Distortions of Honor
May 27th, 2008I was reading Slate today and their double X section had a link to this article about “honor” killings in the Middle East. I’m not sure there’s anything that horrifies me more than reading about these atrocities against women. How people can be so cruel and have it justified by those around them is astonishing to me. I was also shocked by this article when it turned out on my news feed this morning:
A new report by Save the Children U.K. accuses some aid workers and peacekeepers of sexually exploiting children living in countries affected by conflict and natural disaster. As Tendai Maphosa reports from London, the report says the general silence surrounding the abuse is also shocking. Children as young as six are victims of the abuse, says the Save the Children report. It adds that the practice, though widespread, is chronically under-reported.
Save the Children’s Dominic Nutt says the children rarely speak out. He says while it is difficult for any child anywhere to come forward with information on being abused it is harder for children in difficult circumstances. “Imagine what it is like,” Nutt said. “Say you are a six-year-old child in a war zone, maybe you have lost your parents, maybe they are dead, you are being looked after by aid workers in a refugee camp. All is confusion, you have no security and the only people keeping you alive with food and shelter are aid workers. If those aid workers are also abusing you, how hard is it to go to them and complain? Because the children fear that their food, their aid help will be taken away.”
I just hope that someone in a position of power takes these claims seriously and investigates them because it is unacceptable and evil.