Since I'm not feeling too well tonight I thought a quick musical interlude would be in order.
This young lady who goes by the stage name Foxes has begun to make a name for herself, not only with the songs she releases like this one- Let Go for Tonight, but also has landed herself with a gig on Doctor Who!
According to The Independent:
British singer Foxes will guest star in the eighth series of Doctor Who and perform one of her songs, producers have confirmed.
The “Let Go For Tonight” singer, 25, will join new Time Lord Peter Capaldi and side kick Jenna Coleman for an episode in August.
“I can’t believe I’m actually going to be in an episode of Doctor Who!” she said, adding that her casting was a result of a chance meeting.
“I was playing a gig and got chatting to the show’s production team who’d been watching my performance,” Foxes continued. “I was telling them how much I loved Doctor Who and next thing they invited me to be on it.
Nice one!
You can find out more about Foxes here: http://www.iamfoxes.com/
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
FEMEN banned by Face Book..again
The FEMEN website reports its' Face Book page has been deleted by the company for the second time and without warning. Last time this happened FEMEN were accused of "promoting pornography" which certainly couldn't be further from the truth.
Their actions are designed to "reclaim" women's bodies through protest.
Whilst I don't always agree with their actions, one has to admire their bravery particularly in the Muslim world where their activists are at severe risk of harsh penalties from the authorities.
The photograph from their website says it all really.
Nudity (in this case semi-nudity) is not pornographic in itself. FEMEN describe such an attitude as near to "sharia".
I think they have a point.
More to the point censorship is wrong and I'm posting this to my Face Book page in protest!
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
PCS members deserve better
Guest post by Rick Johansen
In three weeks, I shall be leaving the Civil Service on a voluntary exit package.
After nearly 40 years service, I am not sorry to be going. In fact, I feel more sorry for my many friends who remain, for now.
It has been said on many occasions that things have never been as bad as they are now, that morale has never been so low as it is today. But this time I really do think it is true.
This Conservative government, enabled and supported in office by the discredited Liberal Democrats, have wreaked havoc on public services and attacked our conditions like no other government before.
PCS, the Civil Service union, has been completely unable to protect the attacks on pay, pensions, staff, nor the services they deliver.
Its failure has been total.
But in the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher was in full flow, the PCS predecessor CPSA did manage to contain many of her worst excesses. Despite huge changes, such as computerisation, the union managed to do deals with the employer that, by and large, protected most members.
Move the clock forward to today and PCS is in the grip of the ultra left, in the form of the Socialist Party, the lunatic fringe previously known as the Militant Tendency.
And the ultra left does totally control the union, from its branches, its full time officials and of course its annual delegate conference so much so that there was almost no opposition to them in this year’s elections and the Socialist Party candidate was elected unopposed, with the opposition candidate unable to secure enough branch nominations to even get on the ballot paper.
This is probably not the right time to go into the catastrophic leadership of Mark Serwotka, given his health problems that will require him to have a heart transplant, but suffice to say we are where we are because of the ultra left who have all but destroyed the union.
Any issue that comes along, their first thoughts are to hold a one day strike followed up by another one day strike. Then it all fizzles out until the following year when…well, you’ve guessed it.
On 10th July, PCS is poised to hold yet another one day strike, this time to call for a pay rise (presumably the NEC have finally concluded they have lost the pensions dispute). God knows we need a pay rise but does anyone expect Cameron, Clegg and co to simply cave in because PCS, a laughing stock in the trade union movement, calls what will be a badly supported strike? I don’t think so.
So what should we do: nothing?
The simple answer to that is yes, unless you think it is a good idea to keep calling people out for one day strikes and losing any remaining public sympathy we may have.
In my judgement, PCS is a busted flush.
In my own branch, the powerhouse behind Militant fixer John McInally, many members were not even informed about trivial matters like the AGM, the Mandating Meeting and the Assistant General Secretary election, nor were they consulted by the NEC about last year’s ‘campaign’. It turned out both the AGM and Mandating Meeting were held a few feet away from the office in which I worked yet I knew absolutely nothing about it. Democracy Alliance, eh?
Whether as the failing union it now is, or after being swallowed by UNITE, PCS is not the future for Civil Servants.
Rather than being a union, it is now effectively, or rather ineffectively, a far left political party, a sort of Militant tendency paid for from the subscriptions of civil servants. It cannot be saved my more mainstream activists and it’s probably not worth saving either.
The choice is simple: do the members stick with the remnants of PCS as it lurches still further into the oblivion of far left politics or do they get the chance to join a more mainstream and effective union?
As of three weeks time, it will no longer be my problem but I do believe the members of PCS deserve better.
Far better than the wreckers of the Trotskyite left who have nothing to offer them except empty slogans, rhetoric and a near complete inability to stand up to the employer and look after members’ interests.
In three weeks, I shall be leaving the Civil Service on a voluntary exit package.
After nearly 40 years service, I am not sorry to be going. In fact, I feel more sorry for my many friends who remain, for now.
It has been said on many occasions that things have never been as bad as they are now, that morale has never been so low as it is today. But this time I really do think it is true.
This Conservative government, enabled and supported in office by the discredited Liberal Democrats, have wreaked havoc on public services and attacked our conditions like no other government before.
PCS, the Civil Service union, has been completely unable to protect the attacks on pay, pensions, staff, nor the services they deliver.
Its failure has been total.
But in the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher was in full flow, the PCS predecessor CPSA did manage to contain many of her worst excesses. Despite huge changes, such as computerisation, the union managed to do deals with the employer that, by and large, protected most members.
Move the clock forward to today and PCS is in the grip of the ultra left, in the form of the Socialist Party, the lunatic fringe previously known as the Militant Tendency.
And the ultra left does totally control the union, from its branches, its full time officials and of course its annual delegate conference so much so that there was almost no opposition to them in this year’s elections and the Socialist Party candidate was elected unopposed, with the opposition candidate unable to secure enough branch nominations to even get on the ballot paper.
This is probably not the right time to go into the catastrophic leadership of Mark Serwotka, given his health problems that will require him to have a heart transplant, but suffice to say we are where we are because of the ultra left who have all but destroyed the union.
Any issue that comes along, their first thoughts are to hold a one day strike followed up by another one day strike. Then it all fizzles out until the following year when…well, you’ve guessed it.
On 10th July, PCS is poised to hold yet another one day strike, this time to call for a pay rise (presumably the NEC have finally concluded they have lost the pensions dispute). God knows we need a pay rise but does anyone expect Cameron, Clegg and co to simply cave in because PCS, a laughing stock in the trade union movement, calls what will be a badly supported strike? I don’t think so.
So what should we do: nothing?
The simple answer to that is yes, unless you think it is a good idea to keep calling people out for one day strikes and losing any remaining public sympathy we may have.
In my judgement, PCS is a busted flush.
In my own branch, the powerhouse behind Militant fixer John McInally, many members were not even informed about trivial matters like the AGM, the Mandating Meeting and the Assistant General Secretary election, nor were they consulted by the NEC about last year’s ‘campaign’. It turned out both the AGM and Mandating Meeting were held a few feet away from the office in which I worked yet I knew absolutely nothing about it. Democracy Alliance, eh?
Whether as the failing union it now is, or after being swallowed by UNITE, PCS is not the future for Civil Servants.
Rather than being a union, it is now effectively, or rather ineffectively, a far left political party, a sort of Militant tendency paid for from the subscriptions of civil servants. It cannot be saved my more mainstream activists and it’s probably not worth saving either.
The choice is simple: do the members stick with the remnants of PCS as it lurches still further into the oblivion of far left politics or do they get the chance to join a more mainstream and effective union?
As of three weeks time, it will no longer be my problem but I do believe the members of PCS deserve better.
Far better than the wreckers of the Trotskyite left who have nothing to offer them except empty slogans, rhetoric and a near complete inability to stand up to the employer and look after members’ interests.
Following up stories around the web
A number of posts around the web caught my attention over the past couple of days. Two of these very much related to what has being going on in the PCS union where the members only Face book page has been used by the Socialist Party to promote it's Trade Union & Socialist Coalition project in the recent elections. It didn't do very well at all as we all know.
Neither did their NO2EU slate that disappeared without trace so to speak.
Whilst I've published some posts on the far lefts interventions in the local elections, there were others who had a good look at the claims of the Socialist Party who wrote on their website:
The central mood was a desire to kick all the 'establishment' parties or, as one Ukip voter put it, to "scare the government", with the EU acting as a catch-all for a generalised anger. Six in ten Ukip supporters described their vote as a general protest because they were "unhappy with all established political parties at the moment".
It has not been reported in the capitalist press, but an important minority of workers expressed their anger by voting for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). In the biggest left-of-Labour stand since the war, 561 no-cuts candidates stood in the local and other elections. They received over 65,000 votes.
Over at All That Is Solid, Phil BC analyses their claims:
Their treatment of TUSC's results are exercises in self-deception. It's fodder to keep the troops marching, to demonstrate to them that the campaign was worth it and that real successes were made. Sure, TUSC was squeezed by UKIP mania and there was a media blackout but 68,000 votes represent a real echo among the class. Etcetera, etcetera. More importantly, however, the SP desperately need to keep the RMT on board. With a crunch election coming in 2015, whoever wins September's ballot, the new boss will be under pressure to back Labour next May, a pressure made all the stronger when there are clear, discernible differences between it and Dave's hapless, vicious Tories. Talking up TUSC's "achievements" and the absence of any kind of open, critical reflection has to be seen in this context. The SP and its eternal general secretary knows as well as I that if the RMT goes, not only will the TUSC project be sunk but it will have a profoundly demoralising impact on a whole layer of party activists.
There is no equality under shariah law; non-Muslims are second class citizens and judgement will always be given to the ‘believer’. For it is not about ‘justice’ or ‘right and wrong’ it is about the furtherance of Islam, and it is supremely important that the West understands that it is doing no favours to anyone in tolerating shariah law.
Given the on-going campaign to free Meriam in Sudan the so-called left needs to re-examine its orientation on such matters.
However that would require the comrades to grow up and think as individuals which would be difficult given that Marxism has become too much of a religion in itself within the various sects acting in His name.
That would be the holy trinity of Marx/Engels/Lenin and the rest of their pantheon by the way.
Meanwhile, Andrew Gilligan has produced a detailed analysis of what has been happening in Tower Hamlets in his Daily Telegraph blog,following Richard "Race Play" Seymours so-called defence in the ever declining Guardian news paper:
I’ve been marvelling at last week’s Guardian article by Richard Seymour and Ashok Kumar defending Lutfur Rahman, the extremist-linked mayor of Tower Hamlets. Ashok is the man who celebrated Rahman’s election victory under the headline: “The last outpost of the Raj falls.” There are also interesting things online about Richard which open, shall we say, new windows into his views on racism. With friends like these, etc, etc.
Even by the standards of the Guardian’s reporting of Tower Hamlets – most unlikely to win another Pulitzer! – this is an amazingly dishonest piece. Its 950 words contain by my count at least 18 separate falsehoods, many of them copied directly from council press releases and Rahman leaflets (see above.)
It’s worth going through the claims from the leaflet (and – where different – the article) to deconstruct some of the things we’ll be hearing endlessly from Rahman and his defenders in the weeks ahead. “Judge me by my record,” he keeps saying. Not, presumably, his and his supporters'cronyism, favouritism, passing of valuable council assets to his friends,links with extremism, bullying, intimidation, unscrupulousness and general political sleaze but his many alleged policy accomplishments to help the people of Tower Hamlets.
Even some of his opponents half-buy the line that Rahman’s success is due as much to his populist policies as to vote-buying, ethnic bloc favouritism and so on. See what you think once you’ve read this.
Neither did their NO2EU slate that disappeared without trace so to speak.
Whilst I've published some posts on the far lefts interventions in the local elections, there were others who had a good look at the claims of the Socialist Party who wrote on their website:
The central mood was a desire to kick all the 'establishment' parties or, as one Ukip voter put it, to "scare the government", with the EU acting as a catch-all for a generalised anger. Six in ten Ukip supporters described their vote as a general protest because they were "unhappy with all established political parties at the moment".
It has not been reported in the capitalist press, but an important minority of workers expressed their anger by voting for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC). In the biggest left-of-Labour stand since the war, 561 no-cuts candidates stood in the local and other elections. They received over 65,000 votes.
Over at All That Is Solid, Phil BC analyses their claims:
Their treatment of TUSC's results are exercises in self-deception. It's fodder to keep the troops marching, to demonstrate to them that the campaign was worth it and that real successes were made. Sure, TUSC was squeezed by UKIP mania and there was a media blackout but 68,000 votes represent a real echo among the class. Etcetera, etcetera. More importantly, however, the SP desperately need to keep the RMT on board. With a crunch election coming in 2015, whoever wins September's ballot, the new boss will be under pressure to back Labour next May, a pressure made all the stronger when there are clear, discernible differences between it and Dave's hapless, vicious Tories. Talking up TUSC's "achievements" and the absence of any kind of open, critical reflection has to be seen in this context. The SP and its eternal general secretary knows as well as I that if the RMT goes, not only will the TUSC project be sunk but it will have a profoundly demoralising impact on a whole layer of party activists.
That also will impact on their nefarious activities in the PCS union where the Socialist Party Grandees got shafted in their desire to get PCS taken over by the Unite union. Their usually passive left-wing supporters rebelled and without any "mainstream" opposition the friction between SPEW and the rest of the left is certain to grow.
Although the PCS Face book pages attract few actual members (and few activists it would seem with just a little over 600 registered to view) the SP have resorted to promoting one of their other projects, the National Shop Stewards Movement (NSSN), though that is likely to stir little interest even with the prospect of a cross public sector strike being mooted for July 10th. The lead article from admin has managed just one "like". Go figure.
A second article that is worth taking a look at (especially in the light of the issue being subject to a ban by the powers that be in PCS) is a report on the Sharia Watch website which reminds readers that:
Given the on-going campaign to free Meriam in Sudan the so-called left needs to re-examine its orientation on such matters.
However that would require the comrades to grow up and think as individuals which would be difficult given that Marxism has become too much of a religion in itself within the various sects acting in His name.
That would be the holy trinity of Marx/Engels/Lenin and the rest of their pantheon by the way.
Meanwhile, Andrew Gilligan has produced a detailed analysis of what has been happening in Tower Hamlets in his Daily Telegraph blog,following Richard "Race Play" Seymours so-called defence in the ever declining Guardian news paper:
I’ve been marvelling at last week’s Guardian article by Richard Seymour and Ashok Kumar defending Lutfur Rahman, the extremist-linked mayor of Tower Hamlets. Ashok is the man who celebrated Rahman’s election victory under the headline: “The last outpost of the Raj falls.” There are also interesting things online about Richard which open, shall we say, new windows into his views on racism. With friends like these, etc, etc.
Even by the standards of the Guardian’s reporting of Tower Hamlets – most unlikely to win another Pulitzer! – this is an amazingly dishonest piece. Its 950 words contain by my count at least 18 separate falsehoods, many of them copied directly from council press releases and Rahman leaflets (see above.)
It’s worth going through the claims from the leaflet (and – where different – the article) to deconstruct some of the things we’ll be hearing endlessly from Rahman and his defenders in the weeks ahead. “Judge me by my record,” he keeps saying. Not, presumably, his and his supporters'cronyism, favouritism, passing of valuable council assets to his friends,links with extremism, bullying, intimidation, unscrupulousness and general political sleaze but his many alleged policy accomplishments to help the people of Tower Hamlets.
Even some of his opponents half-buy the line that Rahman’s success is due as much to his populist policies as to vote-buying, ethnic bloc favouritism and so on. See what you think once you’ve read this.
Full article: here.
Talking about Islamism you also might be interested in this article by Jim Denham at Shiraz Socialist:The Guardian prepares itself for "Trojan Horse" Ofsted humiliation
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Human rights, censorship and silence
As an individual blogger I do not operate on the basis of any kind of "party line" nor do I have a manifesto of any sort, though the thought has crossed my mind. Perhaps one day when I have some spare time...
In the mean time I certainly do have a political agenda.
The basis of Howie's Corner is to promote Human Rights, Free Speech and fight political extremism from both the far left, the far right and religious fundamentalism.
The ideologies of Communism, Fascism and Islamism which are my main targets all have one thing in common. They expect you to obey on pain of death if you don't. Untold millions of people have died or suffered and continue to suffer under the weight of these oppressive ideologies.
North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan are just some of the countries that oppress human rights and the spread of an intolerant brand of Islamism has replaced communism as the main threat to individual freedom in the modern world, though the remaining Stalinist regimes such as China and North Korea should not be underestimated. Neither should the hybrid nationalist version that has developed under Putin in Russia today.
Everywhere I look there are individuals struggling to be free.
Some cases make headline news. Many, many others are forgotten or ignored, even covered up. These silent victims can only be helped by standing up against the erosion of civil liberties and the rise of backwards superstitious nonsense, whether Islamic or Christian in the case of Gay Rights.
And its' this phrase "superstitious nonsense" that brought me once again into conflict with the hierarchy of my own trade union, PCS. I posted a link to my article Neither religion nor so called honour can justify murder on the members only Face Book page.
It didn't last long. Admin asked me if I "had a problem with Muslims" (inferring "Islamophobia") and despite informing them I was an "ardent atheist" who has a problem with "religion full stop", it was taken down within 20 minutes or so as "inappropriate "apparently.
I despair when I see the left unable to cope with criticism of Islam/Islamism. Most of the left will not countenance any criticism of Islam or any Muslim not matter what they might promote. The usual response is to ignore hate preachers as an inconvenience or to accuse critics (even atheist/secular ones) of "racism" and "islamophobia".
Don't even mention Andy Newman's Socialist Unity or the dreadful website Islamophobia Watch run by Bob Pitt which deliberately conflates secularism with racism.
The Socialist Party and SWP types usually just pretend such injustices as that imposed on Meriam just don't happen. Even when they do have to tackle such issues like Boko Haram, they usually drag up some indigenous trot and pretend its' all the Wests' fault.
I have heard some people on the left call Islam a "religion of the oppressed". Muslims are not oppressed in this country but they certainly are across every Muslim country in the world.
The religion of Islam is used by their rulers to oppress their own people. The worst culprits being these so-called Islamic "scholars" that pontificate over questionable "Hadiths" and interpretations of their Koran to justify their own power and political influence in the world.
Christianity was once very much like that in the Middle Ages and there still are strong elements of authoritarianism particularly in the likes of Irish Catholic Church and some of the evangelical sects that are promoting anti-Gay propaganda across Africa.
Only by casting off the chains of superstition can humanity truly be free.
Human rights and free speech are a threat only to those who seek to impose their will upon everyone else.
Ignore this warning at your peril.
Or the next knock on the door might be for you!
In the mean time I certainly do have a political agenda.
The basis of Howie's Corner is to promote Human Rights, Free Speech and fight political extremism from both the far left, the far right and religious fundamentalism.
The ideologies of Communism, Fascism and Islamism which are my main targets all have one thing in common. They expect you to obey on pain of death if you don't. Untold millions of people have died or suffered and continue to suffer under the weight of these oppressive ideologies.
North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan are just some of the countries that oppress human rights and the spread of an intolerant brand of Islamism has replaced communism as the main threat to individual freedom in the modern world, though the remaining Stalinist regimes such as China and North Korea should not be underestimated. Neither should the hybrid nationalist version that has developed under Putin in Russia today.
Everywhere I look there are individuals struggling to be free.
Some cases make headline news. Many, many others are forgotten or ignored, even covered up. These silent victims can only be helped by standing up against the erosion of civil liberties and the rise of backwards superstitious nonsense, whether Islamic or Christian in the case of Gay Rights.
And its' this phrase "superstitious nonsense" that brought me once again into conflict with the hierarchy of my own trade union, PCS. I posted a link to my article Neither religion nor so called honour can justify murder on the members only Face Book page.
It didn't last long. Admin asked me if I "had a problem with Muslims" (inferring "Islamophobia") and despite informing them I was an "ardent atheist" who has a problem with "religion full stop", it was taken down within 20 minutes or so as "inappropriate "apparently.
I despair when I see the left unable to cope with criticism of Islam/Islamism. Most of the left will not countenance any criticism of Islam or any Muslim not matter what they might promote. The usual response is to ignore hate preachers as an inconvenience or to accuse critics (even atheist/secular ones) of "racism" and "islamophobia".
Don't even mention Andy Newman's Socialist Unity or the dreadful website Islamophobia Watch run by Bob Pitt which deliberately conflates secularism with racism.
The Socialist Party and SWP types usually just pretend such injustices as that imposed on Meriam just don't happen. Even when they do have to tackle such issues like Boko Haram, they usually drag up some indigenous trot and pretend its' all the Wests' fault.
I have heard some people on the left call Islam a "religion of the oppressed". Muslims are not oppressed in this country but they certainly are across every Muslim country in the world.
The religion of Islam is used by their rulers to oppress their own people. The worst culprits being these so-called Islamic "scholars" that pontificate over questionable "Hadiths" and interpretations of their Koran to justify their own power and political influence in the world.
Christianity was once very much like that in the Middle Ages and there still are strong elements of authoritarianism particularly in the likes of Irish Catholic Church and some of the evangelical sects that are promoting anti-Gay propaganda across Africa.
Only by casting off the chains of superstition can humanity truly be free.
Human rights and free speech are a threat only to those who seek to impose their will upon everyone else.
Ignore this warning at your peril.
Or the next knock on the door might be for you!
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Abolish Blasphemy Laws!
Please watch this video and the sign the petition to abolish all blasphemy laws everywhere!
Go to: http://www.change.org/petitions/abolish-blasphemy-laws :
Blasphemy laws are used to infringe upon human rights. They frequently lead to arbitary arrest, detention, poor treatment in custody including torture, dubious legal procedures and poor application of justice. The definition of the offence can be in the hands of police and judicial authorities. Governments have used blasphemy laws to silence political opponents. Individuals have fabricated blasphemy charges against others in communal disputes. Religious extremists have used blasphemy laws to attack opponents. Religious authorities have used blasphemy laws to impose orthodoxy on members minority religious groups with the sanction of the state. And people accused of blasphemy have been subject to violence by unofficial mobs.
Friday, 30 May 2014
Neither religion nor so called honour can justify murder
The stoning to death of a young pregnant woman in Pakistan by her family this week caused absolute and justifiable outrage this week. How anyone can consider there to be any "honour" in killing, let alone their own daughter is beyond most civilised people.
And yet it goes on, not just in Pakistan but here too. And the particular case in question has taken a couple of twists as The Times reported yesterday (no link £):
Her family became angry after failing to extract money from him (the husband) before the marriage.
Honour? Rubbish just pure bloody greed.
We are told by The Times today:
Farzana Paveen's older sister, Rhena was poisoned after her father had an argument with her parents-in-law...she was allegedly dragged back to her fathers home and poisoned. The murder was not reported to the police..
We are told tribal culture allows rich families to be above the law.
Unacceptable.
Women cannot be treated like this and it is time the the Government of Pakistan did something about this and all the other so-called "honour killings or MURDERS in plain English that go on in their society.
Nobodies life, especially women should be put at risk because of some backward tribalism that is just an excuse for for gangsterism pure and simple.
It comes as no surprise then that in yet another country that is also governed by the "religion of peace" Sudan that another gross injustice is taking place. Previously I have drawn attention the case of Meriam Ibrahim who just for marrying a Christian and apparently abandoning the Islamic faith (because her father just happened to be a Muslim) that she is to be put to death.
Full marks go to The Times who ran with this story as a front page lead today.
It is clear that women are not only treated as second class citizens in these societies, but their religion is so weak and afraid of challenge that death is seen as the penalty for leaving. A crime called Apostasy.
There should be no such crime. The death penalty is intended to cower the populations of these countries to the wishes of religious leaders who wish to prevent their power being challenged.
Given that patriarchy is ascendant in these backwards societies regardless of religion the superstitious nonsense of Islam can be used by men to dominate women.
This has to end and end now.
Women must entitled to equal rights under the law.
The world cannot stand aside and allow Meriam to be executed. There has been too much silence about the persecution of Christians let alone the injustice against women across the Muslim world.
Worship who you please, but your religion, your culture does not give you the right to murder.
Ever.
And yet it goes on, not just in Pakistan but here too. And the particular case in question has taken a couple of twists as The Times reported yesterday (no link £):
Her family became angry after failing to extract money from him (the husband) before the marriage.
Honour? Rubbish just pure bloody greed.
We are told by The Times today:
Farzana Paveen's older sister, Rhena was poisoned after her father had an argument with her parents-in-law...she was allegedly dragged back to her fathers home and poisoned. The murder was not reported to the police..
We are told tribal culture allows rich families to be above the law.
Unacceptable.
Women cannot be treated like this and it is time the the Government of Pakistan did something about this and all the other so-called "honour killings or MURDERS in plain English that go on in their society.
Nobodies life, especially women should be put at risk because of some backward tribalism that is just an excuse for for gangsterism pure and simple.
It comes as no surprise then that in yet another country that is also governed by the "religion of peace" Sudan that another gross injustice is taking place. Previously I have drawn attention the case of Meriam Ibrahim who just for marrying a Christian and apparently abandoning the Islamic faith (because her father just happened to be a Muslim) that she is to be put to death.
Full marks go to The Times who ran with this story as a front page lead today.
It is clear that women are not only treated as second class citizens in these societies, but their religion is so weak and afraid of challenge that death is seen as the penalty for leaving. A crime called Apostasy.
There should be no such crime. The death penalty is intended to cower the populations of these countries to the wishes of religious leaders who wish to prevent their power being challenged.
Given that patriarchy is ascendant in these backwards societies regardless of religion the superstitious nonsense of Islam can be used by men to dominate women.
This has to end and end now.
Women must entitled to equal rights under the law.
The world cannot stand aside and allow Meriam to be executed. There has been too much silence about the persecution of Christians let alone the injustice against women across the Muslim world.
Worship who you please, but your religion, your culture does not give you the right to murder.
Ever.
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