Self-immolation (CONTENT WARNING!!!!!)

[PepperElf]

Heed the CONTENT WARNING notice.
Self-immolation means setting yourself on fire. so clicky at your own risk


http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/self-immolation-burning-yourself-to-death-in-afghanistan-is-rising-among-women-warning-grapjic-images/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6149144.stm

My boyfriend sent me these links

http://womensphere.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/self-immolation-on-the-rise-among-women-in-afghanistan/
and i found that one just now, a little newer than the others.

According to the web page there are about 10 women a month who set themselves on fire as an escape from abusive marriages (various middle east nations, including afghanistan)... though in some cases the husband is the one setting the fire.


John Ringo also has a good article on the nature of Chivalry and how it affects woman's rights, but I'll save that for later.

[anriana]

What's the debate here?

[Sylvia727]

Wasn't that one of the reasons the British justified staying in India for so long? That they had drastically reduced the number of bride-burnings and satis?

Obviously, suicide=bad, but what other choice did these women feel they had?

[PepperElf]

eh, i guess the debate is that i thought it was too graphic to post to the cs site

plus whenever i read comments against the military being there... i think to myself... protecting these women isn't the main mission, but... well if the military had to pull out, then there'd never be any chance for them whatsoever. it's not like their laws are going to magically change overnight to give these women rights if no one feels they deserve them.

[Boozy]

What's the debate here?

We've had a few threads here that had me wondering what the debate was, but that's not really the way to look at it: Fratching serves as a dumping ground for controversial and/or upsetting topics that can't get posted to CS.

Topics like this can sometimes elicit offensive comments and generalizations about Islam.

Certainly, no one is likely to come forward with a pro-immolation stance. So consider this a discussion about a serious topic, rather than a debate. :)

[Flyndaran]

Then I'll have to play the nasty devil's advocate FOR self-immolations.
Simply killing onself often leads to us simply writing it off or even at times blaming the victim for taking the "easy" way out. Burning onself proves that the victim faced something so horrible that such a painful method was preferrable to staying. It provokes such shock that others feel obligated to take notice and possibly work to change whatever situation the victim was in.

[Boozy]

I was wondering what the appeal was of "death by fire." Although I can't imagine that all of these women were activists or even trying to make a point; surely some just wanted to die. Is there a religious reason for immolation?

[Rapscallion]

I was wondering what the appeal was of "death by fire." Although I can't imagine that all of these women were activists or even trying to make a point; surely some just wanted to die. Is there a religious reason for immolation?
There used to be suttee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suttee) in India, probably discussed in the articles, and I reckon it's a hangover from that and similar traditions.

Rapscallion

[Slytovhand]

I was thinking it was the old 'purification by fire' idea... twisted though???