I would like someone to tell me how the mutilation of children during the celebration of the Muslim holiday of Ashoura is justifiable.
I am talking about an Associated Press picture which was published with the following caption:
To view the photo, click here, and open the photo gallery labeled, " Muslims mourn martyr Imam Hussein", and click on slide #11.
I understand that there is a vast cultural difference between Islam and the West, and there are probably some things they find revolting in our society. But is there anything that can justify the mutilation of child in the name of religion?
Unlike the other photo captions, this one does NOT say the wound was intentionally inflicted. Assuming from Dad’s proud smile that it was, I’ll merely point out that I, like many others, am circumsized, which has caused a more drastic change in my appearance than a cut on the scalp is going to cause that child.
I am circumcised. I have also had a cancerous testicle removed. Both procedures were done in a hospital, by a doctor, for health reasons. Neither was done in the street, by a family member, with a sword, to commemorate a religious figure who died 1300 years ago. I see a difference.
It might almost be said that mutilation of children is a *universal * religious custom. There are tons of examples that come to mind – circumcision, scarification, tattooing, teeth filing, head-flattening… it’s a long list.
Well, now that we get down to it, no, not IMO. I can’t believe God created us in His image and then wants us to disfigure it. Nor that God gets jollies from inflicting pain on kids.
However, if you want to be on this side of the debate, I think you need to acknowledge that we in the West do something that is arguably worse (since the change is permanent).
I don’t know what would be more appropriate to argue about in this thread. If we’re only allowed to talk about the forehead slashing, and then decide whether anything can justify mutilation in the name of religion, are we just supposed to say ‘No’ and cluck sanctimoniously?
People mutilate their babies for much less compelling reasons than religion, anyway.
Inflicting pain and anxiety in your child is pretty much an unavoidable side-effect of having a kid. Sending a kid to his first day of school causes quite a bit of anxiety, for example. And tetnus shots hurt like a sonuvabitch. Of course, being educated and not getting lockjaw are objectively good things, whereas a religious ceremony is of debatable value. It’s certainly not something I’d subject my kid too, what with me being an atheist and all, but the fact that this father did it to his kid does not mean that he’s a cruel or abusive parent. He sees value in the ceremony, and odds are, he’s going to pass that value on to the kid, so when he’s older, he’ll probably see the same value in it, as opposed to viewing it as a traumatizing event. I don’t see any long term harm in it, so it’s probably not worth getting too torqued up about.
I can understand that, but if we fling the doors open to the circumcision: good or bad debate, the context of other religious mutilations will be hopelessly lost. I might as well say Macintosh’s suck…
Mutilation? Don’t you think thats a tad bit extreme? The child recieved a small cut on his head. Thats certainly no crueler than dunking a kid in water making him think he is drowning.
Ha, so everybody thought this was going to about our own big child mutilation tradition (including me). Turns out this is a textbook one those mote/plank situations that Jesus talked about.