Student will face 'justice of mob' if released early

[B Whale]

Source: Independent

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh will face mob justice in Afghanistan if he is ever released early, a leading religious scholar warned yesterday.

Mr Kambaksh, 24, was sentenced to death for circulating an article about women's rights which questioned the Koran. That sentence was commuted to 20 years on appeal and upheld, in secret, by the Supreme Court, even though a key prosecution witness withdrew his testimony.

The case sparked outrage inside Afghanistan and beyond. More than 100,000 people signed this newspaper's petition demanding justice after it emerged Mr Kambaksh was not allowed to defend himself at the first trial, in front a panel of three mullahs.



Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/student-will-face-justice-of-mob-if-released-early-1643979.html

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what a lovely governemtn we're in bed with over there.

[hatrack]

1. Yes, good thing we've helped democracy and human rights flourish, though at great cost to us . . .

:puke:

[Psephos]

3. That's one way to look at it

Another would be that the general level of basic human rights has been raised, especially for women and those at odds with religious fundies. Perhaps that level can be raised further.

Don't make the perfect the enemy of the good.

[Javaman]

6. Don't make the perfect the enemy of the good?

this kid is in jail for 20 fucking years! yeah, real good. :eyes:

[Psephos]

8. You missed the point of what I said entirely

This case sucks. Of course.

However, the case of the women who haven't been shot in the soccer stadium lately, for example, doesn't suck.

US and world efforts in Afghanistan have not produced as much stability and civility as one could hope, but that doesn't mean that concrete good hasn't been done. Trying to bring simple human rights to the oppressed of Afghanistan is a worthy idea. Obama seems to think so, too.

[lynnertic]

14. 'general level of human rights raised' to what? When girls are attacked w/ acid for going to school.

I really want to know.

[Psephos]

17. You're circling the argument around again

Intervention in Afghanistan has lessened the human rights abuses of women and children, but not eliminated them.

So, you're saying that because the results haven't been perfect, they haven't been good for those whom they've helped?

Weird.

Next you'll be arguing that we should abolish police departments in the US because crimes continue to be committed in our cities.

[lynnertic]

18. No, I'm saying that we failed in Afghanistan and continue to fail

not just because the abuse of women and children is still rampant, but because the Taliban is still in force and because nobody can even have a danged wedding there without being strafed by drones, which are in the air thick as flies.

What you've said is that things are better in Afghanistan because women aren't executed in soccer stadiums. Other than that, it's because you say so. But civilians are bombed on a routine basis now. At least before, you could have a wedding.

I won't say we should abolish police departments, but I will say that the War on Drugs is Also a Failed War and It Should End, For-Profit Prisons Should Be Abolished, and Police Departments Have Shown that they Don't Deserve to Carry Tasers.

So There.

[Psephos]

19. Have you followed Michael Yon at all?

He's an award-winning independent journo with his boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's supported only by contributions, and he tells it exactly as he sees it. No politics.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/

IMO, some things have been made better in Afghanistan because of US/UN/NATO efforts. The situation is fragile and apparently deteriorating. The US should either do what it takes to finish what was started, or leave. Half-efforts will not bear fruit.

BTW, the official War on Drugs is handled by federal agencies, not local police departments. I'm hardly a police enthusiast, but I also don't believe in anarchy.

[Rebubula]

5. Though...

...our actions have been, at best, misguided and wrong - let's not pretend that this place was a bastion of love and peace with equal rights for women.

[Javaman]

7. perhaps you are missing the sarcasm?

:shrug:

[Politicalboi]

2. Yes and the religious scholar

Will lead the mob. Between this man and the shoe thrower both should be considered hero's.

[Javaman]

4. now that's what I call American style freedom!!!

what exactly have we been doing over there for the past...7 FUCKING YEARS?

I wonder Kharzi, the mayor of kabul, is doing?

sigh.

[saigon68]

15. Kharzi, the mayor of Kabul takes trips to the riviera

and consorts with the local "Rough Trade"

Like those oil magnates in Riyadh

[Downtown Hound]

9. Boy, we sure can spread freedom can't we? n/t

[LeftishBrit]

10. Yikes. Isn't theocracy a lovely thing (not.)

Here's Amnesty on the case

amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=18106

The one encouraging thing is that many people did sign the petition. Maybe there are signs of change there. Or maybe not.

[maxsolomon]

11. Commute his sentence & let him immigrate to America

along with every woman in afganistan.

[msongs]

13. how's that working out in britain lol nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. nope. If women get educated, they infect their kids. If their kids become

educated, they toss the crazies aside. (Case in point, See USA election results, 2008)

[DCKit]

12. How do we support secular, educated and liberal Afghans and weaken the Taliban?

Religious fundamentalists ALWAYS put education, information and general knowledge at the top of their hit-list - right after depriving women of women of any other opportunity than house-slave/baby machine. It's the same no matter where you go. Even the TaliBaptists exposed their hand a few years back with their "submission" mantra.

Women are the key. Education, empowerment and financial independence (all of which are, in fact, in the Koran).