I think it is outrageous that a child (legally a minor in most countries) has been shot for speaking out about issues she has problems with. This is not a good way to convince her she's wrong. How are outsiders meant to interpret that? How are we not supposed to see the Taliban as undemocratic bullies who are so afraid of a child that she must killed? As a westerner I find freedom of speech to be such a basic, important principle - I don't have to agree with you, but I support your right to your own ideas. Oh, and her blog was in Urdu - which implies that it wasn't meant for outsiders to read. Read more at http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/pakistani-activist-14-shot-by-taliban/
Right? Where is the line between respecting the culture other people and stepping in to do what's right? I think this what happened to this girl is the line. The Taliban need to be stopped...And frankly, the US should look into making a push into Mexico to stop those cartels because they're behaving like the Taliban themselves and they are right next door.
I have no problem with the Taliban believing in a particular way of life... but they should be able to co-exist with those who choose to live differently. That this child had an opinion that warranted grown men sitting around and deciding the right way to handle her was to kill her is abhorrent. I have a 15yo whose life is filled with teenaged nonsense. I'd dearly love her to be a bit more interested in her world but I can do that from the relative safety of a permissive society. What, though, is to stop one of those Taliban militants from saying "sarahk, she's a shit stirrer, she's an infidel, so we're allowed to kill her". Will my distance protect me? I know the Police can't, not if they ambush me like they did that child. It really is impossible for outsiders to know where these men draw the line.
Well therein lies the problem. The Taliban way of life is for everyone to do what they say, believe what they believe, or die. There is no coexistence with people who think like that. There is no "to each his own" thinking allowed. That is why that type of thinking, even about small things is simply uncivilized. So whether they are against girls going to school, or no music, or no statues of Buddha - they don't just think those are rules they should follow. Those are rules they want to force everyone to follow - under penalty of death. It frankly is absurd. What is surprising is that most Pakistani government, celebrities, and others actually stood up and denounced this killing. But they do it like they are forced to because it was a child killed. This happens all the time. A bodyguard, a bodyguard, kills the person he was protecting because he dared to think, to speak, against a law. Pakistan needs to decide if they want to go backwards or forwards. They have the ability to do either but the more good people keep silent they more they are going backwards. They should not worry about saving face standing up to the West - they should worry about standing up to the evil that is trying to drag them backwards.
They actually don't have a choice. The world has moved on. In the old days people in "western" countries would talk about people in "developing" nations as if they were a sub species, our own brand of untouchable. Times have changed and that doesn't happen so much anymore. We look at that 14 year old girl and she's no different to our own children. Where she lives is different, her culture may be different and her life experiences will be different, but inherently she's not different at all. She's a child who still needs protection and nurturing, a child who has a world of possibilities ahead of her. Her world may close down those possibilities but it doesn't mean that outsiders can't see what she is missing out on and feel badly for her. The population of Pakistan needs to know they are being watched, and judged, based on how they treat their children, elderly, and other vulnerable members of their society - just as we are judged by them. We are far from perfect but I think that tolerance is a value worth sharing.
It is always sad when a child gets killed but being a hypocrite and try to use it to make a point is also disgusting. What is your opinion about children that get killed by American drones or war machine? http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...rorising-civilians-in-pakistan_n_1909167.html
How am I being a hypocrite? I don't believe I endorse the actions of a foreign country's armed forces. There are NZ forces there as "Peace Keepers" but I don't have any input into or feedback about their activities so I can only hope they act with integrity and help to build stability into the tiny portion of Afghanistan that they work in.
But you don´t condemn the foreign country armed forces (as you call it) actions which results in the killing of civilians and children which makes me wonder how you become so enraged about killing one teenager while you are so calm about killing so many others.
Having read the article, she was an incredibly articulate thoughtful outspoken young person, mature and articulate beyond her years. She was also a direct threat to the taliban with regard to her commentary. Really fascinating that a person that young could be that thoughtful and articulate. the taliban targeted her as a threat and an enemy. This article and situation and something else had me thinking about the situation of the Iraqi Sunni arabs after the US attacked Iraq, overthrew Saddam, stayed there while a new shiite dominated government arose, and saw the appearance of radical fundamentalist sunni arabs enter Iraq to fight the US, the government, the shiites and the native sunni tribesman. The native sunnis hated the shiite dominated government, the US forces and the fundamentalist sunni terrorists. Over time they hated the fundamentalist terrorists most of all. It was that evolution in part that was a critical element of what is often called the "surge" offensive by the US military...primarily against the sunni fundamentalists. Its hard to imagine. The native sunni's grew to hate the fundamentalist terrorists most of all; more than the Americans, more than the shiites. The fundamentalist terrorists are evil destructive people at the far extreme of humanity. That there answer for an articulate young person was to walk in and shoot her in front of many is an example of their form of terrorism against humanity. Yes, IMHO it is an affront on humanity and should be confronted and stopped. Obviously easier said than done. There should be no tolerance of the fundamentalist terrorists. They are beyond humanity. This incident is one more case among thousands of cases. they believe in death. I firmly support us helping them get there.
As I mentioned it makes one wonder how can some people be so enrage about one teenager while closing their eyes to so many deaths, Crocodile tears anyone?
Sarah - The problem you have is that some pretend there's a moral equivalence between accidental casualties in a war zone vs seeking out a child for the purpose of murdering them in order to shut them up. In reality, both are worthy of discussion, but it isn't a zero sum game where objecting to one prohibits objecting to the other. They are however not related, except to a seasoned troll positing false dichotomies as a kneejerk response. It sheds no light on the discussion, but that's the nature of trolling. In response to the actual topic, I've yet to figure out how they claim to be the religion of peace while simultaneously sanctioning the murder of those that don't share their religious principles. "Peace" must have an entirely different definition in their world. This is the very reason free countries need to oppose the move to make offending someone's religious sensibilities a crime. Free speech dies when offending someone becomes a crime, and it's a step away from executing 14 year old bloggers for giving offense.
LOL. Free Speech??? Really, seriously in today´s USA. UK just extradited a group people to USA for operating pro-Taliban web sites. Free speech is only free when is pro USA policies. The poor girl in Pakistan was probably trying to do what was right but she is used as a pawn by a bunch of people who shed crocodile tears and use her for their own agenda. If you cared about the death of children then you would have not been quite no matter who was shooting the gun.
For me it's great game to start operation in North Wazirstan. Now Media and Agencies (both local and foreigner) are using this to gain public sympathies to kill thousands of innocents in tribal areas of Pakistan in the name of War against terror. I saw many banners on Lahore railway station with text "Military Operation is must/required in North Wazirstan". I remember in the past a military operation was done on the basis of a fake video tape of Taliban beating a woman.
The Paki Islamists regularly kidnap and coerce kids to be suicide bombers - they use 7 years olds as human bombs because they can easily infiltrate security check points. On a scum level from 1 to 10 this guys are 11.
Badly Yes that's why till now forces are under attack by them i personally have experience of this kinda shit thing Actually Islamist use Islams Good things as Bad like Islam says Teacher is your Psychic father and Psychic fathers are using their kids for suicide bombs and for this they don't need to kidnap
The point is that this media circus is just a way to use this poor girl as a pawn which most likely results in getting this girl killed in the end. The people who care should try to protest the war and stop the killing instead of being fooled by these tricks that tries force you to take side.