pardoned

[miriam_e]

In case you thought embarrassing a medieval country over its inhuman laws would never achieve anything:
http://action.amnesty.org.au/svaw/comments/good_news_saudi_rape_survivor_pardoned_by_king/

It is a beginning. Every little bit works to free things up more. Hopefully they will join us in the 20th Century before we end up destroying the planet. Yes, I intentionally said "20th Century" instead of "21st Century" because we here in the West still have a heck of a lot of ground to make up too. As far as I'm concerned, as we near 2010 we still haven't entered the 21st Century yet. We are barely out of the 1950s... and in some of us are still living in the 1940s. (I was told some time back that I was a communist for suggesting that we needed more democracy in society. Real "reds under the beds" stuff, that.)

Comments

Pardon!

[(Anonymous)]

Not a perfect outcome - but pretty good!

Amazed by: "I was told some time back that I was a communist for suggesting that we needed more democracy in society" --- what is the logic at work here?

MFG (still waiting for the end of the tale.)

Re: Pardon!

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Worked more on chapter 17 over the last few days but have had a regular stream of visitors -- all wonderful people, but I normally don't see anybody for a month at a time, so this was people overload. :)

This chapter is turning out quite difficult to write because I consider mental illness in it -- a very touchy subject, especially since I have an old girlfriend who struggles with it. Oh well... I just have to work on it. Won't get much done during Xmas as I have to go do the Xmas thing. I normally don't mind it so much because it is usually low-key and relaxing at Mum & Dad's, but I have to attend a party elsewhere with lots of people... eeek! All the people are very nice folk, but... lots of people... eeek!
Not gonna enjoy.

Heheheh the "logic" behind me being communist was that I was chatting with him (as I did recently here on LJ) about the dictatorial structure of most companies. My friend assumed that I was against capitalism in general (I explained to him that I have no objection in principle, but I am dismayed at how often it tends to monopoly and fascism). I pointed out that I don't like communism either, but people tend to think in black-or-white terms. If you're not wholeheartedly for us then you're agin us! :)

Oh! By the way, you will love this:
http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3462.html
It is about how we went into the Iraq war on the evidence of single person who turned out to be a chronic liar. He was seeking asylum in Germany and spun a tale that would let him get out of their immigration detention centers. Unfortunately though incompetence in the CIA and a moron US president and lap-dog prime ministers elsewhere it all just snowballed horribly.

The scariest thing is that nobody at high level applied the brakes. It all happened because of a rather stupid chronic liar, on the basis of utterly no evidence whatsoever. Far more scary than any conspiracy theory.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that news. It's good to hear.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Yes. It is. It would have been better if the legal system there fixed the problem, but the king pardoning her is a partial solution. At least it will make people there see that the legal system can be challenged and that there is room for improvement. Outside Saudi Arabia it shows that we can help.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

:) Yup. I knew we could help. It's nice to see the evidence though.

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

I'm relieved to see this. Absolutely cannot get my head around the mindset that blames the victim this way. Ditto a law that imprisons half their people. You probably know the Hellenes used to have the same law; their women couldn't meet any male not a relative, husbands chosen by families etc. Saudi Arabia hasn't moved on at all since then.

I'm with you about the too many people at Christmas *eek*! If I could I would probably veg out at home with some books and the rats (g) but for some reason I'm not allowed. I appreciate that friends don't let me but also think it's that they don't believe I wouldn't mind.... (muddled reasoning reflects my mental state right now)

merry christmas, comrade :-)

Sue

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

The ancient Greeks had that law? Wow! Saudi Arabia, and other islamic societies caught in that same time warp are so amazingly atrophied! All part of that "women are property" thing. There seem to be a lot of christians who'd like to go back to that way of thinking too. Weird to think that we are rapidly approaching 2010.

I've found a good excuse to just pop in at the party and leave again immediately. My little dog Henry will shriek and cry if left alone so I can't spend any time there.

Yeah, I would love to just veg out at home with some books and good music. That's my idea of bliss. I'm sure people don't really believe me when I say each year that it's what I want to do on my birthday.

hehehehe and a restful midsummer to you, tovarich (Russian for 'comrade' -- one of only 3 russian words that I know :).