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Thursday, January 31, 2008

1,2,3, What're We Fightin' For?

 
From The Independent (United Kingdom) [Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights].

Everyone who supports Canada's role in Afghanistan should be very certain they know what kind of "freedom and democracy" we're supporting. The conclusion is obvious. It's time to cut and run and let the Afghans sort out things for themselves. We're not helping by choosing to support a government that; (a) can't control more than a tiny percentage of the country; and (b) shouldn't even be allowed to control that small bit. As for the rest of the country, we seem to be fightin' for warlords and the drug trade. Oh yeah, we also support Pakistan who allows a bunch of thugs to control 20% of the country where the meaning of "freedom" is very different from what we mean. [See the following links for other examples of rational thinking: This is what 77 Canadian lives buys]
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santayana (1905)
A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death by an Islamic court for downloading a report from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai.

The fate of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has led to domestic and international protests, and deepening concern about erosion of civil liberties in Afghanistan. He was accused of blasphemy after he downloaded a report from a Farsi website which stated that Muslim fundamentalists who claimed the Koran justified the oppression of women had misrepresented the views of the prophet Mohamed.

Mr Kambaksh, 23, distributed the tract to fellow students and teachers at Balkh University with the aim, he said, of provoking a debate on the matter. But a complaint was made against him and he was arrested, tried by religious judges without – say his friends and family – being allowed legal representation and sentenced to death.





[Photo Credit: Reuters]
[Hat Tip: RichardDawkins.net]

5 comments :

Mike said...

Blatent plug alert:

http://propterhoc.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/this-is-what-77-canadian-lives-buys/

G. Tingey said...

I hate to agree with you ...

I have always said that we should be in Afghanistan, getting the Taliban out of existence....

But, this requires an ultimatum from the "western" governments, along the lines of:
"You will release this man, you will take NO action against him, or anyone like him, you will abolish your blasphemy lwas.
You have one month.
If you do not comply within that time-limit, we will pull out, and leave you & the Taliban to rot."

Anonymous said...

Having read quite a bit about life in Afghanistan under the Taliban, I have been very much in favour of our presence there. News like this does make you wonder what is being achieved.

Anonymous said...

Definitely strongly agree. No way in imaginary-hell we should be supporting a country in which something like this is even a possibility, let alone an actuality.

Ned Ludd said...

Country Joe did another song a couple of years ago which is not on youtube but you can listen to on Country Joe's Jukebox site, "Cakewalk to Baghdad". Here are the lyrics.

http://www.countryjoe.com/cjb.htm#cakewalk

It is interesting to note, that Country Joe himself was and ex-military man.

Another song about the wars that is worthwhile by the Asylum Street Spankers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8