Tip of the Iceberg
I read this story earlier today about an investigation into the possible rape of an Iraqi woman and the murder of the woman and her family. To the best of my knowledge I can't recall any previous investigations for rape in Iraq. I'm not saying there aren't any, I'm just saying there's a suspicious dearth of them.
That was the immediate thought that crossed my mind. The obvious question is why? As a combat zone Iraq is a fairly stressful for combatants, at least from what I've been able to gather. And there doesn't seem to be much prostitution around. After three years, you'd think there'd be a rape investigation every other day...but no. Is this because the U.S. military is so professional that it has incidents of rape at a less rate than the general population? Hardly. My suspicion is that to the extent there are sexual assaults commited by U.S. servicemen in Iraq, they go largely unreported because of cultural/societal issues. I'm no expert on Islam, but from what I know of Middle Eastern cultures, any discussion of sexuality is off limits. Let alone going to older men and admitting to them that you are no longer chaste in the eyes of your God.
I hope the military brass are aware of this peculiar situation and are working or already have ways for Iraqi women to report sexual crimes without any fear of reprisal, etc. from their community. I have a feeling we have an extensive system created to help those Iraqis who wish to work with the U.S. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to do the same for women who wish to report crimes.
Happy 4th of July.
That was the immediate thought that crossed my mind. The obvious question is why? As a combat zone Iraq is a fairly stressful for combatants, at least from what I've been able to gather. And there doesn't seem to be much prostitution around. After three years, you'd think there'd be a rape investigation every other day...but no. Is this because the U.S. military is so professional that it has incidents of rape at a less rate than the general population? Hardly. My suspicion is that to the extent there are sexual assaults commited by U.S. servicemen in Iraq, they go largely unreported because of cultural/societal issues. I'm no expert on Islam, but from what I know of Middle Eastern cultures, any discussion of sexuality is off limits. Let alone going to older men and admitting to them that you are no longer chaste in the eyes of your God.
I hope the military brass are aware of this peculiar situation and are working or already have ways for Iraqi women to report sexual crimes without any fear of reprisal, etc. from their community. I have a feeling we have an extensive system created to help those Iraqis who wish to work with the U.S. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to do the same for women who wish to report crimes.
Happy 4th of July.
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 1:59 AM
7 Comments:
I'm sorry, but this was one of the more riddiculous posts I've seen here in a while.
Why do you expect that the US Military "brass" care about Iraqi women?
Rather than chalk up low reporting rates to "cultural/societal" issues, why don't we really acknowledge what's going on: that Americans are viewed as occupiers at best, and oppressors at worst in Iraq. Even those that make up the Iraqi "government" sometimes have a hard time keeping the party line.
I ask this, if you were an Iraqi woman who was violated by a serviceman, would you really feel comfortable going to another serviceperson to report? If you were the same woman, whose house was blown up by Americans, or whose cousins were locked up in Abu Ghraib for months without charges, would you want to report your rape to Americans?
Since sex and Islam are rarely discussed lets open up discussion on this topic: Iraq and Prostitution. I know this is somewhat off topic with the pending military rape issue. Hopefully this stimulates some great thoughts as a parallel to all you ladies and gents out there complaining about the timeliness of your grades.
Muta'a — “ecstasy” in Arabic — is an oral or written contract between a male and widowed female. The contract stipulates that the man will pay the woman in exchange for sexual intimacy. The contract may be for one or multiple sexual encounters within a stipulated period of time. The male entering into the contract may be married or single. Men can void the contract at any time; however women don't have that option unless it's negotiated at the outset. The couple must agree not to have children. A woman who unintentionally gets pregnant can have an abortion but must then pay a fine to a cleric.
The policy reason behind the muta’a was to provide widowed women with a means of financial stability. This rationale was recited by the prophet Mohammed as a way to ensure a “respectable means” of income for widowed women.
Now the fun stuff! Shiite lawmakers have said they want Iraq's new constitution to use the sharia, or Islamic law, as its basis. That would give muta'a formal legal protection.
Most Shiite scholars today already consider it halal, or religiously legal. For you Boalt studs out there that means the prophet Mohammed = controlling authority. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest religious authority in Shiite Islam, sets conditions and obligations for muta'a on his website, available at www.sistani.org. Grand Ayatollah states that a woman with whom temporary marriage is contracted is not entitled to share the conjugal bed of her husband and does not inherit from him.
Many Sunni scholars fear that giving such sanction to muta’a is comparable to legalizing prostitution which will in turn lead to a collapse in moral values.
What are your thoughts? Pro-muta’a? Are these temporary “pleasure marriages” or simply prostitution?
Under Saddam’s regime muta’a was considered idolatry punished by fines and imprisonment. Furthermore, since the U.S. occupation such agreements have flourished in Iraq.
8:20,
"Americans are viewed as occupiers at best, and oppressors at worst in Iraq"
I'm glad that you have such deep insight into the hearts and minds of the general Iraqi on the street. Blanket statements of dubious merit don't really further debate on this blog.
There aren't any rapes reported in Iraq becaudse U.S. servicemen are so stunningly attractive that women never say no. Clearly this is the explanation that answers all.
I do not claim any deep insight into the hearts and minds of the Iraqi society, but rather I based my assertion that data that I have read. Half of the Iraqi public approves of attacks on American servicemen. A huge percentage of Sunnis approve of such attacks (if you believe the poll, 88%).
Among the Iraqi Sunni population, at least, I would say that the view of American servicemen is distressingly dim.
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/165.php?nid=&id=&pnt=165&lb=hmpg2
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-28-poll-cover_x.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217874/site/newsweek/
So, let me get this straight. In your book, rape is just to be expected. If you didn't see it, that would be "suspicious". I know YOU wouldn't go so far as to say a natural expression of sexuality under the circumstances. But if you did, you wouldn't be the first to suggest that rape is only natural (though OF COURSE it should be punished, you might quickly add) at least if, you know, a bunch of men are in a situation that is "stressful" or maybe they aren't as "professional" as they probably should be.
I know, I know. As a description of how armies actually work in the real world, you are probably right. Some of the boys are probably doing some rape here and there. Maybe that's because even the people who condemn rape manage to make excuses for rapists at the same time. I'd just like it if all y'all would stop talking about dealing with rape by soldiers the same way you might talk about dealing with dealing with catching the flu on airplanes.
So you caught a bug on the plane (got raped), eh? Too bad, you know, but it happens. If someone is sick in a situation that it could affect someone else, he should really try to avoid that. But of course, that's not always practical, and really, you have to wonder why all those victims put themnselves in such a vulnerable situation. I mean, just stay at home, or if you are going into a high risk area, take your vitamins (a weapon, or a bodyguard), and wear a mask to keep out germs (a burka to keep out preying eyes). And whatever you do, make sure we have a system in place so that if you are victimized you can report it, so we can move the sicko somewhere away from the public until he feels like himself again.
Wow...it's like you knew my thoughts even better than I did.
8.27
Take a long hard look at what you have written and a long hard look in the mirror. Then please: do the rest of the world a favor and ensure we don't ever have to take a long hard look at a person so proficient in such sick comments again. You truly are disgusting and a fool. And by the way..what makes any of you believe that these attacks are NOT reported? Oh yeah, because the government tells you so.... smart.
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