Only 14, Bangladeshi girl charged with adultery was lashed to death

[politicat]

131. I did not post it to stir hate, nor to point fingers at peacemakers.

I am Quaker.

I am a feminist.

I am deeply involved in an international social justice project that aims to convince countries to grant political asylum to women and girls from places where they are systematically abused and to get the UN Women's Rights Treaty to be treated as binding.

Hena was not beaten because she's a Muslim. She was not raped because she's Muslim. Her imam did not order her beating because he's Muslim. She was raped and beaten and died because she lives in a culture that does not value women and girls. Her imam made that order because he knows nothing else. Her parents endured that order because they have no alternatives. Her rapist raped her because he knew he would get away with it, and her subjugation gave him a rush of power without significant consequences. Every faith on the planet has devalued women at some point in its history. We used to just endure it because there were no alternatives.

We now have alternatives.

I am deeply weary of half the planet being devalued for no reason other than fear and tradition. This can be changed and can be stopped because it has been done, but bending the arc of history towards justice requires that we care, that we who are comfortable are made less so. War will not bring justice -- it never does.

My pacifism doesn't mean I can stand by and allow these incidents to go unnoticed. If I fail to witness and call attention to injustice, I am equally responsible.

That's why I posted it.