This story is not about American education.
It was posted a few hours ago on the New York Times. I was so horrified that I wanted to share it so others could see and learn about the evil that is occurring in our world.
It is about ISIS and the systematic rape of enslaved women and girls of the Yazidi religion. This is so far out of my understanding of the world that I have trouble comprehending it.
The world must pay attention. The world must act to protect the innocents.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane, on this I agree 100%. I do think it is the progressive candidates who want to “just stay out of it”. Hint: ISIS is not going to stop at the Saudi border. They are making a concerted interest to get those oil wells and the 11M barrels/day of production (out of about 90M/day worldwide). It’s not a matter of if we get involved, only when. Why not get involved earlier and save a lot of innocents as well.
Speaking of horrible treatment of women, I would encourage your readers to look up Aisha and her significance. I don’t really care what year it was. Nine-year-olds are not for forty-year-old men. Kind of puts the beliefs of 1B+ people around the world in perspective.
Despite the horrors of war, we have created this situation, women are always the slaves of the conquerors of war. I fully believe that such a things happen, but no longer believe reports from the NY times since their coverage of the Iraq invasion, all lies. The media controls all that we think, how many women are in similar desperate situations in this country due to the collapse and corruption of our economics. Best we stick with education or this movement will melt down with the stories that the media releases to us like a morphine drip, taking our eyes off of the prize. The new widow women from Gaza are marrying anyone just to survive that abattoir. ISIS is just one of our Frankensteins.
I was thinking very similar thoughts and wondering how best to express them. Thank you for doing it for me. Well said.
Here is something we can do…sign this petition.
—–Original Message—–
From: Haby mint Rabah with Avaaz
Sent: Thu, Aug 13, 2015 2:56 pm
Subject: My saviour in chains
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bOhYqdb&v=63397
I became a slave at age 5. I believed it was normal. My chains were broken by a man who has dedicated his life to fighting slavery in Mauritania. Now this man sits in prison for speaking out. It’s time we break his chains, so he can keep helping others break theirs:
SIGN THE PETITION
Dear Avaaz members around the world,
I became a slave at age 5. Every day I looked after the herd. Every night I was raped by my master. I always thought, without understanding, that this was normal.
In Mauritania, where I’m from, hundreds of thousands of people are still held this way today. But I was lucky. My brother escaped his masters and found an organisation working to stop slavery. He asked them to help free me. But when they came to take me away, at first I completely refused. I couldn’t imagine a life away from my masters, a life where you worked no matter what, even if pregnant or giving birth. This was the only life I had ever known.
The man who came for me, and who has dedicated his life to freeing others like me, is now behind bars for daring to speak out against slavery. But in seven days there is a court appeal and he could be released. If hundreds of thousands of people around the world speak out for Biram Dah Abeid, we can break his chains so he can continue helping others break theirs. Join me now:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bOhYqdb&v=63397
The slave-owning elites have poured on the pressure to keep the status quo, but opinions are starting to change. And I believe our President can be influenced — under intense pressure, he’s released political prisoners before, including Biram himself. Please join me now to free him again.
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bOhYqdb&v=63397
With thanks and hope,
Haby mint Rabah with the Avaaz team
Note from Avaaz:
Mauritania has the worst slavery problem on the planet. Today, up to 20% of the entire population are slaves. They are born into it or sold to masters, abused, raped and exploited. And like the historic trade, this slavery is racist — almost all slaves are African Haratin.
Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, and it only became a crime in Mauritania in 2007. Despite it being illegal, and Mauritania having an Anti Slavery Act and a roadmap to end slavery, just one slave master has been successfully prosecuted.
Those that challenge this illegal cruel practice are detained and tortured. Biram has fought slavery his whole life — he’s received prestigious prizes from the UN and recently ran for president of Mauritania. But the government has denied the organisation he leads any legal recognition, and now thrown him in jail for two years just for speaking publicly.
With just seven days until the appeal, let’s answer Haby’s call, demand Biram’s release, and build the largest 21st century call for abolition by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter — everywhere:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?bOhYqdb&v=63397
MORE INFORMATION
Biram Dah Abeid Still Imprisoned: Latest Developments (UNPO)
http://unpo.org/article/17712
Mauritania: Jailed presidential candidate and anti-slavery activists must be released (Amnesty International)
https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/01/mauritania-jailed-presidential-candidate-and-anti-s…
Joint Motion for a Resolution on Mauritania, in particular the case of Biram Dah Abeid (European Parliament)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+MOTION+P8-RC-2014-0382+0+DOC+XML+V0…
“Pour les maîtres, violer les esclaves est un droit” (Le Nouvel Observateur – French)
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/monde/20141214.OBS7863/pour-les-maitres-violer-les-esclaves-est-un-dr…
Le combat contre l’esclavage en Mauritanie récompensé par l’ONU (RFI – French)
http://www.rfi.fr/mfi/20131227-mauritanie-biram-ould-dah-ould-abeid-prix-esclavage-nations-unies-dro…
Mauritanie: quand la question de l’esclavage s’invite à la présidentielle (Afrique Décryptages, Ifri – French)
https://afriquedecryptages.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/mauritanie-quand-la-question-de-lesclavage-sinvi…
Forty years a slave: women start new lives in Mauritania (IRIN)
http://newirin.irinnews.org/female-slaves-mauritania-photo-feature/
The New York Times is one of the most reputable newspapers in the world. This series will probably win a Pulitzer. The opinion spin, especially for education reform is nauseating. But, we can’t stop supporting the New York Times.
Reputable? The paper that lied us into the Iraq war is reputable? And I won’t even go into their record on education. The mind boggles.
What flavor is the NYT’s koolade?
It sickens me to read this because I know this barbarous treatment of women is happening right now. Again and again, we see how easily and how often religion is used to justify this behavior.
Agreed. This is horrible.
Diane,
This has been going on for MONTHS if not years.
The media does not cover the atrocities towards these people as executed by ISIS. Absolute horror stories. And, if they DO report it, it’s too late. The NY Times is way too late. I have to wonder what is in it for them.
Maybe Wasserman-Shultz, Sandra Fluke, and all the so called progressives might take the time to voice their concerns but I think they’re too busy defending PP.
CNN reported this on October 30, 2014. Washington Post had articles last year and more this year. BBC, Times of India and others have been reporting it for quite some time. NY times reported it first time last year (November).
Boko Haram (another islamic outfit) kidnapping of girls was reported by all media (print and visual) for a long time. Many of the girls were never found. It is believed that they were sold to slavery. Obama administration has tried to help.
Please do not blame media, just blame the consumer of the news.
“Please do not blame media, just blame the consumer of the news.”
What?
the LAZY often BIASED consumer of the news
If 100+ of our school age girls went missing from one school….well I can just say we are a very well armed country, I don’t think most of us would hesitate to take matter into our own hands.
100+ have been raped by the Common Core, what has been done?
To Joseph:
Media is owned by money power. Intellectual authority is submissive. Teachers and parents are afraid of losing work.
Only the movement force of retirees, home-makers, and older students who START their own movement, is called OPT OUT MOVEMENT.
THIS IS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. Back2basic
Do NOT equate the horror these women and girls are going through to the Common Core. I don’t like the CC, BUT there is no comparison to genocide. This is a disgusting comment, Joseph.
Threatened,
The wisdom of Godwin’s law in a new context. I certainly agree with you.
Joseph,
It is completely ridiculous to compare what is happening to these women and girls to what is happening with the common core. I am a teacher. I’d much rather my daughter battle CCSS than rape – by ANYONE.
Absolutely. When people use rhetoric saint kids have been raped by Common Core, they lose all credibility and even humanity.
To cary444:
Yes, 100% agree with your assessment.
Democracy is PRIVILEGE for people who are willing to die and to fight for in order to live in it.
It takes bloodshed to enjoy democracy which is never and will never be the right to inherit. Back2basic
So when do the Countries get together and kill all of these animals? How is it possible ISIS exists?
Donna:
Please do not fall into violent trap.
Let help people to defend and to fight for their democracy with their own education, strategy and basic weapon (= the unity of their men power and their love for their mother, sisters, daughters and loving wife.) Back2basic
It seems so beyond our understanding because we have pretended it rarely happens. It does and not just in war.
And this country-America is by far the world’s leading purveyor of death and destruction and has been since WW2 (and some would argue before) no matter how one looks at it.
I feel so helpless. What can we do??? Anyone?
I feel the same.
Work against the everyday injustices in this country first, they’ll keep you occupied until you die.
It is terrifying.
Stick with Opt Out, we can not be distracted by the world’s horrors, this is the purpose of these distractions, these women were captured many month ago. Pro Hilliary forces, including certain education leaders, will make this an issue now. How about the men being forced fed in this country and others, not permitted to die, and a recognized form of torture by the UN. Opt Out is the issue!! Pay attention! stay strong!
You mean like these men, Joseph?
“116 prisoners now remain in Guantánamo, although it is important to remember that 44 of these men, like the majority of the men released in the last two years, were cleared for release over five years ago by President Obama’s Guantánamo Review Task Force –
See more at: http://www.closeguantanamo.org/Prisoners#sthash.15cA4wKU.dpuf
We need to start arming these girls young and teaching them how to defend themselves
Are you serious? Arming young girls? Teaching them to “defend” themselves against full-grown, *armed* men? Really?
Rape has been going on forever. It is a natural part of human warfare. All societies have abducted and raped women during warfare. It is in the human DNA. Liberals have a false view of human nature (the noble savage) and believe people are good by nature. That is why they are shocked by this stuff. I expect it. Nazis threw babies alive onto fire pits. What is worse than that? People are capable of anything (especially if they can get away with it). It is too bad, but that’s the truth. Conservatives and Republicans know that man is a beast and must be “constrained.” These different views of human nature lead to the lack of understanding between liberals and conservatives on many issues. All of you should read “A Conflict of Visions” by Thomas Sowell or “The Blank Slate” by Steven Pinker. You should face the dark reality of human nature.
Vietnamese women?
Some argue that human nature is bad, some argue it is good. The most enlightened would argue, I think, that it is both. Humans are neither locked into angelicness, nor demonhood. For the most part, we are what we choose to become.
So, to argue that we are mere beasts would be wrong. Just as it would be foolish to argue that we are incapable of doing harm.
You guys remind me of Shakespeare…there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
There (may) be nothing good and evil outside of human perspectives, but that argument is pointless when we take into account that we are humans. It would be difficult to argue that Hitler was not evil… to individuals, and to the human race.
Stories such as this latest about ISIS are, as a previous commenter stated, a “morphine drip” delivered to us for a political purpose.
The mix of fundamentalist religious belief, contested territory, and abundant weapons produced ISIS….and this is the basic brew of all the worst human to human behavior in history. It’s unfortunate that every part of this current mix was brought to you by the United States…..a political organization struggling deeply with its own religious fundamentalisms.
That said, we must remember that this story is coming to us, full-frontal and via the NYTimes, at the very moment outgoing military leadership is, in their guarded and encrypted language, saying that our current efforts against ISIS are at a “stalemate.” To translate that a bit, the fight against ISIS is going horribly and is a disaster. The fix will be steps closer to American troops on the ground, again. This story, while absolutely true and definitely UNDERstated, is doubtlessly part of a broader government/media campaign to begin easing the American public towards the inevitability of American soldiers dying in battle against ISIS.
The organized rapes being carried out by ISIS, if one reads the accounts, are couched and bookended by prayer by the perpetrators. War, fundamentalism, and American weapons and dollars would inevitably create such horror. An American citizen being shocked by this is, in its own way, another travesty…..and that travesty speaks directly to an anesthetized citizenry, made intellectually and emotionally unconscious by an education system that is a long, long way down a neutered, corporatized, dehumanized road. Our current fight, as teachers, is a fight against the latest and most flagrant manifestation of that.
Wow, I am sitting at your feet NYS Teacher, hope Diane is with us, not with the swill of the media.. We are about to topple Syria against the Russians and begin WWlll over the honor of the NY Times girls. Even Michelle Obama will not hold up a sign for them.
Yes, well said.
Thank you Steve and NYSTEACHER:
ISIS’ rape, brothel house, human traffic smuggling, Hugh Heftner, Strip clubs, Miss Beauty Contest, Date rape in all Ivy Leagues Universities are the same example of exploitation in sexuality for men’s lust in their savage state in the name of any sound bite.
If educators and parents cannot win their own democracy in OPT OUT movement, then the rest issues are not being concerned.
People who are afraid of death will be submissive to live like a slave. It is NO PAIN, NO GAIN and A SHORT TERM PAIN FOR A LONG TERM GAIN.
it takes one generation to sacrifice to nurture many prosperous and fearless younger generations.
People cannot sustain their own freedom by obtaining from others, BUT they must earn it in order to live in it. Back2basic
In her new book, Indian author, Arundahti Roy, says:
“Armed with their billions, these NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations)
have waded into the world, turning potential revolutionaries into salaried activists, funding artists, intellectuals, and film makers, gently luring them away from radical confrontation, ushering them in the direction of multiculturalism, gender equity, community development- the discourse couched in the language of identity politics and human rights.”
As horrible as this is, what is happening to those women is nothing new. This kind of horror goes on all over the world everyday and has for thousands of years.
“Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the United States and globally.
“Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to force women, men and children to engage in commercial sex against their will.”
http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking-in-the-us
11 Facts About Human Trafficking
1. Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90.
4. There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today.
5. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children.
9. Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year.
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-human-trafficking
The GOP stronghold of Houston Texas is a hotbed of human trafficking in the United States.
“The Houston area is considered a hub for human trafficking, they said. Intertate 10 is a main thoruoghfare used for human trafficking and Houston is a destination for traffickers.”
http://www.chron.com/houston/article/Houston-area-a-hotbed-of-human-trafficking-6009752.php
Here’s more from the League of Women Voters in Texas
Click to access Facts_&_Issues_Human_Trafficking_2013.pdf
Diane,
You must not read the Bible. This was standard practice in the OT, endorsed (actually enforced) by the Christian God. That we have socially evolved away from that practice doesn’t mean that we don’t have it in our past. These guys did not invent this idea; it has been around for a long time (unfortunately).
This horror has never stopped. It was just swept under a rug by political correctness pretending that everything was okay until ISIS came along.
What you don’t know about the Christian God is a lot.
^My comment was meant for Steve.
Which xtian god?
A Christian God in the Old Testament?, Christ is in the New Testament.
There are several groups that are working to stop genocide. Forcible rape of an out-group is part of the definition of genocide. May I recommend the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for further information and for ways to help?
http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/take-action-against-genocide
Need we forget Briseis? In this environment their future was out of their hands. there was no civilized society, the men faced death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briseis.
Thank you Ed Detective.
It is surely that “”For the most part, we are what we choose to become.”” as per your expression.
Whenever we fall into emotional trap of GREED, LUST and EGO, we blame on karma for our BAD DEEDS.
We enjoy or suffer the way we live because we do not CORRECTLY exercise our ”WILL POWER” in order to REACH OUT OUR INNER PEACE.
We all need guidance from the Wise and support from all unseen Angels in order to walk on the right path of being SENTIENT human race and to avoid committing severe crime that damage civilization. Back2basic
Is this the topic?, we are all deluded. don’t look to the average person to respond to the media’s manufactured horror to bring us to war.
This has been going on for a long time and most of the world can’t be bothered to either inform themselves or care. If Israel isn’t involved, no lives seem to matter. I think that a lot of our lack of concern for the women in the Middle East and Africa has to do with a blind hatred of Israel. People are more concerned with a fake genocide than a real one. Plain old Jew -hatred…an apartment build in Jerusalem…is more important than the real lives of real people. Shame on the politically correct.
Are those zionist blinders comfortable, Bea?
This is not exactly offtopic since it shows that, with techniques of brainwashing, people can be made to believe and do anything.
On the other hand, what ISIS is doing is on a very small scale compared to the big data driven reform movement, and hence the latter poses a much greater threat to the US and to the World.
After reading all these replies, it is obvious why this “Rape Theology” is beyond your understanding.
We teach our kids to stand up to bullies, but we choose to stand aloof from this evil.
Wringing your hands, wishing that the defenseless will defend themselves is what I don’t understand.
Evil, especially violent practitioners of evil will not stop.
“Boots on the ground” would stop this, but progressives still believe in wishing and wringing their hands and blaming various political enemies for why this happened.
Especially trying to describe this “Rape Theology” as something small compared to “big data driven reform.”
The legal population of the United States is ONLY 4% of the world’s population, our continued ignorance and inaction about ISIS is prima facie evidence of thee continued arrogance of “American” educated elites.
“War is the continuation of diplomacy by other means” (Clauswitz)
Wake up people, the 96% will not honor your wishing and hoping.
““Boots on the ground” would stop this”
NO!, It hasn’t and never will. Militaristic solutions to (in)human problems are inhuman(e) in and of themselves. Amurikans sure love themselves their military don’t they, Jed?
That is, provided one eats from the ladle of propaganda for the simple mind.
Rape theology? David had his general killed in battle to rape his wife. This article is preparing the public for boots on the ground in Syria. Which NYTimes reporter was with the characters in this story, documenting these practices?, the same ones who wrote about the Saudi princess testifying about babies being taken from incubators and smashed on the ground, all lies again, for a previous war. Wake up from the morphine drip of the mainstream media.
Why public money should only go to accredited schools who are neutral on religion and extreme views.
Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, and John Hancock were deeply religious men and considered “radical extremists”
The signers of the Declaration of Independence were a profoundly intelligent, religious and ethically-minded group. Four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were current or former full-time preachers, and many more were the sons of clergymen. Other professions held by signers include lawyers, merchants, doctors and educators. These individuals, too, were for the most part active churchgoers and many contributed significantly to their churches both with contributions as well as their service as lay leaders. The signers were members of religious denominations at a rate that was significantly higher than average for the American Colonies during the late 1700s.
Neural on religion would satisfy agnostics but not atheists.
Parents should provide for their children’s education as they see proper and not be subjected to “government dogma”.
Every attempt at political correctness is one more twist of barbed wire by the thought police and propagandists of the “government FOR the people.”
The Firs Amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.”
The “government” wants your children in their schools with no religion, learning that speech is free so long “they” say it is, and you can assemble so long as you are under surveillance.”
“Religion” should be taught in public K-12 schools much more like it is taught in higher education: As different sets of norms, values, and beliefs — that you may personally reject or accept.
Religion in public education should be “taught about” — not “taught.” Big difference.
What does this have to do with the topic at hand?
Jefferson and Paine and others were Deists.
dreams about the founding fathers is a dead end, they separated church from state because of the scary ideas inherent in religious dogma. you have the right to have any whacky idea about religion as long as you keep it to your self, that is freedom of worship.
Actually, Joseph, I think anyone has a right to share their religions ideas with others no matter how wacky, but no one has to pay attention or even open a door to them to engage in discussion. And its easy to walk away and ignore wacky as long as they aren’t in charge. If wacky is in charge, then that is a different matter.
And the wacky oligarchs are struggling to take over everything and I think it would be a bad idea to ignore them. Let them blab all they want, because then we are warned and can fight back. Sun Tzu wrote keep your friends close and your enemies closer (even if we have to listen to their wacky ideas).
On PBS “FRONTLINE” there are several excellent films, which document females being raped: “On the Night Shift”, “In the Fields”, Both documentaries show that we women are still being tortured, raped, beat, and who knows what else.
Thanks, Diane. It is incomprehensible to me, too. Yes, we must protect the innocent. I don’t “get” violence on others, and yet this happens every day in all walks of life and in our own government, as well. So sad. Makes me get teary.
The GIVER is on television. If any of you have time, I encourage you to watch this film. Read Lois Lowry’s book, The Giver, as well. It sobering as is 1984 and Animal Farm.
Nightline has become a propaganda rag.as well as Public radio advertising Bill Gates in education.
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Texas Education.
I saw a report of some of the atrocities of this ISIS group, and it was very disturbing. One item they did was to attack a school, killing several teachers. They then went into a classroom of 8 year olds and beheaded an 8 year old girl in front of her classmates. They said girls do not belong in school. This sort of terrorist activity is terrible. Also disturbing is this same group is calling on “lone wolf” mentally ill people in the US to stage attacks here. On the list of suggested soft targets are schools. We should take this seriously and beef up school security against this sort of thing.
“We should take this seriously and beef up school security against this sort of thing.”
Which planet do you live on Pavidus or Timor?
Anon, you have not proved the links to your scarey accounts. If you send them, I will get out from under my bed.