I am sad this morning

The first news story I read this morning was of a young girl stoned to death in Somalia. She was 13-years-old. The reported three men from raping her. The Islamic authorities in turn accused her of adultery. He murder was committed in an area in front of a crowd of 1,000 onlookers. She died a horrible death at the hand of Islam. The injustice of the situation is what makes me sad. Let me explain.

I was walking in a park this morning with a few friends. We play a early morning round of disc golf at La Mirada regional park. It was about 30 minutes after sunrise when I turned to see a small herd of 13 and 14-year-old girls running toward me. They were dressed in Halloween costumes. Superwoman was in the lead. I was nonplussed. I took me a few seconds to realize I was standing on their path. I jumped aside as they ran past me. I remember thinking it must be nice to be so young and free of care. They all seemed so happy.

An hour later I am home reading the morning news. This is what I read:

A 13-year-old girl who said she had been raped was stoned to death in Somalia after being accused of adultery by Islamic militants, a human rights group said.

Dozens of men stoned Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow to death Oct. 27 in a stadium packed with 1,000 spectators in the southern port city of Kismayo, Amnesty International and Somali media reported, citing witnesses. The Islamic militia in charge of Kismayo had accused her of adultery after she reported that three men had raped her, the rights group said.

Source: Amnesty: Somali rape victim, 13, stoned to death, AF

It used to bother me that the AP would avoid the religious aspects of a crime like this one. I later realized that religion has very little to do with it. Like the communists of the Russian and Chinese revolutions, or the crazed communist minions of Pol Pot Cambodian nightmare. Islamic extremist use their religion as a means to a political end. I don't think of them as misguided religious zealots any longer. They sit right next Pol Pot and Mao Zedong as power hungry murderous thugs.

What is the diplomatic solution for Somalia? I do not think what the world is doing makes any difference.

Technorati tags: Somalia, Islam, Stoning