Sanctioned Gang-Rape Death-Sentences Overturned in Pakistan

[Frodo]

Village Gang-Rape Sentences Are Upset by Court in Pakistan
By SALMAN MASOOD

Published: March 4, 2005

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 3 - Five men sentenced to death in 2002 for their role in a gang rape that was approved by a council in a remote Pakistani village had their convictions overturned Thursday. A sixth man convicted in the case, which set off worldwide outrage, had his death sentence commuted to life in prison, lawyers in the case said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/international/asia/04pakistan.html

this thread is not intended as yet another opportunity for the right to bash Islam (of course, they will anyway), but instead to ask questions as to how it might be changed -that is, reformed.  the common thread running through the two stories i have posted so far on this forum has been the objectification of women which is common to both our culture as well as the tribal communities that these articles look at, as well as their generally low status in both societies.  it has little to do with religion -early Islam and Christianity both were, in their day, progressive religious movements that sought to liberate women...to a certain degree.  yet, both have evolved in time to serve as brakes to any attempt by women to better their condition, or raise their status in society.     

so, how do we change a culture that objectifies women as essentially objects (either as sex objects -as in our culture- or as property, as in theirs), into one that sees them as human beings, as equal partners?   

[opebo]

so, how do we change a culture that objectifies women as essentially objects (either as sex objects -as in our culture- or as property, as in theirs), into one that sees them as human beings, as equal partners?   

Allow women to emigrate from muslim countries as human rights refugees, but allow no male muslims to enter the US, either as emigrants or under any other type of visa.

[they don't love you like i love you]

so, how do we change a culture that objectifies women as essentially objects (either as sex objects -as in our culture- or as property, as in theirs), into one that sees them as human beings, as equal partners?   

Allow women to emigrate from muslim countries as human rights refugees, but allow no male muslims to enter the US, either as emigrants or under any other type of visa.

but ban the women from wearing their slave outfits, like the women in Flordia who wanted to cover her face on her driver's license photo.

[DanielX]

so, how do we change a culture that objectifies women as essentially objects (either as sex objects -as in our culture- or as property, as in theirs), into one that sees them as human beings, as equal partners?   

Allow women to emigrate from muslim countries as human rights refugees, but allow no male muslims to enter the US, either as emigrants or under any other type of visa.

but ban the women from wearing their slave outfits, like the women in Flordia who wanted to cover her face on her driver's license photo.

You know, the devil is going to have to get out his snow plow machine...

for once, BRTD and Opebo actually have a point!

[A18]

Except that they don't.

[they don't love you like i love you]

OK, what do you disagree on?

[Frodo]

latest update -Pakistani Court decides it would rather not be seen as endorsing rape as a form of punishment after all:

Pakistan reinstates rapists' convictions

By PAUL HAVEN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
    
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's highest Islamic court on Friday reinstated the convictions of five men sentenced to death for raping a woman on orders from a village council, following a firestorm of criticism after a lower tribunal ordered the suspects freed.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apasia_story.asp?category=1104&slug=Pakistan%20Rape