Taliban execution of Afghan woman sparks outrage
After receiving their first commission from Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel, the apostles “went off and preached repentance.” Taliban hardliners in Afghanistan apparently allow little room for repentance . . .
After receiving their first commission from Jesus in this Sunday’s gospel, the apostles “went off and preached repentance.” Taliban hardliners in Afghanistan apparently allow little room for repentance, at least in the recent public slaying of an Afghan woman accused of adultery whose gruesome, execution-style killing has surfaced in video footage
The video shows the woman being shot multiple times about 10 days ago. The gunman was encouraged by people who stood nearby, smiling and cheering him on as “Mujahedeen,” or resistance fighters.
The death of the unidentified woman, said to be in her 20s, set off a storm of condemnation. President Hamid Karzai, the U.S. Embassy, the top NATO military commander in Afghanistan, and activist groups all denounced the killing. Dozens of men and women took to the streets of Kabul on Wednesday to protest the slaying.
Despite guaranteed rights and progressive new laws, the U.N. Development Program still ranks Afghanistan as one of the world's worst countries when it comes to basic human rights for women. Ending abuse of women is a huge challenge in a patriarchal society where traditional practices include child marriage, giving girls away to settle debts or pay for their relatives' crimes, and so-called honor killings in which girls seen as disgracing their families are murdered by relatives.
Part of what is so shocking about the public execution is where it took place. Parwan Province lies just north of the capital Kabul and houses Bagram Air Field, a massive U.S. base. “This incident took place directly under the noses of the Afghan government and the international community,” wrote one observer. “We can ask the question what will happen when we leave,” added regional expert Christine Fair, “but let’s remember that this is actually happening while we’re still there.”
The video shows the woman being shot multiple times about 10 days ago. The gunman was encouraged by people who stood nearby, smiling and cheering him on as “Mujahedeen,” or resistance fighters.
The death of the unidentified woman, said to be in her 20s, set off a storm of condemnation. President Hamid Karzai, the U.S. Embassy, the top NATO military commander in Afghanistan, and activist groups all denounced the killing. Dozens of men and women took to the streets of Kabul on Wednesday to protest the slaying.
Despite guaranteed rights and progressive new laws, the U.N. Development Program still ranks Afghanistan as one of the world's worst countries when it comes to basic human rights for women. Ending abuse of women is a huge challenge in a patriarchal society where traditional practices include child marriage, giving girls away to settle debts or pay for their relatives' crimes, and so-called honor killings in which girls seen as disgracing their families are murdered by relatives.
Part of what is so shocking about the public execution is where it took place. Parwan Province lies just north of the capital Kabul and houses Bagram Air Field, a massive U.S. base. “This incident took place directly under the noses of the Afghan government and the international community,” wrote one observer. “We can ask the question what will happen when we leave,” added regional expert Christine Fair, “but let’s remember that this is actually happening while we’re still there.”
Sources: Articles by Muhammad Lila for ABC News, Deb Riechmann for the
Associated Press, and Ben Arnoldy for the Christian Science Monitor