One of the sickest, most vile things I have ever read!

[MoonRiver]

Your eyes do not deceive you. An unelected all-male village council in India has ordered that 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari and her 15-year-old sister are raped.

The ‘sentence’ was handed down as punishment after their brother eloped with a married woman. They also ordered for the sisters to be paraded naked with blackened faces. Nothing could justify this abhorrent punishment. It’s not fair. It’s not right. And it’s against the law. Demand that the local authorities intervene immediately.

more:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/two-sisters-sentenced-rape-demand-justice-india-womens-rights

[yeoman6987]

1. Ok. I clicked on the link and it doesn't even say where this is happening

As far as local politicians. Fine I am to write or call my mayor and demand action. I can do that but there is a lot of missing information.

[enlightenment]

4. A small village called Baghpat, about 30 miles north of

New Delhi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

http://atimes.com/2015/08/india-village-council-orders-rapes-of-two-sisters/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/indian-sisters-fleeing-rape-punishment-appeal-to-supreme-court-for-protection-10476581.html

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Baghpat,+Uttar+Pradesh+250609,+India/@28.9442076,77.2280576,10z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x390c52e0d37a2771:0xb323399f88ef042

You would probably not be able to contact these "officials" even if you lived in India, as they are unelected. Just a bunch of men who, apparently because of their higher caste, are able to gather in these informal groups and pass sentences like this.

Hope that helps.

[yeoman6987]

5. It does. Thank you. I think instead of requesting that we

contact or local electors, writing or calling Secretary of State is a better option that at least might get some action. Our local politicians can't do squat.

[MH1]

7. "Demand that the local authorities intervene immediately." -- Does NOT mean YOUR local authorities.

It means THE local authorities in the locality where this is happening. If you scroll down the page, there is more detail than is given in the initial blurb, and that expanded detail does indicate the locality.

Are you not familiar with Amnesty International and what they do? One of their main tactics is to let governments know that those government's human rights abuses have been exposed and that people around the world know what they are up to and are disgusted and demanding improvement. So while a petition from AI to this government with half a million signatures from around the world will have NO direct political influence or legal weight, what it does do is make clear that people around the world know how horrid these people are. And if it continues perhaps the international world would use whatever leverage it can (probably economic) to make it stop.

Is AI effective? Not always, maybe not often. I don't know the statistics. But I know sometimes AI is successful enough in shedding light on abhorrent behaviors, that it opens up a discussion and recognition that this brutality exists and should not be tolerated.

Personally, I'd like to see the State Dept (ok probably would take Congress) to say worker visas like H1B would ONLY be issued to women from India, not men. (Because women are often subject to abuse in that country.) Hah. Like that would ever happen. But one can dream.

[enlightenment]

14. I suspect that Amnesty's goal

is to put pressure on the Indian Supreme Court so they will put some actual pressure on the local authorities to enforce the laws of the state.

The problem isn't that they haven't passed new laws; they have in the past few years (under pressure, but still passed). The problem is that there is no will to enforce the laws, particularly when it is tied up with issues of caste - which despite all the efforts over the last century or more still seems sacrosanct.

[smirkymonkey]

2. India is such a hell hole for women.

I don't know how they stand it.

[MoonRiver]

3. The poor are trapped. My heart breaks for all women and girls in that place.

[oberliner]

40. Most of the world

Not just India.

[Initech]

6. And people wonder why I hate religion.

[erronis]

8. And I can't think of any that don't practice barbarism at some level

For a brief period early in my life, I thought christianity meant following the supposed teachings of Christ - kindness, turn the other cheek, etc. But I've learned that all the abrahamic religions can be violent against those that don't see "the way" as same as the beholder.

Other major religions of the world have shown themselves to be intolerant of unbelievers also.

I worry that Pastifarianism may someday be taken over by argumentative zealots, but until then it is the only TRUE religion. Good old atheism works pretty well, too.

[Initech]

16. George Carlin had it right.

When he said that more people have been killed in the name of religion than anything else. And crimes like this one just make me sick.

It's also the biggest form of hypocrisy on the planet. Look at Josh Duggar - the guy made a living preaching "family values" and anti-gay lifestyles. But the guy is the biggest pervert, adulterer, and sex addict on the planet.

[SCantiGOP]

27. Amen, Initech

Pun intended.

[foxface666]

43. do

you seriously think this is about religion.

[Initech]

44. Yeah absolutely.

Sister punished for brother's crimes? Where else would that happen but in a country dominated by a religion that favors men and treats women like second class citizens? It definitely would not happen here.

[okasha]

45. Ciecular argument.

China needed no religion to abuse and violate women.

[Initech]

46. True.

But this is about the caste system, which is incredibly horrible and fucked up, and is definitely based on religion.

[Omaha Steve]

9. Link isn't loading

I will sign when it does.

K&R!

OS

[LiberalElite]

21. It took a couple of minutes for me eom

[annabanana]

10. link not loading for me either. . .n/t

[Octafish]

11. Contact the embassy of India or your local consulate.

Telephone: [phone]

https://www.indianembassy.org/

[MoonRiver]

22. Thank you!

[Recursion]

24. The Indian federal government agrees with Amnesty on this

They consider this "sentence" a crime in itself. Not that calling them will harm anything, but the national government agrees this is intolerable.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. Well, what are they going to do about it?

I'd bet "not a damn thing"

[Recursion]

37. They're going to stop short of starting a second insurgency in U.P.

They're already fighting the Maoists in Jharkhand.

[turbinetree]

12. And this country is supporting......................

trade policies and selling to this country--------------------------------this is a problem, a big problem

[LWolf]

13. I don't understand the sentence.

Why would sisters be punished for their brother's crime?

As for the rest?

Paraded naked? That attempt to body shame would fail with me. Shit. If you don't like what you see, don't look. If you do, keep your distance unless invited. Simple. The very idea that a woman should be "shamed" by nakedness is misogynistic, and it's not just in India that it occurs. In the U.S., women's bodies are either young, fit, and sexually provocative, or they should never see the light of day.

Raped? By whom? If this is true, I hope they do a hell of a lot of damage in the process.

What would happen if all 621 million women in India rose up together to put a stop to this kind of shit? Could the men take them ALL down?

[MoonRiver]

15. I think it boils down to

1.) any excuse, no matter how bogus or illegal, to rape a young woman or girl
2.) maybe the thugs in charge will hold a lottery for potential rapists.

[enlightenment]

17. Caste punishment

The girls and their brother belong to the lowest of the Indian castes (the "untouchables&quot . The brother eloped with a woman from a higher caste, which is strictly forbidden.

The woman is now sullied by her contact with the brother and her family has "lost" her because she is now unclean. The unelected council has decided that the brother's family will suffer an eye-for-an-eye punishment by humiliating and raping the sisters.

All claptrap - one assumes that the rapists will be men from the higher caste (or perhaps the male family members of the woman who married the brother). That suggests that they can "sully" themselves by touching these lower-caste girls . . . which makes no sense at all.

But none of it makes sense.

edit: changed not to now.

[LWolf]

20. oh...

while it doesn't make real sense, that makes sense in the context of caste.

Sort of.

The whole thing is repulsive, to say the least.

[NutmegYankee]

26. I would argue that eloping with a higher caste isn't strictly forbidden.

The caste system is illegal in India. The government needs to step in and make some examples.

[enlightenment]

42. That's the crux of the problem.

The existing laws are not enforced, particularly in the smaller more remote villages. From what I can tell, though, Baghpat is neither all that small nor particularly remote, which makes this even more egregious.

India has modern laws overlaying a cultural mindset that hasn't changed too much in centuries. Not every place and not every person, of course, but it is threaded through society.

I have a number of friends from India - none of them have much in common with each other, coming from different areas, educational background, and social strata. One thing that is consistent is a combination of very modern thinking and very traditional belief.

For example, one friend is a young man (in his early 30s now) who descends from a line of Rajput princes. His family is not excessively wealthy - most of their wealth is tied up in property that the family has held for generations (including a couple of crumbling old castles), but they are all well-educated and traveled. About four years ago, he announced it was time for him to marry - and he dutifully married a young woman chosen by his parents. It wasn't exactly sight unseen, but close; he met her once before the ceremony.

When I expressed the feeling that they should at least have a chance to get to know each other, he said, "Why? My parents know what is right and I know my duty, as does she. We'll be fine."

Today, with a toddler daughter and new-born son, I have to believe that he was right about that. While I easily understand that marrying for love is not always the best thing to do (perhaps never the best thing, I sometimes think), I find it very hard to grasp that a young, well-educated, articulate, intelligent man who lives very much IN the world would so easily accept a dictate to marry for duty.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. Because they are a backward ass country

that makes us look advanced in regards to the treatment of women.

[riderinthestorm]

18. They have left the town and are safe at the moment

But they're homeless and want the sentence removed so they can go back.

Sorry but someone needs to step up and re-home them permanently. They're never going to be safe there. Someone will take it upon themselves to impose "justice".

Amnesty signatures won't erase the entrenched patriarchy there...

[MoonRiver]

19. No one can protect them in India.

They have to move somewhere more sane.

[Recursion]

23. Currently the Indian government is protecting them

The lawsuit is to overturn and invalidate the "sentence", though it's still doubtful they could ever safely return to their village.

[MoonRiver]

25. The criminals who imposed this "sentence" should be arrested.

Hoping and praying these two brave women will find safety and peace.

[Bluenorthwest]

29. You said the government considers the 'sentence' to be a crime, so are they acting accordingly?

nt

[Recursion]

36. Arresting the village elders? No

They've already got one insurgency on their hands in that part of the country.

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. excellent. give them visa to US

[riderinthestorm]

31. This case is why asylum was invented. I hope they find a safe permanent haven

far, far away from these animals.

[SCVDem]

33. I guess this new Prime Minister is not all that.

Wasn't he supposed to be a new direction for India?

Modi is his name.

Freeze ALL visas until this is corrected. That will get his attention.

[Thinkingabout]

34. This is an example of terror against women. Whether it is a council in India does not matter, it is

terror. We have states trying to enact laws against women, such as arresting women for having a miscarriage, writing laws to prevent victims of rape and incest from having abortion available and the attempts of defunding Planned Parenthood and just removing opportunities of women making choices. Groups like Yearning for Zion has a practice of young girls becoming an old man's wife, one of many. When Hillary talks of terrorist groups abusing women and yet we are also allowing terror against women to continue.

[DrBulldog]

35. Yes, there are horrors occurring all over the world.

But stop for a minute and realize that many of them are happening right here in the United States.

So let's focus on what we have an real opportunity to change, shall we?

[MoonRiver]

38. How about we focus on all abuses against women,

not just those we see through a nationalistic lense?

[840high]

39. ...^ that

[narnian60]

41. Yes.

Absolutely.