Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights
George Bush has called Afghanistan's democracy "inspirational" and implied that, as it takes hold, other nations will seek to emulate it:
"I hope the people of Afghanistan understand that as democracy takes hold, you're inspiring others," Bush said while visiting Afghanistan for the first time. "And that inspiration will cause others to demand their freedom."
Bush said he was "enthralled" to see the progress being made in Afghanistan. As evidence of this progress, he pointed to the growth of an entrepreneurial spirit enabling Afghans to realize their dreams, to young girls going to school for the first time, to the country's free press, and to the standing-up of a well-trained military dedicated to the sovereignty of the nation.
However, Bush's soaring rhetoric is greatly undermined by the facts on the ground in that country, and especially by the case of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, a young man recently sentenced to death for downloading a report from the internet which said that Muslim fundamentalists who claimed the Koran justified the oppression of women had misrepresented the views of the prophet Mohamed.
He passed this report around Balkh University - with the aim of starting a discussion on the matter - and was arrested and sentenced to death. He is charged with blasphemy.
Despite the intervention of many human rights groups the Afghan Senate yesterday voted to carry out the execution and urged President Karzai not to be influenced by Western pressure groups.
Demonstrations, organised by clerics, against the alleged foreign interference have been held in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where Mr Kambaksh was arrested. Aminuddin Muzafari, the first secretary of the houses of parliament, said: "People should realise that as we are representatives of an Islamic country therefore we can never tolerate insults to reverences of Islamic religion."
At a gathering in Takhar province, Maulavi Ghulam Rabbani Rahmani, the heads of the Ulema council, said: "We want the government and the courts to execute the court verdict on Kambaksh as soon as possible." In Parwan province, another senior cleric, Maulavi Muhammad Asif, said: "This decision is for disrespecting the holy Koran and the government should enforce the decision before it came under more pressure from foreigners."
The Independent have started a campaign to prevent the execution of Kambaksh which you can sign here.
It's a strange kind of democracy where one can be sentenced to death for challenging religious beliefs and it's certainly not one that I would call "inspirational" as Bush has done. The whole notion of blasphemy runs counter to the democratic ideal; that all ideas should circulate freely, not just our own.
The war in Afghanistan, which was fought to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist group, quickly morphed into a desire to remove the Taliban when it's primary aim proved elusive.
However, one of the major complaints that Bush and others cited against the Taliban was the extremity of their religious beliefs and the fact that they sought to impose those beliefs upon the whole country.
It's hard to see any "inspirational" difference between what's happening to Sayed Pervez Kambaksh and the kind of behaviour one could have expected from the Taliban.
Please consider signing the petition.
Click title for full article.
8 comments:
The war in Afghanistan, which was fought to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist group, quickly morphed into a desire to remove the Taliban when it's primary aim proved elusive.
Removing the Taliban was the plan from the moment they refused to hand over Bin Laden and his cohorts.
However, Bush's soaring rhetoric is greatly undermined by the facts on the ground in that country
Honestly, I'd be surprised if you had even knew what the capital of Afghanistan was prior to 9/11. Have you ever spent time in a third world country? Have you ever spent time in a Muslim country?
The difference in Afghanistan now as opposed to when the Taliban was running the show are blatantly obvious to anyone with half a clue who has done even the most basic of research.
That said, while such a sentence may be shocking to civilized people such as yourself, you should know that these types of sentences for similar "crimes" are commonplace throughout the Muslim world. With that in mind, Afghanistan is no different.
One doesn't change centuries of culture in the span of six or seven years. The best one can hope for is to gradually bring them along into the modern world.
Odd, but of course not surprising, that you take one of these backwards-ass countries barbaric laws and try to use it as some kind of point against Bush. Talk about reaching.
By the way, do you seriously believe that some kind of ridiculous online petition is gong to have any influence on anything? Wow, there's really standing up for a cause and putting it all on the line. It will have about as much influence as all the wasted hours you've spent marching around London or picketing outside some American airbase shouting silly slogans - absolutely none.
Now hopefully the real people with influence (Bush, your PM, etc...), not you or anybody else signing an online petition, can convince Karzai to intervene and spare the man's life.
Since you obviously find much about Muslim culture barbaric, maybe you should spend equal time in your blog on the subject. Oh wait, nevermind. It's only relevant when it can be used as some kind of weak excuse to go after Bush.
Removing the Taliban was the plan from the moment they refused to hand over Bin Laden and his cohorts.
Yes, but only as a way of getting to bin Laden. When they failed to capture him the removal of the Taliban started to be talked about as if it was the sole reason for the invasion.
I well remember Colin Powell telling us that, "kites were flying over Kabul" as if a new liberated dawn had come to that country.
Since you obviously find much about Muslim culture barbaric, maybe you should spend equal time in your blog on the subject.
I find the death penalty barbaric wherever it is practiced, including in your country, Jason.
It will have about as much influence as all the wasted hours you've spent marching around London or picketing outside some American airbase shouting silly slogans - absolutely none.
More ridiculous insults from a man who has never challenged authority in his life. And people spending "wasted hours" shouting "silly slogans" has resulted in women gaining the vote, black liberation, the decriminalisation of gay sex, the release of Nelson Mandela... I could go on and on, but what's the point? I'm speaking to a brick wall.
More ridiculous insults from a man who has never challenged authority in his life.
Wa;ling around with a sign is challenging authority? Wow, that's pretty daring stuff. As I've said before, I've put my own ass on the line countless times to provide actual tangible help to others. Have your grand acts of noble defiance actually positively affected the lives of anyone? But hey, if you feel like you're making a difference, more power to you.
And people spending "wasted hours" shouting "silly slogans" has resulted in women gaining the vote...
You are correct in that people marching around shouting silly slogans can have an effect on domestic issues by helping to create an atmosphere where the politicians who actually rectify these injustices are able to get their legislation through. But that is of course limited to domestic issues. The Afghani parliament could care less that a bunch of people felt so strongly about the issue that they went so far out of their way as to submit an online form for a petition. You have no leverage over them and the leverage of people who feel so strongly about it that they're willing to submit an online form isn't required to convince the government it should raise the issue to Karzai.
It's a bad situation worth highlighting, and that's about it. It has nothing to do with Bush and attempting to make the issue about Bush only serves to further demonstrate the BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome).
If you feel strongly enough about it, do some work for a non-profit trying to help people in Afghanistan. I'd say go over there and do some work but I'm quite sure that you don't feel that strongly about any of this stuff.
Wa;ling around with a sign is challenging authority? Wow, that's pretty daring stuff.
No, it's not daring at all. It's a basic right in any democracy. Which is what makes the Afghanistan decision to kill someone for expressing a contrary viewpoint so appalling.
Young British men and women are risking their lives to ensure that country becomes democratic, that's why Karzai should listen, not to us, but to our governments.
You are correct in that people marching around shouting silly slogans can have an effect on domestic issues by helping to create an atmosphere where the politicians who actually rectify these injustices are able to get their legislation through.
That's why yesterday's link took you to petition for the UK Foreign Office, not to Karzai as you wrongly assumed.
It is our government that we are trying to pressure and from the reaction of politicians in today's Independent I'd say their campaign is proving highly effective. Ordinary punters and soldiers mothers have written in asking why we are fighting there for democracy if that democracy does not include free speech.
And the politicians are also responding:
"The Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the all-party group for the abolition of the death penalty, has put down an early day motion urging the British Government to intercede to save Mr Kambaksh's life. In a Commons plea to Harriet Harman, the Leader of the House, he said: "I draw the Leader of the House's attention particularly to the front page of The Independent which highlights the case of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh... Surely, given our current involvement in that country... we will not just sit back and allow this monstrous act to take place without doing anything about it?""
It's a bad situation worth highlighting, and that's about it.
No, it's much worse than that. Without free speech there cannot be democracy in Afghanistan. And, if there's no democracy, why are we telling soldiers that this is what they are risking their lives for?
Which is what makes the Afghanistan decision to kill someone for expressing a contrary viewpoint so appalling.
Afghanistan is in the infancy of being a democracy. It doesn't happen over night.
Young British men and women are risking their lives to ensure that country becomes democratic
They are? I though they were risking their lives because NATO invoke its "collective defense" clause after 9/11. While Afghanistan becoming a democracy is certainly part of it and a nice bonus, I can tell you that the Americans didn't go there specifically to create a democracy.
We went there to capture and kill AQ types and to end the terrorist sponsoring regime of the Taliban. The democracy aspect of it is certainly a nice by-product.
Doh! I hit "submit" before I was finished.
not to Karzai as you wrongly assumed.
I didn't assume that. I know who the petition was for. I'm not an idiot.
It is our government that we are trying to pressure and from the reaction of politicians in today's Independent I'd say their campaign is proving highly effective.
There's no evidence in that article that the pressure being brought against Karzai has anything whatsoever to do with the 13500 people who were so outraged they submitted an online form. The article did mention hundreds who protested in Kabul (this seemed far more significant to me, but whatever), who I somehow doubt were driven to the streets by the tremendous outrage of the 13500. The article also mentioned diplomatic protests that were raised, but again, with no suggestion that these diplomatic protests were raised as a result of the Independent's campaign.
So it seems that as I suspected, the online petition was a hollow act that serves more to make people feel better about themselves than anything else. Sending off letters to the politicians or actually signing a live petition would have carried at least a tiny bit more weight with the pols I think.
Afghanistan is in the infancy of being a democracy. It doesn't happen over night.
Agreed. Which is why it is so important to point out this fundamental mistake.
You appear to think that this is a waste of time.
While Afghanistan becoming a democracy is certainly part of it and a nice bonus, I can tell you that the Americans didn't go there specifically to create a democracy.
The spreading of democracy has been a central theme of the Bush presidency. You are simply being disingenuous to pretend that spreading democracy in Afghanistan has not been an aim of the Bush regime. Indeed, Bush called freedom the "permanent hope of mankind" and linked the expansion of freedom and democracy with U.S. national security.
The article also mentioned diplomatic protests that were raised, but again, with no suggestion that these diplomatic protests were raised as a result of the Independent's campaign.
The Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael actually quoted the campaign in the house as he called on Harriet Harman, the Leader of the House, to take action.
You are simply being disingenuous to pretend that spreading democracy in Afghanistan has not been an aim of the Bush regime.
I never said it wasn't an aim, and in fact quite plainly pointed out that it was a secondary objective (a nice bonus). But it was also quite plainly never the primary objective. The primary objectives were AQ and the removal of the Taliban regime that supported them. That is why we went in to Afghanistan and for no othe reason.
Now once we get to the point of we're removing the current government and it has to be replaced with something, quite obviously we are going to replace it with a democratically based government.
If British people really think this is why we went in there to begin with, they must not have turned on the television on September 11th, 2001.
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