Rape victim receives 101 lashes for becoming pregnant

Rape victim receives 101 lashes for becoming pregnant

I am upset. I literally had to wait for hours to stop shaking in rage after reading about this. And I'd really really like to hurt the people who imposed this disgusting sentence on a 16 year old girl.

First off, she didn't have a choice in being raped. She's the victim, here. No. She's a survivor.

Second, she didn't choose to be ovulating at (or near) the time of the rape. And she certainly didn't choose for the zygote to implant! (Non-medical version: She didn't choose to get pregnant.) This is adding insult to injury. And she doesn't have the options we have here in the U.S. -- abortion is illegal in Bangladesh. I don't know about the status of any adoption laws there.

And now? Now she's being punished for being a victim. Because she not only dared to get herself raped, she got pregnant.

This is... barbaric. This is not only wrong, it's ... beyond wrong. It's so fundamentally vile and anti-human that, in the 21st century, women are still blamed for the actions of men who choose not to control themselves. How is it possible, that with all the technology at our fingertips, there are still places in the world where backwards, bronze-age ideas of "morality" are still part of the law?

I'm going to go cry, now.

EDIT: I'm having a formatting FAIL, and trying to fix it.

EDIT 2: Fixed it.

"Because She Needed It"

I just read an excellent, if disturbing, article over at Box Turtle Bulletin -- "Because She Needed It"

In short, a man was fired for harassing a fellow employee, who happens to be a lesbian, over her mentioning her engagement (and upcoming marriage) to her partner.

He told her that her lifestyle* is "deviant", among other things.

The irony, the sick twist in this, is that he was in charge of making sure the company's non-discrimination policy was upheld.

So the company fires him for, basically, being a dick towards his co-worker. And now he's claiming he was fired because, get this, he's a Christian, and "she needed to hear that her 'lifestyle' is 'deviant' and 'sinful'." *snicker*

I don't understand this.

Why did she "need" to hear that she's "deviant"? Or that she's a "sinner"? Or any of the ever-growing number of insults and slurs often used against LGBTs?

Why couldn't he just be happy for her, congratulate her on her engagement, and move on?

Why did he feel compelled to insult and belittle her, over something so trivial as who she was marrying?

For that matter, why do Christians feel the need to constantly (over)share their religion?

This is America. You can't sneeze without hitting a Bible. We've ALL heard the spiel already -- Son of gawd, died fer yer sins, repent, DELIVERANCE! -- and for those of us who've rejected it in favor of other religions, or for no religion at all, it gets old. Fast.


No other religion pushes as hard as Christianity. Sure, you'll sometimes see Hare Krishnas, or what have you, but 99% of the time, when you get proselytized at, it's some flavor of Christianity. (Most likely Evangelical, Mormon, or JW. They can be fun to play with.) I've never been approached by a Muslim and asked if I've found Allah. Never had a Jew try to convert me to Judaism. Never met a pagan or witch of any flavor (or either Path) who tried to recruit me. The few Satanists I know (online)... no pressure there.

But Christians! Ah! No, they HAVE to make everything about Christ. Most Christians are cool, really, but I seem to run into mostly the pushy obnoxious fundamentalist types. I've been told (with a straight face, no less) that "GOD will give you new legs." (I distinctly remember being too stunned to make a witty reply.) I've been told that my disability is a result of sin -- mine, my parents', my birth-parents', my grandparents' (both real and, uh, genetic). The hell is this shit?

I, uh, I should get back to what I was saying before I went on a tangent/rant, there.

So, yeah, Christian douchebag is fired for being a bigoted dick. Files a lawsuit. Claims that his lesbian co-worker "needed" to hear that her "lifestyle" is "deviant", and that he was fired over his religion. For fuck's sake, he's the goddamn MANAGER IN CHARGE OF ENFORCING THE COMPANY ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY! You think he'd have KNOWN that he was breaking the rules. Of course, he's a Christian, so he gets a free pass on obnoxious, annoying, and even illegal behavior.... *eyeroll* He's "not perfect, just forgiven."

Overhearing normal conversations about his co-worker's upcoming wedding is somehow "forcing" her "homosexual lifestyle" "down his throat."

But when he deliberately seeks her out and goes all Jesus-junkie, calls her a "deviant", and so on, it's just "sharing the good news."

Can someone PLEASE explain this godawful hypocrisy to me?

The other thing I wanted to riff on, here, was the title. "Because she needed it." Those are four words that I don't ever want to hear again. It's nothing more than an idiotic deflect-the-blame dick move. Every abuser has used it. "I hit her because she needed hitting." Yeah. It was a trigger. I did a *shudder-twitch-gag* when I read it.

Nobody needs to be abused. Verbally, emotionally, mentally, or physically. What this man did was not only against company policy, but it was abuse. The company was right to fire him, and I think charges should be brought against this asshole.

Religion is NOT an excuse (or free pass) for bigotry, hate, or abuse, and I'm tired of seeing it used as such.


* There is no such thing as a "homosexual lifestyle". It's not a choice. And it certainly isn't "deviant".

I Need Help [Potential triggers]

If you're a member of my close family reading this, yes, I should have told you sooner. I shouldn't have just kept it locked inside.

My ex abused me. Verbally, emotionally, physically... and I realized, sexually, as well. I won't go into detail, here, because I'm on the edge as it is, and cannot handle it.

Over the past couple of days I've run into several "triggers" -- things that bring back the damage he did, bring back the feelings I thought I'd managed, bring back issues that I pushed down and never dealt with. And these were MAJOR triggers, for me.

I was already in what I call a "blah" phase before that. And now... now I'm feeling somewhat suicidal. I can't even sort out my emotions right now, but, I'll try.

I'm angry. At him. At the "law enforcement" around here. At myself.

I feel so helpless. Hopeless. Don't even want to get out of bed for a cigarette.

I'm tired.

Tired of having to wonder, "is he going to be out there?" "Is he lurking in the bushes over there?" "What was that noise?"

Tired of being paranoid.

Tired of being SCARED.

Tired of not being able to trust.

And tired of putting on a brave front for the benefit of my family and my friends.

I'm just... so tired of it all.

I've lost interest in everything. I do mean everything. Nothing's enjoyable. All I'm doing anymore is sleeping.

I'm tired of holding it all in. Tired of having to be strong.

I'm tired of being alone, terrified to let anyone in.

I'm tired of the depression. Tired of the anxiety. Tired of jumping at every noise, and reacting violently to unexpected touch. (Sorry about that, Mom.) I've had to tell Mom to not gesture near my face, but can't explain why -- I know why it makes me nervous, but I cannot tell her the reasons. Neither she, nor Dad would be able to handle it, and I don't want to cause them more stress.

The only solace I get is in sleep. I just... want to go to sleep, and not wake up. But I'm scared to do that, too. Scared I'll fail, just like I fail at everything else.

I wanted to go back to school. I still WANT to. But what's the point? What the fuck is the point, if I'm going to be a miserable depressed scared-shitless wreck that can't function?

I... I... I need help. Serious HELP.

Mom, Dad, Angela... if any of you are reading this, I never meant to deceive you. I needed time to process this myself, and didn't want to dump all of my mixed up emotional shit on you guys.