GRAPHIC CONTENT- The "faces" of Islam (12 images)

It is important to understand that girls and women in AMERICA are being killed by family members in honor killings. If a boy did this to one of our family members how would we react?

This is not what I want for women in our country much less anywhere in the world. A must read. Look into the eyes of these women and ask yourself if you are ok with this belief system.

If Christians were doing this to women do you think we would all sit back and say well it is a loving religion? Some Muslim sects are great but many believe this is honorable. The Koran teaches that killing is a way to heaven and it is only by choice that some sects do not push what is taught in that book.

We must be willing to speak out against any belief system that promotes this kind of horror upon the innocent and helpless. Note the age of these victims.

Terrorism that's personal (12 images) GRAPHIC CONTENT
This is the "face" of Islamic terrorism.

This this acceptable in their laws.

When are we going to tell them this isn't acceptable treatment of our "Sisters"?

Text by Jim Verhulst, Times' Perspective editor
Photos by Emilio Morenatti, Associated Press

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/opinion/30kristof.html



We typically think of terrorism as a political act.

But sometimes it’s very personal. It wasn’t a government or a guerrilla insurgency that threw acid on this woman’s face in Pakistan. It was a young man whom she had rejected for marriage. As the United States ponders what to do in Afghanistan — and for that matter, in Pakistan — it is wise to understand both the political and the personal, that the very ignorance and illiteracy and misogyny that create the climate for these acid attacks can and does bleed over into the political realm. Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times op-ed columnist who traveled to Pakistan last year to write about acid attacks, put it this way in an essay at the time: “I’ve been investigating such acid attacks, which are commonly used to terrorize and subjugate women and girls in a swath of Asia from Afghanistan through Cambodia (men are almost never attacked with acid). Because women usually don’t matter in this part of the world, their attackers are rarely prosecuted and acid sales are usually not controlled. It’s a kind of terrorism that becomes accepted as part of the background noise in the region. ...

“Bangladesh has imposed controls on acid sales to curb such attacks, but otherwise it is fairly easy in Asia to walk into a shop and buy sulfuric or hydrochloric acid suitable for destroying a human face. Acid attacks and wife burnings are common in parts of Asia because the victims are the most voiceless in these societies: They are poor and female. The first step is simply for the world to take note, to give voice to these women.” Since 1994, a Pakistani activist who founded the Progressive Women’s Association (www.pwaisbd.org) to help such women “has documented 7,800 cases of women who were deliberately burned, scalded or subjected to acid attacks, just in the Islamabad area. In only 2 percent of those cases was anyone convicted.”

The geopolitical question is already hard enough: Should the United States commit more troops to Afghanistan and for what specific purpose? As American policymakers mull the options, here is a frame of reference that puts the tough choices in even starker relief: Are acid attacks a sign of just how little the United States can do to solve intractable problems there — therefore, we should pull out? Or having declared war on terrorism, must the United States stay out of moral duty, to try to protect women such as these — and the schoolgirls whom the Taliban in Afghanistan sprayed with acid simply for going to class — who have suffered a very personal terrorist attack? We offer a reading file of two smart essays that come to differing conclusions.

• In August, Perspective published a New York Times Magazine piece that followed up the story of Afghan sisters Shamsia and Atifa Husseini, who were attacked with acid simply for attending school. If you wish to refresh your memory, you may read the original article here.

• Two very smart, informed observers come to opposite conclusions on the proper U.S. course of action in Afghanistan. Here are excerpts from arguments that each of them has recently made:

Here are excerpts from Steve Coll’s “Think Tank” blog at NewYorker.com, in which he argues why we can’t leave — “What If We Fail In Afghanistan?”

In an essay entitled “The War We Can’t Win” in Commonweal (also reprinted this month by Harper’s), Andrew J. Bacevich makes the case that we are overstating the importance of Afghanistan to U.S. interests. Bacevich is a professor of international relations at Boston University and the author, most recently, of The Limits of Power. A retired Army lieutenant colonel, he served from 1969 to 1992, in Vietnam and the first Persian Gulf War. He was a conservative critic of the Iraq war. Several of his essays have run before in Perspective.

• See the Sunday November 22, 2009 Perspective section in the St. Petersburg Times But be forewarned: Those photos are even harder to look at than this one.

Irum Saeed, 30, poses for a photograph at her office at the Urdu University of Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, July 24, 2008. Irum was burned on her face, back and shoulders twelve years ago when a boy whom she rejected for marriage threw acid on her in the middle of the street. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b1710ddce531

Shameem Akhter, 18, poses for a photograph at her home in Jhang, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 10, 2008. Shameem was raped by three boys who then threw acid on her three years ago. Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b1710f071e68

Najaf Sultana, 16, poses for a photograph at her home in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping, apparently because he didn't want to have another girl in the family. As a result of the burning Najaf became blind and after being abandoned by both her parents she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery around 15 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b1710fd15495

Shehnaz Usman, 36, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Shehnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute five years ago. Shehnaz has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b17110ab0099
Shahnaz Bibi, 35, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Ten years ago Shahnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b171115e0881
Kanwal Kayum, 26, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Kanwal was burned with acid one year ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has never undergone plastic surgery.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b1711216a401
Munira Asef, 23, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Munira was burned with acid five years ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage. She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b17112ed556c
Bushra Shari, 39, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, July. 11, 2008. Bushra was burned with acid thrown by her husband five years ago because she was trying to divorce him. She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b171139cff63
Memuna Khan, 21, poses for a photograph in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. Menuna was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna's. She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b1711443ba1a
Zainab Bibi, 17, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Zainab was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b171153de203
Naila Farhat, 19, poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008. Naila was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago. She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

http://www.uavmedia.com/social/?L=pictures.gallery&id=7&pid=04b171160341f5
Saira Liaqat, 26, poses for the camera as she holds a portrait of herself before being burned, at her home in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, July 9, 2008. When she was fifteen, Saira was married to a relative who would later attack her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn't join him until she finished school. Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times to try to recover from her scars.

The Koran teaches that killing is a way to heaven and it is only by choice that some sects do not push what is taught in that book.

Islam.... A religion of peace?? Yea, right! Go sell that line somewhere else!

I don't understand how Islam has anything to do with this... terrible things happen everywhere for terrible reasons. Just because they occur in a traditionally Muslim area doesn't mean Islam is to blame...
Also, Islam does not teach that killing is the way to heaven. There are only a couple of versus that espouse violence, and these occur towards the end of the Koran. Because of this, the radical muslims believe these quotes are more important than mercy quotes, and put these into practice. Furthermore, clumping all Muslims into one category is pretty ignorant of you. There are many different sects with the vast majority of them practicing peacefully. It's a pretty interesting religion that has a few extremists (Wahabism) ruining it for everyone...

When I have time I'll show you the list of verses in the Koran.
Remember- the Ayathola Khomanai said "Those that believe Islam is a religion of peace- are wit-less!"

Sad but the Koran backs this up. Also note a key sentence in the post: "The Koran teaches that killing is a way to heaven and it is only by choice that some sects do not push what is taught in that book."

During the Crusades the Muslim whould chant "Killing an infidel is not wrong- it is the path-way to heaven". Some still activly follow those verses and, some still teach/preach those verses.

What the hell do you want us to do?

Every week here in AMERICA some little kid gets raped an murdered, all kinds of sadistic shit people do.


People getting hacked up and thrown into a rivers.


Yeah .. people are fucked up.....you made a great discovery.

These things happening are a result of decisions being made by people... It is not a problem that needs to be faced collectively, but a matter of setting consequences for individuals who decide to do things like this.

What is your point in this thread?

GrowTech said:

These things happening are a result of decisions being made by people... It is not a problem that needs to be faced collectively, but a matter of setting consequences for individuals who decide to do things like this.

What is your point in this thread?

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"a result of decisions being made by people..." People who adhere to a specific religion. Islam. That is the point. How did that escape you?

"It is not a problem that needs to be faced collectively"
Oh, really? Are we not at war with these wack-jobs?

" but a matter of setting consequences for individuals who decide to do things like this."
'setting the consequences for individuals who decide to do things like this"

What in the name of all things fat, fuzzy and furry does that mean??

Who are we to set the consequences for an individual of the Islamic faith??

I've read some lame posts but that one takes the cake.
You both seem to embrace death but are too stupid to know it.

"Islam is a religion of peace! (you scream). Tell that to Ayatollah Khomeini ... "Those that believe Islam is a religion of peace... are wit-less".

And he said it -regarding people like you.

Hey, BTW... why don't you do us all a favor and drop some of their acid.

Flip'en nit-witts!

Only part of the religion promotes violence and only some follow that part. What a lame ass argument. Find a religion that doesn't promote violence, at all, or stay away from religion.

The assertion that Islam is equally as peaceful by nature and eqaully as violent by nature as Hinduism, or Judaism or Christianity are just fallacious. Islam is seeped in violence and about conquest. It can't adjust to modernity for that reason and that's why its radical members want to kill us all. Stop pretending Islam is just like any other religion.

I think it's part of human nature to have an aspect that is basically what is called religion. To deny it is to deny who we really are, and there's certainly a lot of that going around. Old forms of religion will fade and new ones will take their place, but we are NOT evolving away from religion. One can only roll the eyes at the naivete of those who think we are.

Illegal Smile said:

I think it's part of human nature to have an aspect that is basically what is called religion. To deny it is to deny who we really are, and there's certainly a lot of that going around. Old forms of religion will fade and new ones will take their place, but we are NOT evolving away from religion. One can only roll the eyes at the naivete of those who think we are.

Click to expand...

We're not evolving away from religion at all, I agree. There IS something about the human psyche that requires something to believe in, whatever it may be. It's also an outlet and excuse for some people not to take responsibility for their actions. As if asking "god" for forgiveness or praying to any god is going to eliminate all their mistakes.

The apparent "awakening" of people across the planet in the area of religion has a lot to do with the over all intelligence level. Before and after biblical times up until maybe the past 100 years, people have looked to the sky or "gods" for reasoning, and explanation to how and why things are. Now that we have scientific evidence to explain certain phenomenon, we realize that a large portion of the bible is not only a group of profits accumulative parabolic perspective on a man and the events surrounding his life and teachings, but a guidline carefully manipulated over the years to help further specific agenda.

Jesus the man IMO was really no different than a cult leader, and would be regarded as such if he was to emerge today. Aside from the stock piling of weapons, he may not have been to far a cry from somebody like David Koresh.

I would say we're moving more towards the UNDERSTANDING of religion.

Iron Lion Zion said:

I don't understand how Islam has anything to do with this... terrible things happen everywhere for terrible reasons. Just because they occur in a traditionally Muslim area doesn't mean Islam is to blame...
Also, Islam does not teach that killing is the way to heaven. There are only a couple of versus that espouse violence, and these occur towards the end of the Koran. Because of this, the radical muslims believe these quotes are more important than mercy quotes, and put these into practice. Furthermore, clumping all Muslims into one category is pretty ignorant of you. There are many different sects with the vast majority of them practicing peacefully. It's a pretty interesting religion that has a few extremists (Wahabism) ruining it for everyone...

Click to expand...

Flying planes into building and burning women is fucking ignorant of your religion. I have seen what these middle eastern countries do to women. Even the moderates, When I was in Saudi I watched a man beat a women with a cane. Took the Cane from him, really wanted to beat his ass but couldn't. Sad that you would defend them.

Hemlock said:

Flying planes into building and burning women is fucking ignorant of your religion. I have seen what these middle eastern countries do to women. Even the moderates, When I was in Saudi I watched a man beat a women with a cane. Took the Cane from him, really wanted to beat his ass but couldn't. Sad that you would defend them.

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The crusades did these things. If the would have had jets, I'm sure they would have flown them in to something in the name of god. Sorry to pop your bubble, but your kind has been wrong at some point in time as well.

Took the Cane from him

Oh sure, that happened. You wouldn't be here posting if it had.

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Religion is pre science. We now have science, well most of us do. The next "step up" for man won't come until we can abandon the superstitions and look life straight on, without all the mumbo jumbo made up stuff.

CrackerJax said:

Took the Cane from him

Oh sure, that happened. You wouldn't be here posting if it had.

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Religion is pre science. We now have science, well most of us do. The next "step up" for man won't come until we can abandon the superstitions and look life straight on, without all the mumbo jumbo made up stuff.

Click to expand...

The "mumbo jumbo" is ok, as long as you don't take it to the head. Having blind faith is fine, and I have no problem with people having that stance, but that's your personal business and not something that you should in any way impose on anyone else.

well, that leaves Christianity and Islam at the curb......

The burning of women is legal in Islam. Is that legal in any other religion?

By bringing up all religions - in the way this thread was redirected- is nothing more than an attempt to justify or hide from that fact.

Liberty for all? Not in Islam.
Justice for all? Not in Islam.
Freedom to get to know God? Not in Islam.

How anyone can justify the acts of Islam ? (by bringing all OTHER 'religions' into this thread) That just shows how low a 'man' can go to justify deliberate ignorence.

No defence of the above women were made by any of you 'men'.
No being disgusted by a 'religion' that allows such things.

Each of your are a sad case study regarding the defence of virtue, morality and honor/respect of and for freedom.

Regarding Justice??? No capability in rightly dividing truth.
Evidence? Make a strawman and change the argument.
Love and respect for the innocent? Let'em be burned; let'em be killed- it's religions fault!

Advocacy for the innocent? You have none.

No wonder God does not hear your voice and respond.

And because of that- you say there is no God.

Neither one justifies or eliminates the other, they're BOTH WRONG!!!

Christianity and and Islam? Both wrong? Equally wrong? Is that what you are saying?