generalspeaking

Back to the Stone Age. Again

Star-crossed lovers. Isn't legend - in time-honoured traditions where people love to discuss romance and sorrow - replete with stories of lovers whose lives, cultures, traditions, tragically separated them because of some unspeakably dreadful circumstances. Some who lived long and sad lives separated from one another, others who died miserably as forces beyond their control punished them for their crass insistence on their love for one another.

And another story yet comes forward to join the legion of others that make up a commentary on love and tragedy. Tristan and Isolde, Romeo and Juliette, and now Khayyam and Siddiqa, join the pantheon of star-crossed lovers. It was just not to be. Shouldn't have been, anyway, since Khayyam was already married and had fathered two children with his first wife. And Siddiqa had been given in promise as a child bride to a relative of Khayyam's.

But there is nothing logical or rational about love and passion. And this was, after all, Afghanistan, at a remote village in Kunduz province where the Taliban have one again resumed a familiar position of occupation and strength. When 25-year-0ld Khayyam visited Siddiqa's father to ask for her hand in marriage (multiple wives permitted under Islamic Sharia law), he was refused.

And the young couple foolishly stated in public that they loved one another and were determined to be together. Defiance is not an admired attribute in Afghanistan where Sharia law dominates society under Taliban rule, after all. The lovers fled to Kunar province, but family members enticed them to return, assuring them that it was done, and they would be forgiven, they would be allowed to marry.

On their return to Kundar, the trusting pair was arrested. By the Taliban. Who then invited the village to turn out for a public display where the sentence would be carried out. Siddiqa, wearing an Afghan burqa, and Khayyam, were placed in the centre of the bazaar, encircled by those set to mete out their punishment. Members of the Taliban threw the first stones, and then the villagers joined them.

Women were denied presence at the event. But 200 village men were present, including Mr. Khayyam's father and brother and Siddiqa's brother, along with other relatives. In a secluded village in a fundamentalist-religious community in a stone-age country there is quite a lot of intermarriage, and it can be safely concluded that there was a lot of shared DNA in that stoning group.

"People were very happy seeing this", an onlooker explained of the festive crowd, cheering wildly during the event. For, after all, "They did a bad thing". The couple, of course, not the punishing villagers.

Labels: Afghanistan, Human Relations, Human Rights

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, August 17, 2010