alcohol

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

At 02:35 PM 2/16/99 -0600, you wrote:

>Adnan

>What do you mean by "at least, murder of men"? Do these countries allow

>murder of women?  Or are you implying that killing animals is murder?

>

>WASHBURN

>I'm glad you asked.  Last night's Nightline was the first of a

>two-parter on the common practice of "honor killing" in Pakistan, i.e.,

>the murder of women by their husbands, fathers, or brothers on suspicion

>of sexual impropriety.  Although these murders are technically

>forbidden, the murderers get no more than a slap on the wrist.  Women

>who kill their attackers in self defense, on the other hand, are

>imprisoned and hanged.  The transcript of last night's show is on the

>ABC website, and part two is scheduled for tonight.


ADNAN
It has more to do with poverty and corruption than law. In a poor country like
Pakistan,   the rich and powerful can also get away for killing a man (not just
woman). If the wife has a strong family background, the husband would get in
trouble. It depends on what part of society you are dealing with. This happen
more among poor, uneducated and in rural area. As you probably might know, few
years back, the head of the state in Pakistan was a woman, Benazir Buhto. She
was also pretty corrupt. She was accused by some for being involved in the
killing of her brother because of her brother's political opposition to her.
(If true, here is a case of a woman killing a man and getting away with it).  

But yes, the position of women in Pakistan is bad. They have some strange laws
that even other Islamic countries don't have. For example, in Islamic law if
someone accuses a woman for adultery,  he must provide four witnesses. Most
Muslim would interpret the law of four witnesses as a protection for women
against false witness. If that's true, a woman should be able to charge rape
without producing any additional witnesses, because the law is supposed to be
for the protection of women, not men rapers. But in Pakistan, as I have heard,
even the women has to provide four witnesses if she is raped. 


>ADNAN

>Above you said that if Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan forbid murder

>that does not mean law forbidding murder is repulsive. Why then law

>forbidding alcohol must be repulsive if Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan

>have this law? I can't see any connection here. 

>

>WASHBURN

>My point is that ONLY the religious fundamentalist countries of the

>middle east and Christian fundamentalist areas of the USA forbid

>alcohol.  Doesn't that raise a red flag in your mind?


ADNAN
No, it does not. I am not arguing that alcohol should be banned, but I don't
see any connection between someone advocating prohibition of alcohol and
religious fundamentalism. Besides, where does the Bible say that alcohol should
be banned? I thought Jesus himself turned water into wine.

• Previous message: alcohol
• Next message: alcohol
• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]