Tuesday, September 9, 2008

BUT WHY?

Standtall ain’t feeling well at the moment. Used to have ulcer history but me think it’s never gone completely. I can’t delay any more. I have got to check it out.

I read Saturday Champion Newspaper that 3 female teenagers were killed somewhere in Pakistan where it was against their culture for a woman to choose her own husband. These girls chose their own husbands and the society made sure they paid for it. They were kidnapped, shot and buried alive with their injuries. A politician defended this act, saying it’s their culture to perform this “honour killing”. Yes, he claimed it’s their culture or custom to kill any woman who dares to choose her husband. That is a community representative talking. 2 of the girls’ relatives that protested and defended the girls were killed as well. Up till the time I read the news, no arrest has been made; no person has been pointed to as the killer. A human right organisation called Human Rights Watch is currently taking up this case. Why are we so heartless, why are we so backward? I got sicker reading this article.

Somwhere else; King Mswati of Swailand in Sub-Saharan Africa was announced as the 15th richest Monarch in the world. He is the only African on that list- arranged boobs parade of teenage girls to choose his 14th wife!!! Yes, 14th wife. His country is soaked in poverty but majority of the girls believe in this culture because it elevated them from poverty. Do they no better? No! I just don’t get it. I always wonder why we have leaders that are not responsible to their people. Leaders that will always want to exploit their people. He was there in his regalia with him looking on saying to himself, I am the king!

N.B: My “Interview Thursday and “Cats Tuesday” will still be up. It might not be as regular but it’s something I don’t intend to stop. Keep expecting something GREAT!

28 comments:

funkola said...

1sssssstttttt...yay!
y r we so comfy in poverty...we Africans ehn!!!

aloted said...

hope u get well soon.. pele o.

Africa! men dunno wat to say again o except to pray.

Afrobabe said...

wow...didnt hear about that...sometimes we have it better in naija than other countries dont we?? we surely have a lot to thx God for...

Flourishing Florida said...

dia r certain things dat i read dat drive me insane. they were killed 4 chosing their own husband? in 21st century!! & wot happened d d men dat were chosen? not a damn thing am sure! this is crazy!

Rita said...

Sorry Standtall... and please get well soon...we still want you standing tall...pls dont delay...

Did you say buried alive? How cruel...It seems that there are still areas that need serious enlightenment...

The babes in Swailand, they surely do not know better but does King want them to know any better? At his own loss? We need some Mary Slessors (and Standtallers :-)) to visit that place.

Me, I'm looking forward to Interview Thursday and Cats Tuesday and Standtall every other day...

Smaragd said...

na wa o.

those assholes should be crucified hanging upside down! WTF!

as per that monarch, i have nothing to say other than "may his greed kill him"!

LG said...

pele sweeri,
take kia of yasef o

Waffarian said...

as a friend of mine says,

"Imagine a society whose "honour" depends on a woman's pussy".

It is shame...much lower than that, we as human beings, can not sink.

If "honour" is detemined by who you fuck, then, I wonder what "respect" and "intergrity" is determined by....

those that wish to complain about my use of vulgar words should think about how vulgar the incident is first.

Waffarian said...

Get well soon honey!

Don said...

There's just something about a grown man sleeping with a young girl that sickens me. I understand it's well within that culture, but King Mswati needs a chest full of hot ones.

Also, feel better, Standtall.

Miss Definitely Maybe said...

being killed for freedom of choice is sickening as well as a great tragedy for womankind. We might have got the right to vote but we are still a long long way from 'home'.

As for King Mswati whilst I condemn his corruption I do not condemn the 'reed dance tradition' just because a custom is different to ours/ or we dont understand it doesnt make it wrong. I have had the priviledge of being involved in one festival (vicariously thru a maternal cousin) and the girls felt no shame at all, they were excited as much as we probably would feel about attending our first prom. The festival is not about the King choosing a wife but he chooses a wife at the festival (if that makes sense.).....and yes I am biased lol

ibiluv said...

monarch crazy......

ulcer.......it never goes

just stick to little meals/snacks/fruits every 3 hrs(i hope u are trying to gain weight)

and u should be fyne
drugs help(i had a relapse 2 weeks ago-10days of drugs and i'm good
hopefully
it will disappear for (ever)

MissBalance said...

Sorry about your health. Hope you're taking care of yourself o!
Hey you've been awarded!!! Please see my blog for details. Congratulations!

Nigerian Drama Queen said...

Awww please get well soon. I pray for the best as you go to see what's wrong.
Oh yes, the topic of Honor Killings is a very interesting one. I think the most tear jerking cases, are when the girl has been raped and is killed because of that. I use to be an avid supported of Human Rights Watch, but I find some of their reports to be a little neo-colonialistic/condemnatory....

Get Well Soon! Muah
xxx

isha said...

Wow...

Hunter girl said...

Hey hon....please get checked out fast...we want you to be a our healthy activist!!!!

Honestly your posts made me sad, esp the so called 'honour killings'...what is the honour in killing someone...in taking someone elses life? A life that you cannot make? In the past i assumed that it was the lACK OF EXPOSURE....but today i am convinced that people 'make up' these rules for thier own selfish reasons, to propagagte the selfish, deceptive needs of thier wicked hearts. But God dey!!

On the so called king and his many wives....in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king...!!!wetin person go say again now??? The ting just tire me!!!

bArOquE said...

to think that a politician was defending such an act is ridiculous...get well soon Ma...take care of yourself

Mz. Dee said...

Na wow o......sum "leaders" need their head examined!

In my head and around me said...

Barbarism indeed.

Black Cat said...

"Honour killing" pftt! There is no "honour" in such a thing. It sickens me. Such cruelty!

As for that king, he's greedy and doesn't care about his people's poverty. Bleh!

Hope you feel better soon! Have you been tested for H. Pylori? That can cause ulcers and I believe can be cured quite easily:) xxx

Grahamn Kracker said...

Standtall - You have been so worried about me, and here you have this ulcer problem! So do take care of yourself!

Yes, that situation sounds so terrible. No culture can justify the murder of women who only want to be free to make their own decisions. Makes me so proud of some of my in-laws in India. Some get married to mates chosen to them, but others, including the young women, are choosing their own mates.

And their elders, although it is something they are not used to, love them and find it in their hearts to accept it, and to love them all.

Looking forward to all this kitty Tuesdays!

Now, get well!

Naija Idol said...

awww. hope u get well soon. just said a lil prayer for u.

Wat is this world turning in to or rather wat has it turned into???? *hiss*. God help us!!

Sorry i havent been here in a while.

Parakeet said...

You be real activists Standtall...well done for keep me up to speed with things like this. Do you know that several honour killings occur in the UK. Right under the nose of the authorities. I wonder when they will do away with these barbaric culture!

And pele for the ulcer...I dont think it ever really goes. At least mine didnt. I just make sure I dont eat the wrong stuffs.

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Hey girl, hope you get well soon.

We women have suffered. As for Mswati, well, what can I say, he will hide behind tradiion, but considering the HIV/AIDS pandemic in that part of the world, he would be well advised to turn himself into an example for monogamy/polygamy to his 13/14 wives.


NIGERIAN CURIOSITY
IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I ONLY HAD ONE...

poeticallytinted said...

Hope you are getting better. Have been away myself as a result of ill health. But I feel better now.

They were killed for choosing their own husbands? wow! It's easy to feel disconnected from such happenings because it doesn't affect us. Look at us, falling in love, getting married as naturally as it is to pee. Not even thinking about it. Do we realise how priviledged we really are? Have we asked ourselves how we can help these people who are not so priviledged? I guess that's what you try to do ST and I admire you for that and all the other people who speak up for the good of people they've never met. Kudos. As for that King all i can do is LOL @ this and shake my head at the African situation. where the rich get richer both 'monetarily' and 'wifely' and the poor get poorer.

Scheyenne Zigzag said...

yeah. Our heartlessness never ceaes to amaze me.

LushChic said...

hey love....been MIA for a while,didnt realise u r poorly.....
all is well love.God is ur strength...
takia

Groupdmt said...

Great post..
prépresse

My Passion, my focus, the change that I want to see in the world - is my propellent factor.

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