Amnesty International Australia: Amina Lawal
I can’t say it any better than Mordant:
Amina Lawal is going to be stoned to death for having a baby. I’ll repeat that for the hard of thinking: Amina Lawal, a breathing, feeling, thinking, human being, is going to be buried up to her neck in the ground and get rocks chucked at her head till she dies because she’s had a baby.
I know, it probably won’t do much. And you’ve heard stories like this before. And you’re busy. And you’ve got your own problems. And that’s just one person, what about all the others? And you might get spam. And you’ll do it later. And whatever the hell else excuse I missed.
Please sign the petition. Thank you.
[Grooving to: The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel]
.04It’s not because she had a baby, it’s because of the adultery – the baby is merely the “evidence” of the affair. *Why* the double standard for the man who got her pregnant is beyond me.
I’ve been following this case for over a year now – it’s unbelievable that it could drag on for so long like this. The good thing that’s come out of this is that it’s focused a lot of attention to the plight of Nigerian women and the archaic punishments meted out for what could be considered personal, ethical indiscretions under the Sharia penal codes.
There has been so much attention focused on this case that I don’t believe for a second that they will actually go through with the execution – I think that this string of adjournment upon adjournment is their way of delaying their own peculiar brand of “justice” that they claim is forthcoming without actually executing Lawal. It’s their way of saving face, I think – rather than get the entire world completely pissed off by going through with the execution they instead opt to let the entire world be merely outraged at the thought/threat of their actions.
At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
It’s been a few months since I’ve sent the right honorable Dr. Soule a letter, though – thanks for the reminder. Maybe I’ll write this one using the blood of one of my two children that were born out of wedlock – I bet he’d get a kick out of that.
(Mmmm…I love the smell of moral outrage in the morning!)
sorry about the weird stuff at the top there – Nico hit the keyboard as I was posting.
And by “weird stuff” I, of course, mean the whole “natalie has a semi-intelligent comment to make” thing. I know, I know – I’m just as surprised as you are.
So I read the story, and I feel sorry for the girl. In my mind, that is a totally outrageous punishment. So then I read the petition. And this is what I read:
“I kindly call on your Government to take all necessary measures to secure respect for the rule of law in every part of Nigeria which includes respect for the prohibition on torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment, such as the practice of corporal punishment. The Nigerian government should also make death penalty a thing of the past.”
How can I, as a U.S. citizen in a country that still avidly supports and participates in the death penalty, sign a petition asking another country not to? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Hrmmm… I didn’t read that part of it. I agree with it, but I didn’t see it. I agree with you, though.
If you are a death penalty supporter (just not a supporter of the death penalty for crimes that ought not to be crimes, especially when the “co-conspirator” gets off scott free, because he’s not a she), then you shouldn’t sign this petition. Write your own letter.
And by “you” I don’t mean “you”, Theresa. But you knew that. 🙂
I’d just like to mention that these campaigns can and do work. It’s better if you write your own letter to the authorities concerned, of course, but email petitions have the virtue of being quick to use and easy to spread.
Thanks for the update, Solly.
i just think that this is all a bunch of bull sh**
I am very concerned about this case re: amina lawal. I personally don’t equate this situation with the death penalty. Because whether or not you favor the death penalty, the fact of the matter is that the crime in this case (if you can even call it a crime) really does not fit the punishment. In our country if someone receives the death pentaly and is subsequently killed by lethal injection, that person is generally a murderer, serial killer; etc. But even in that case the death is as humane as it can possibly be. We do NOT take our murderers, bury them up to the neck and throw rocks at them.
So to me, the issue is not capital pounishment, it is that we should in no way offer support of a law that is so unfair, and sexist. The man who fathered the child is apparently skipping off somewhere. Is he going to take care of the baby if it is left motherless? What do you think?
So I would urge everybody to sign the petition. The US government is trying to draft a resolution which is partially sparked by this case, condemming the use of torture, mutilation and brutality in it’s punishment. okay. I’ll shut up now. But adultery, and it’s likely she was raped anyway, should not be punishable by death. We don’t treat animals in the united states with as much hate and brutallity as they are considering treating this woman.
Marianne