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Afghan Student Gets 20 Years For Blasphemy
Invisible Pink Unicorn writes "Despite nationwide public support for his initial death sentence, a three-judge appeals court has reduced the sentence of Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh to 20 years in prison. Kambakhsh was charged with circulating an article on women's rights that he found online. From the article: 'Family members have said Kambakhsh was beaten and threatened with death until he signed a confession and that local journalists who expressed support for him were warned they would be arrested if they persisted.'"
This would be happening in America if Christians had their way.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
Seems like a generally good idea.
Yes, Middle-Eastern culture is fundamentally different than ours.
So?
No, we don't have a right to tell other nations how to run themselves socially.
Sure we do. We have the right to say whatever we please. They simply don't have to be obliged to like it. When it comes to shit like this, and let me be specific, a nations who's very livelihood depends on the stability provided by other nations with values radically more liberal than their own, they have no place to pull this kind of shit. Or, simpler, they throw pebbles at the wall inside their glass house while being afraid of the asshole outside with a brick.
Look at it like this. You see a woman being robbed and/or raped at gunpoint. Do you say you have no right to tell the rapist to stop? Or do you not tell the rapist to stop because you have no backbone while he wields a gun?
Stuff like this is a human rights abuse. An we, the collective "civilized world" have the right, the power, and the place, to call shenanigans on these kinds of things. To be heavy handed if we have to. It wont make us popular with them (or their apologist/allies), but would you really care what a rapist thinks of you for putting him behind bars?
One more point. Let's be honest here, "Middle-Eastern culture" means Islam. In this case, it means specifically Sharia, which is the big "cultural" excuse that's bandied about for why noone should step in and protect the little non/not-so-extreme muslims that are the victims to these kinds of abuses. We ("The West"), don't follow Sharia, and I am willing to bet that those who fall victims to it aren't wanting to either. By allowing the muslim excuse of "culture", you are throwing progressive and/or innocent people to "peaceful" wolves. (Yes, peaceful was sarcasm.)
Tolerance of intolerance is the most bass ackward notion there is.
Thanks for making my case for me you oh so articulate radical, you. Ooh pinch me, is it the Age of Aquarius yet?
Your the ones doing the murdering dumb ass.
The same thing that should be done when your country does it.
Only if you believe the rediculous story that 9/11 happened because "they hate our freedom". Otherwise you started it.
None of that makes any sense to justify the Iraq war though, so there's no sense in pretending it was a response to terrorists. You are clearly the terrorists in that one.
You're insane.