This past weekend the BBC reported the following, which didn't seem to be reported on the usually good New Zealand news services. As I am fearful that you may also not have heard of this particular incident, I quote it here for your consideration.
BBC News Friday, 15 March, 2002, 12:19 GMT
Quote from the article headlined "Saudi police 'stopped' fire rescue"
Saudi Arabia's religious police stopped schoolgirls from leaving a blazing building because they were not wearing correct Islamic dress, according to Saudi newspapers.
In a rare criticism of the kingdom's powerful "mutaween" police, the Saudi media has accused them of hindering attempts to save 15 girls who died in the fire on Monday.
About 800 pupils were inside the school in the holy city of Mecca when the tragedy occurred.
15 girls died in the blaze and more than 50 others were injured.
According to the al-Eqtisadiah daily, firemen confronted police after they tried to keep the girls inside because they were not wearing the headscarves and abayas (black robes) required by the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islam.
One witness said he saw three policemen "beating young girls to prevent them from leaving the school because they were not wearing the abaya".
The Saudi Gazette quoted witnesses as saying that the police - known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - had stopped men who tried to help the girls and warned, "it is a sinful to approach them".
The father of one of the dead girls said that the school watchman even refused to open the gates to let the girls out.
"Lives could have been saved had they not been stopped by members of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," the newspaper concluded.
End quote.
Those of you reading this may be as outraged as I am, at least I hope you are. Folks, to my humble way of thinking this was nothing less than murder, and I personally condemn every individual involved in this and any other similar practice or incident.
Please understand. I am NOT condemning the practice of Islam, nor the words and teachings of the Qur'an. Nor am I myself Moslem, nor Christian, nor Jewish. And no, I am not an atheist either.
However, what religion I am is not relevant to this condemnation. What is relevant is that those responsible for this atrocity are brought to justice and that others who are so mentally sick as to try and justify the killing of innocent children for ANY reason are condemned for doing so.
How long must we, as inhabitants of this tiny green planet, put up with religious fanaticism of this or any other kind? How long do we sit by and allow those who continue to perpetrate these atrocities get away with it by our own inaction? Is there nothing we, as individuals, can do? I need not remind you, dear reader, of the many, many incidents such as this, perpetrated on innocent victims around the world, nor need I strive to create anger and feelings of injustice felt on hearing them. But I will try to bring things to your attention that affects ALL of us, and incidents like this ultimately do.
What can we individually and collectively do about it? You will no doubt be aware that throughout history, when the common man and woman on the planet rise up and collectively (dare I say simultaneously?) voice their displeasure at something to those who CAN do something about it, those situations are suddenly and miraculously changed. Therefore I enjoin on you, dear reader, to write/fax/email to the government of any country that perpetrates such injustices on its citizens, especially on those innocents among all of us, or any government that allows those in their midst to do so without fear of retribution, and express in the strongest possible terms your displeasure at this lack of basic human rights. It is unconscionable in this day to allow anyone to harm those who cannot protect themselves from the wolves of this world. And these murders fall into that category as far as I am concerned.
And to those who follow Islam, and think there was some justification in this murder, I quote from the Holy Qur'an:
"[4:93] Anyone who kills a believer on purpose, his retribution is Hell, wherein he abides forever, GOD is angry with him, and condemns him, and has prepared for him a terrible retribution."
And to the Governments of the world I say " It is time you prevented incidents like this from ever happening again. It is also time you had the courage to bring those responsible for atrocities against mankind like this to justice, publicly and collectively. I say also to you, that those who know they are capable of preventing harm to any of God's children and do not do so, face the ultimate retribution of God Himself, and God is the All Powerful, the All Knowing.
Dear reader, if you are outraged as I am, please pass this on to those who you feel would benefit from reading it and would possibly also join with me in my condemnation of these acts. Thank you for reading. And this time I hope these are not..
Just my musings...
Mac
