Unjust Justice

Earlier today when I read a story I cried it cannot be true. But alas, I must remember that though I wish it not to be real does not make it any less than true. Instead of looking the other way, I must face the stark reality that in Somalia a thirteen year old girl who is raped by three men was victimized again. Under militant fundamentalist rendering of Islamic Law, rape means the woman has committed adultery, which is deemed to be punishable by stoning to death. And that is not only what happened, but she was stoned in a stadium with over a thousand spectators cheering the stoners.

Here is the link to the story….http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27484976/

Though the story does not indicate what happened to the men, I suspect that no effort was made to find the rapists. I suspect that even if they were known, they would not be punished. In Islamic extremist thinking, the woman bears the blame and guilt. Islamic extremism victimizes the victim rather than seeking balanced informed justice. This thirteen year old girl has paid the price for seeking justice whereas her rapists are free to victimize other women.

While Islamic law is not interpreted in such a manner by many of its practitioners, the story powerfully indicates the type of thinking that is found within Islamic extremist movements such as the Taliban and al-Qaida.