD. ” Then there is a phone number.
I think we should all call it. I’ll post it tomorrow here on the site if I see one.
And the new head of Homeland (PUKE) Security won’t use the word “terrorist” or “terrorist attack”, instead preferring the term, “Man-Made Disaster”. Any wonder why I plan to protect myself instead of relying on these idiots?
Family values
#44 – If we limited our government sponsored aid to those “down on their luck” I would be all for it. Of course I use the tax sponsored resources – I helped pay for them. Those who are down on their luck have presumably contributed in the past and will again when they get back on their feet. Those who have never contributed and never will are a different story and they are the issue. The morality of using gov’t aid to help them is the same here or there. If people weren’t over taxed they could afford to give more to private charity for that kind of aid. On top of that you get the added benefit of choosing who you want to help and a charity will be able to provide more help per $ than a gov’t will every day.
#6, 44 — You are one of the few intelligent voices on this blog.