British woman whose life has been threatened solely because she is a Christian (living in)

[doc1]

"Hannah Shah had been raped by her father and faced a forced marriage. She fled, became a Christian and now fears for her life......"


"....Hannah blames what is sometimes called political correctness for this debacle: “My teachers had thought they were doing the right thing, they thought it showed ‘cultural sensitivity’ by bringing in someone from my own community to ‘help’, but it was the worst thing they could have done to me. This happens a lot......"

..."She believes the British government is making exactly the same mistake as Rowan Williams: “It says it talks to the Muslim community, but it’s not speaking to the women. I mean, you are always hearing Muslim men speaking out....."

We have enough problems here in the US. I hope we don't start importing this s**t.

My imam father came after me with an axe -Times Online

[violent cello]

Originally Posted by doc1

We have enough problems here in the US. I hope we don't start importing this s**t.

This is already a problem in the US.

Rape of, and incest with, young women and girls is nothing new. Nor is it new that it's done by religious people, in religious contexts, and that other people back off so they can seem supportive of cultural difference and freedom of religious practice.

The US doesn't deal with its Muslim communities in quite the same way, sure, because I don't think Muslims have quite the same sort of political and social prominence in the US. But the UK doesn't have problems with Fundamental Latter Day Saints compounds that the US does. And look at the argument many made there: it's religious freedom, don't get involved, it's not your culture so you can't understand. This doesn't stop the majority of people believing that FLDS lifestyle and culture, just like fundamental Muslim culture, oppresses women and girls and should be prevented from doing so.

I don't care what Rowan Williams or Gordon Brown says about cultural sensitivity: before cultural sensitivity comes the practice and enforcement of basic human rights, such as the right tonever be raped, tortured, or forced into marriage. I think it's pathetic that cultural relativism has been so misinterpreted by these people in power to mean that we should turn a blind eye, EVER, to sexual abuse.

I think The Times only went after this story because of the Christian angle. This woman was not threatened SOLELY because she was a Christian. Her life was threatened because she was living in an oppressive and dictatorial household intolerant of any beliefs that went against their own, so much so that they thought raping their child was the only suitable punishment. If this woman had said she was an atheist, I don't know that this story would have been quite as appealing to the Times.

[ajeleonard]

Originally Posted by doc1

We have enough problems here in the US. I hope we don't start importing this s**t.

You are very naive if you think this doesn't happen amongst American Muslims

[averagejoe76]

I was dating a girl from Morroco for some time,She had became a christian...
And seem really afraid for her safety for doing so.
She really believed people from her part of the world might attack her.
Morroco is a fairly moderate country how would someone from less moderate..
Countries feel in that situation?