Western liberal values admittedly seen as turture for women, CNN

[Nur]

This CNN article caught my eye, please read it and share your views on its implications. Moderation is the best course in life, the Taliban, seen as extremists, were accused by western countries of denying women's education. And in addition to alledged involvement with international terrorism, that was the main reason for which they were driven from power by superior firepower, Interstingly, CNN reports that western countries torture women by allowing prostitution and sex slavery to be practiced in their countries legally.

 

 

Trafficked women's symptoms akin to torture victims'

 

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Women and girls trafficked for forced sexual or domestic work suffer post-traumatic stress on a par with torture victims, researchers said on Wednesday.

 

In one of the first studies of health problems of women who have been trafficked, they found 95 percent had been physically or sexually abused and nearly 40 percent had suicidal thoughts.

 

"This research shows that women who have been trafficked into sex work emerge with very severe pain and injuries and they show psychological health problems that appear to be similar to those documented among victims of torture," said Dr Cathy Zimmerman, the author of the report published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

 

The International Labor Organization estimates that at least 2.5 million people around the world are in forced labour at any given time.

 

Zimmerman, a researcher in public health policy, said because of its underground nature it was difficult to get precise numbers.

 

"This is an international trade that is happening in virtually every corner of the world," she said in an interview.

 

"The majority believe they are getting a job doing something like waitressing, being a nanny or working in a bar. Most of them are tricked into the situation."

 

Zimmerman and her team studied 207 women from 14 countries who had been released after being trafficked.

 

The women, aged 15-45 years old, were being treated in seven countries by aid agencies. Most were between 21-25 years old and 12 percent were under 18.

 

The vast majority of the women with children were single mothers. Sixty percent experienced some form of violence before being trafficked, and 56 percent reported symptoms suggestive of post traumatic stress disorder. Headaches, fatigue, dizzy spells, back pain, memory problems, anxiety and depression were common.

 

"If you can image a situation of confinement and abuse and systematic rape over a periods of months or a year it is not surprising that people are coming out with symptoms that might be at similar levels to those persons who are tortured," said Zimmerman.

 

She added that women needed professional health and support services immediately after they were freed and in the long term.

 

Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

 

CNN

[Johnny B]

Nice Article Sheikh Nur!

 

Though the Topic somehow gives a poisoned image of what to come , as one trickles into the contents in context, one realizes that Westren Liberalism is a progressive Ideology which is mainly and deeply intertwined with individualism.

 

Now there is a diffrence between free indivitual choice and slave choice, these women/girls trafficked throughout the West from East Europe, Asia and even Africa are lured (forced) into their situations and that makes the liberal Westren Machanism in place a teethless Tiger.

 

Even though westren governments slightly differ in their implementation of Liberalism , no single westren country has legalized torture in general let alone a special one for Women.

 

The Delimma for Liberalism is how to clarify the thin line between the individual choice of a woman/girl to have sex and have sex and get paid.

 

To be frank and a culturally competent communicator, i've to share with you what recently happened in Sweden, a country where prostitution is forbidden by law.

 

Due to the increased prostitution of Women in Germany becouse of the World cup event, The Swedish fotboll association was considering to boycott the games if the government of Germany diden't stop it while (according to a german local newswire )the organization and the players of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia( a Muslim Nation ruled by the Sharia ) were looking forward to every free second they could get to hit the street and hopefully get hooked.

 

Westren Liberalism is far from beeing supereme, but the alternatives of Muslim men's view about Women or Far-eastren cultures are in my view WORSE.

[Guhaad]

Sh. Nurow, i was more tuned with your preface than with the actual news you used on your report, only because the former seemed to me not more valid or less but specific in terms of the double standards the West uses when it comes to muslims and Islam in particular. the latter although gruesome and informational is I think a problem that is preventable, much of it lying with the shipping countries, and the rest with the recieving ones. I think the girls that find themselves in these situations are mostly from soviet blocks, third world and poorer countries around the world. more search of an opportunity, perhaps a better life, has forced them to take high risks in far places. Sometimes it is just matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

I am very smpathatic towards those who were tricked into it. Afterall, no one expects to be handicuffed on their first day of work.

 

The Delimma for Liberalism is how to clarify the thin line between the individual choice of a woman/girl to have sex and have sex and get paid

Labo daran mid dooro!

 

i think Islam has a better alternative, sh. Nur can elaborate on that.

[Nur]

JB

 

You write;

 

no single westren country has legalized torture in general let alone a special one for Women

 

 

I assume that you are not counting the Guantanamo bay of USA, Auschwitz of Germany, and the inqusistion courts of Spain as legal western policiies, nor the Western supported Apartheid system of Afrikaaner South Africa and Rhodisia !

 

 

Guhaad bro.

 

You are right Guhaad, my preface was meant to highlight the western accusation against Islam that women in Islam are mistreated, while in their backyard, women are reduced to sex objects. The laws in western countries provide drivers for this inhumane acts to be committed against women. If we use the same yardstick to measure which culture is more women friendly, its Islam, although i admit that we too have our bad apples. But, unlike the western liberal system, islam does not condone ill treatment of women, the Sharia sees it as a crime, as an example, when it was reported that Jawhar courts was sentencing rapists of women to be stoned, the whole western media cried foul, their double standard amazes me that a culture that sees no problem with nuclear bombs that can annihilate humanity as a DETERRENT, but fails to accept stoning of serial rapists to be a DETERRENT of crime against women. Stoning is a horrible punishment, as horrible if not worse than raping a woman and scarring her life forever.

 

 

Nur

[-Lily-]

Nur interesting article. But unfortunately this is not unique to Western world.

 

It also made me think of domestic female staff in Muslim countries and the treatment they get by their employers. It doesn't matter if they are Asians or Africans, they are known to suffer both pysical and sexual abuse. Just recently I was reading about the Kenyan woman who wasnt even allowed to go back home.

 

Personally, I don't think we should worry too much about the West, until we get our own house in order.

[Nur]

Water Lilly

 

You write:

 

Personally, I don't think we should worry too much about the West, until we get our own house in order.

 

 

I agree!, However, human rights problems are due to lack of application of tenets of Islam which guarantees everyone justice, the injustice done on women particularly in western and islamic countries are due to legalizing Alcohol which impairs sound judgement fomenting lustful behaviour, gambling which creates greed to spawn prostitution which takes advantage of poor women. my point was to show that Islam is the solution, not the problem as depicted by western media.

 

 

Nur

[Naden]

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Women and girls trafficked for forced sexual or domestic work suffer post-traumatic stress on a par with torture victims, researchers said on Wednesday.

Forced prostitution is a tiny fraction of the number of women (and men) selling their bodies for money. The remainder are doing it out of poverty, lack of work skills/opportunities, movement into urban areas, and many other reasons. In all, personal choice is a central factor.

 

Prostitues can and do make the choice; outside of kidnapping and forced physical/sexual enslavement, addictions are but one contributor to prostitution. Illiterate women, educated women, young and old women, and many times men engage in this often lucrative trade.

[Nur]

Naden

 

You write:

 

The remainder are doing (Prostitution) it out of poverty, lack of work skills/opportunities, movement into urban areas, and many other reasons. In all, personal choice is a central factor.

 

So, are you suggesting that these women prefer to work their a.. off serving so many stinking men daily? or is it because they fell through the cracks of a failing system?

 

Could it be the tolerance of substance use, Swiss Cheese law, corrupt law enforcement, individualist minded society that does not care of the plight of these women as the prime reason of this " Self Chosen Slavery" ?

 

Have these women failed, or it is the sytem and its enforcers to blame?

 

 

Nur

[Modesty]

Of course western liberalism tortures and oppresses women. Where is the freedom when you have to walk around in revealing clothes just to feel good about yourself? Also, marriage is on the decline, and out of wedlock relationships are on the rise,and this really destroys societies. There is wisdom in all of Allah's laws to make the society function properly. So many single mothers out there, and where are the men? Well, they are taught that they don't need to help the women out, they should be "independent". This is very sad, because men and women need to work together as Allah made it so.

[Cara.]

Originally posted by Modesty:

Where is the freedom when you have to walk around in revealing clothes just to feel good about yourself?

I must have missed the memo.

[Naden]

Hello Nur,

 

So, are you suggesting that these women prefer to work their a.. off serving so many stinking men daily?

Yes. Most do prefer to hook when they could be doing minimum wage or under the table work; this is especially true for people in western countries with social welfare systems. The men may or may not be stinky, depending on the 'class' of prostitute, if you will.

 

I hear what you're saying: women enslaved sexually are exploited and most cannot escape. The prostitute I am referring to is not the one physically chained by an ‘owner’ but the one who may or may not be an addict, uneducated, or dirt poor.

 

or is it because they fell through the cracks of a failing system?

Some did, sure. I can’t help but think of the teenager escaping home, living on the street, addicted to drugs and simply selling his/her body for a score and/or a meal. There are complex social and economic reasons for people marginalized into prostitution, petty crimes and institutionalization.

 

Have these women failed, or it is the sytem and its enforcers to blame?

Both. Perhaps.

 

If legal, the justice system cannot fail in prosecuting willing, adult participants. If illegal, then enforcement could and does fail sometimes. Since we are talking about western women, I am tempted to say that they are largely making a choice to prostitute. The same choice is made by the John buying sex. Supply and demand, unfortunately.

 

I hear religious and psychosocial arguments of exploitation but I’m afraid they’re infantilizing and somewhat paternalistic. No ‘system’ can eradicate prostitution and not every woman (or gigolo?) selling sex is a victim, not here in the West, in the streets of Sofia, Nairobi, or Tehran. Sex trade will be exchanged by mostly willing people. When it comes to children or the physically restrained/bought (as in the article), then we have crimes of grave exploitation.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

I fail to see western values or Liberalism in what your talking about. People should really stop labeling every and all things western liberal.