17 Year Old Girl Stoned to Death
canucker @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:25 am
The moment a teenage girl was stoned to death for loving the wrong boy
A 17-year-old girl has been stoned to death in Iraq because she loved a teenage boy of the wrong religion.
As a horrifying video of the stoning went out on the Internet, the British arm of Amnesty International condemned the death of Du’a Khalil Aswad as "an abhorrent murder" and demanded that her killers be brought to justice.
Reports from Iraq said a local security force witnessed the incident, but did nothing to try to stop it. Now her boyfriend is in hiding in fear for his life.
Miss Aswad, a member of a minority Kurdish religious group called Yezidi, was condemned to death as an "honour killing" by other men in her family and hardline religious leaders because of her relationship with the Sunni Muslim boy.
They said she had shamed herself and her family when she failed to return home one night. Some reports suggested she had converted to Islam to be closer to her boyfriend.
Miss Aswad had taken shelter in the house of a Yezidi tribal leader in Bashika, a predominantly Kurdish town near the northern capital, Mosul.
A large crowd watched as eight or nine men stormed the house and dragged Miss Aswad into the street. There they hurled stones at her for half an hour until she was dead.
The stoning happened last month, but only came to light yesterday with the release of the Internet video.
It is feared her death has already triggered a retaliatory attack. Last week 23 Yezidi workmen were forced off a bus travelling from Mosulto Bashika by a group of Sunni gunmen and summarily shot dead.
An Amnesty International spokesman in London said they receive frequent reports of honour crimes from Iraq – particularly in the predominantly Kurdish north.
Most victims are women and girls who are considered by male relatives to have shamed their families by immoral behaviour.
Kurdish authorities have introduced reforms outlawing honour killings, but have failed to investigate them or prosecute suspects, added the Amnesty spokesman.
Kate Allen, the organisation’s UK director, said: "This young girl’s murder is truly abhorrent and her killers must be brought to justice.
"Unless the authorities respond vigorously to this and any other reports of crimes in the name of 'honour', we must fear for the future of women in Iraq."
Link
Video WARNING: Graphic violence
canucker @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:31 am
Fucking bastards.
wildrosegirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:32 am
That's horrific.
Sadly, Iraq isn't the only country who's religious beliefs encourage such acts.
Makes one all the more grateful to be Canadian, doesn't it?
TattoodGirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:33 am
That is an absolutely disgusting and horrifying violent act. Each and everyone should face the same death, but of course that will never happen. In the Middle East women are seen as absolutely nothing. Fucking sickning 
Clogeroo @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:35 am
$1:
Makes one all the more grateful to be Canadian, doesn't it?
Why? They do it here too.
TattoodGirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:42 am
Clogeroo Clogeroo:
$1:
Makes one all the more grateful to be Canadian, doesn't it?
Why? They do it here too.
We have freedoms to love who we choose, marry or not marry who we choose, and we would never support the stoning of anyone for their choices....yes women have been killed in our society for their choices and we try to bring those responsible to justice....but it is not us as Canadians that support or encourage this type of ignorant, disgusting behaviour. And it us as individuals to speak out against this in our country as well as other countries and let these people feel our anger...
This crime happens in these countries all the time without charge....that would never happen here....never lower my country or the people of my country to these barbarians levels.....
Clogeroo @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:47 am
$1:
This crime happens in these countries all the time without charge....that would never happen here....never lower my country or the people of my country to these barbarians levels.....
Let me rephrase we have Indian families here and they send them to their homeland do them in there then come back here. Also that aside we have plenty of rape and assault on women and many are abused here yet you won’t here much from them especially the immigrants.
Banff @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:54 am
Thats pretty bad they should be brought to justice . 8 or 9 guys stoning one female UNFREAKINGBELIEVABLY SAD . Freaks !
canucker @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:54 am
Excellent post TattoodGirl.
It's also sickening how they are all clamoring around trying to get a look while security guards just stand by and do nothing(you see it better on CNN). I just hope the guys who took video didn't make a dime off of it. That would be even worse, if that's possible.
TattoodGirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:54 am
Clogeroo Clogeroo:
$1:
This crime happens in these countries all the time without charge....that would never happen here....never lower my country or the people of my country to these barbarians levels.....
Let me rephrase we have Indian families here and they send them to their homeland do them in there then come back here. Also that aside we have plenty of rape and assault on women and many are abused here yet you won’t here much from them especially the immigrants.
Yes very true, but we do not tolerate nor encourage that behavior. Fortunately, in Canada, when one of these women do speak out and seek out help, we have dedicated frontline workers to support them, to keep them safe and to listen to them. I am seeing more and more immigrant women trying to flee abuse and when the rest (that are in similar) see a few brave women break custom, then more will try to regain their lives. Right now there is an initiative to educate immigrant women on their rights in Canada, before they step foot on our soil. It will be a long road but we will get there. Thanks for clarifying.
TattoodGirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:56 am
canucker canucker:
Excellent post TattoodGirl.
It's also sickening how they are all clamoring around trying to get a look while security guards just stand by and do nothing(you see it better on CNN). I just hope the guys who took video didn't make a dime off of it. That would be even worse, if that's possible.
It's also sickening how they are all clamoring around trying to get a look while security guards just stand by and do nothing(you see it better on CNN). I just hope the guys who took video didn't make a dime off of it. That would be even worse, if that's possible.
Yep, that would be blood money. I cant understand how another human could do that to another human being....
Brenda @ Fri May 18, 2007 8:59 am
OMG! Poor kid 
Regina @ Fri May 18, 2007 9:02 am
All in the name of religion eh?
Sickening doesn't go far enough to describe that.
Clogeroo @ Fri May 18, 2007 9:02 am
$1:
Yes very true, but we do not tolerate nor encourage that behavior. Fortunately, in Canada, when one of these women do speak out and seek out help, we have dedicated frontline workers to support them, to keep them safe and to listen to them. I am seeing more and more immigrant women trying to flee abuse and when the rest (that are in similar) see a few brave women break custom, then more will try to regain their lives. Right now there is an initiative to educate immigrant women on their rights in Canada, before they step foot on our soil. It will be a long road but we will get there. Thanks for clarifying.
That is good, well sort of. I think some of the men who come here should be educated about these rights as well.
TattoodGirl @ Fri May 18, 2007 9:14 am
Clogeroo Clogeroo:
$1:
Yes very true, but we do not tolerate nor encourage that behavior. Fortunately, in Canada, when one of these women do speak out and seek out help, we have dedicated frontline workers to support them, to keep them safe and to listen to them. I am seeing more and more immigrant women trying to flee abuse and when the rest (that are in similar) see a few brave women break custom, then more will try to regain their lives. Right now there is an initiative to educate immigrant women on their rights in Canada, before they step foot on our soil. It will be a long road but we will get there. Thanks for clarifying.
That is good, well sort of. I think some of the men who come here should be educated about these rights as well.
They will be as well.....but if someone is abusive they rarely care about what others have to say....