17-year-old girl stoned to death in Iraq

[GeraldFord]

A 17-year-old girl has been stoned to death in Iraq because she loved a teenage boy of the wrong religion.

As a horrifying video of the stoning went out on the Internet, the British arm of Amnesty International condemned the death of Du?a Khalil Aswad as "an abhorrent murder" and demanded that her killers be brought to justice.

Reports from Iraq said a local security force witnessed the incident, but did nothing to try to stop it. Now her boyfriend is in hiding in fear for his life.   

Miss Aswad, a member of a minority Kurdish religious group called Yezidi, was condemned to death as an "honour killing" by other men in her family and hardline religious leaders because of her relationship with the Sunni Muslim boy.


The teenager was dragged outside by 8 or 9 men and stoned for half an hour until she died. Her boyfriend is now in hiding in fear for his life

They said she had shamed herself and her family when she failed to return home one night. Some reports suggested she had converted to Islam to be closer to her boyfriend.

Miss Aswad had taken shelter in the house of a Yezidi tribal leader in Bashika, a predominantly Kurdish town near the northern capital, Mosul.

A large crowd watched as eight or nine men stormed the house and dragged Miss Aswad into the street. There they hurled stones at her for half an hour until she was dead.

The stoning happened last month, but only came to light yesterday with the release of the Internet video.

It is feared her death has already triggered a retaliatory attack. Last week 23 Yezidi workmen were forced off a bus travelling from Mosulto Bashika by a group of Sunni gunmen and summarily shot dead.

An Amnesty International spokesman in London said they receive frequent reports of honour crimes from Iraq ? particularly in the predominantly Kurdish north.

Most victims are women and girls who are considered by male relatives to have shamed their families by immoral behaviour.

Kurdish authorities have introduced reforms outlawing honour killings, but have failed to investigate them or prosecute suspects, added the Amnesty spokesman.

Kate Allen, the organisation?s UK director, said: "This young girl?s murder is truly abhorrent and her killers must be brought to justice.

"Unless the authorities respond vigorously to this and any other reports of crimes in the name of 'honour', we must fear for the future of women in Iraq."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=452288&in_page_id=1811

[The Dog]

Disgusting.

We can't pull out of that country fast enough.  Our troops are over there so THIS can happen!?!?!?  This is bringing freedom and democracy?

Some liberation.

What a f'ing joke.

[-Jack-]

Fucking sick. Makes me fucking sick.

Terrible news. God bless her soul..

Fucked up world.

[-Jack-]

Not to stray too far from the topic, but this story makes me curious.

Has anyone seen the video?  Would you watch it?  I know I couldn't, stuff like that would haunt me for months if I saw it.  I guess I just wonder who watches these things, and why.  What do they get out of it?

Seriously, I'm not asking to judge.  I really want to know the thought process behind watching something like that. 

I couldn't watch it. 30 min of someone being brutally tortured? A poor innocent girl who just loved someone and was tired of the hate? Disgusting. 

[freedom78]

Not to stray too far from the topic, but this story makes me curious.

Has anyone seen the video?  Would you watch it?  I know I couldn't, stuff like that would haunt me for months if I saw it.  I guess I just wonder who watches these things, and why.  What do they get out of it?

Seriously, I'm not asking to judge.  I really want to know the thought process behind watching something like that. 

I just watched it.  Well...actually it was seven 45 sec. clips, so not the full 30 minute stoning.

I'm willing to bet that it's ethnic prejudice taken to an extreme, and probably so due to the former Sunni domination of Iraq.  Of course, that certainly doesn't excuse it.  The worst part, to me, wasn't the stoning itself, but the large group of onlookers, taking photos/video with their cellphones and cheering. 

I wish I could say I'm shocked, but I'm not.  How sad is that?

[The Dog]

Not to stray too far from the topic, but this story makes me curious.

Has anyone seen the video?  Would you watch it?  I know I couldn't, stuff like that would haunt me for months if I saw it.  I guess I just wonder who watches these things, and why.  What do they get out of it?

Seriously, I'm not asking to judge.  I really want to know the thought process behind watching something like that. 

I just watched it.  Well...actually it was seven 45 sec. clips, so not the full 30 minute stoning.

I'm willing to bet that it's ethnic prejudice taken to an extreme, and probably so due to the former Sunni domination of Iraq.  Of course, that certainly doesn't excuse it.  The worst part, to me, wasn't the stoning itself, but the large group of onlookers, taking photos/video with their cellphones and cheering. 

I wish I could say I'm shocked, but I'm not.  How sad is that?

i would probably watch it if someone sent me the link - i'm with you freedom, sadly, nothing shocks me that much anymore. 

[freedom78]

I just put her name into google: "Du?a Khalil Aswad".

I got a lot of hits...some just stories, but two or three with video downloads, on the first page of search results.

[The Dog]

I just watched 3 of 5 videos posted.  i had to turn it off.  really started to make me sick/deeply sad.  fucking savages.  i was borderline puking.

[SLCPUNK]

I can't watch something like that, knowing it is enough.

[badapple81]

Poor girl 

What a sick, disgusting bunch of people.

[mrlee]

yeah well, im sorry to say it, but over in that area of the world, people who follow religion seem to just be filthy savages.

its the 21st century, not medi-evil times.

[Grouse]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes?

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes?

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

if it's about relitgion, how come 99% of muslims dont do that? or maybe they don't have video cameras ... my bad.

[freedom78]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes 

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

if it's about relitgion, how come 99% of muslims dont do that? or maybe they don't have video cameras ... my bad.

The initial story says there are frequent reports of honor crimes.  I don't know exactly what "frequent" means, here, but this obviously isn't an isolated incident.  And I do think it can be "about religion" without being something that all or most or many people in a given religion participate in.  That said, I don't know or even think this is "about religion" as much as it's about a larger cultural gap, of which religion is one part.

[The Dog]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes 

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

if it's about relitgion, how come 99% of muslims dont do that? or maybe they don't have video cameras ... my bad.

the girl was in love with a boy from a different religion - doesn't this make this incident even a LITTLE about religion to some degree?  Whether or not this is something that only happens amongst a small percentage of muslims I do not know, does anyone here know?

wat-ever it'd be refreshing to hear you condemn this at least instead of getting so defensive.  rather than be sarcastic and witty maybe you could enlighten people instead.  this video might be some peoples only exposure to muslims and you could easily see how people would have a strong emotional reaction to it.

[SLCPUNK]

Fucking primitive religion...

Primitive is an understatement.

[mrlee]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes 

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

if it's about relitgion, how come 99% of muslims dont do that? or maybe they don't have video cameras ... my bad.

i dont think it was reported that muslims did this crime, however im willing to bet 99% of the muslims that live in those places are willing to do that type of stuff, they live in a place where they still think its 1504 or something.

[lastroots]

All Americans calling this primitive - you're right. But be aware that your own government supports the cruelest form of torture itself in Guanztanamo.

[lastroots]

Just found a 10 min clip...couldn't even make it through the first 2 minutes 

Fucking disgusting throwing concrete blocks on the poor girls head....

Fucking primitive religion...

if it's about relitgion, how come 99% of muslims dont do that? or maybe they don't have video cameras ... my bad.

i dont think it was reported that muslims did this crime, however im willing to bet 99% of the muslims that live in those places are willing to do that type of stuff, they live in a place where they still think its 1504 or something.

You don't know many muslims personally, do you?

[lastroots]

Another comment - everyone who blames this on the muslim religion has no idea of religion at all.

Blame it on primitive tradition and you're right. But it has nothing to do at all with Islam.

[mrlee]

Another comment - everyone who blames this on the muslim religion has no idea of religion at all.

Blame it on primitive tradition and you're right. But it has nothing to do at all with Islam.

hence me saying muslims in that area.

[freedom78]

All Americans calling this primitive - you're right. But be aware that your own government supports the cruelest form of torture itself in Guanztanamo.

Yes.   We're hypocrites.  We understand.  Why, every time Americans are outraged by a human tragedy, must someone bring this back to our own government?  Isn't it possible that those of us who are outraged by this are also in the 70% of Americans who disapprove of Bush?  If America were perfect, would this have not happened to this girl? 

As non-Americans are happy to remind us when it soots them, not EVERYTHING is about America!

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

All Americans calling this primitive - you're right. But be aware that your own government supports the cruelest form of torture itself in Guanztanamo.

Yes.   We're hypocrites.  We understand.  Why, every time Americans are outraged by a human tragedy, must someone bring this back to our own government?  Isn't it possible that those of us who are outraged by this are also in the 70% of Americans who disapprove of Bush?  If America were perfect, would this have not happened to this girl? 

As non-Americans are happy to remind us when it soots them, not EVERYTHING is about America!

i agree we don't have to take it all back to AMERICA.

nevertheless some comments here ( " ... still think its 1504 or something ...." ) were very dumb and idiotic and cartmanic (if i may).

i don't want to escuse these behaviors. but i dont like how these "news" can be used as political/cultural argument in favor of our "civilization".

our own society is violent in it's own way. very violent. never forget it.

[mrlee]

All Americans calling this primitive - you're right. But be aware that your own government supports the cruelest form of torture itself in Guanztanamo.

Yes.   We're hypocrites.  We understand.  Why, every time Americans are outraged by a human tragedy, must someone bring this back to our own government?  Isn't it possible that those of us who are outraged by this are also in the 70% of Americans who disapprove of Bush?  If America were perfect, would this have not happened to this girl? 

As non-Americans are happy to remind us when it soots them, not EVERYTHING is about America!

i agree we don't have to take it all back to AMERICA.

nevertheless some comments here ( " ... still think its 1504 or something ...." ) were very dumb and idiotic and cartmanic (if i may).

i don't want to escuse these behaviors. but i dont like how these "news" can be used as political/cultural argument in favor of our "civilization".

our own society is violent in it's own way. very violent. never forget it.

my comment is the truth, when groups kill soldiers and instead of leaving them to be collected by there troops and honoured, they burn there corpses and tie them to the back of cars and drag them through the streets, then to really show the people or iraq up, you see loads of people all crowding round cheering over the deaths and burning other countries flags.

My comment is as true as it gets, half those fuckers over there need to be either re-educated or shot.

[freedom78]

i agree we don't have to take it all back to AMERICA.

nevertheless some comments here ( " ... still think its 1504 or something ...." ) were very dumb and idiotic and cartmanic (if i may).

i don't want to escuse these behaviors. but i dont like how these "news" can be used as political/cultural argument in favor of our "civilization".

our own society is violent in it's own way. very violent. never forget it.

It's difficult to forget when "8 soldiers killed in Baghdad blast" or something similar scrolls across the bottom of the news screen, seemingly every day.  But there are different kinds of violence.  MOST of the world is familiar with the idea of war and, as awful as it is, war really defines human history.  I don't like war any more than anyone else, but I do believe there can be a "just" war, even if the current one is not.  I don't think there can be a "just" stoning of a 17 year old girl, due to her dating outside of her ethnic group.

[mrlee]

i agree we don't have to take it all back to AMERICA.

nevertheless some comments here ( " ... still think its 1504 or something ...." ) were very dumb and idiotic and cartmanic (if i may).

i don't want to escuse these behaviors. but i dont like how these "news" can be used as political/cultural argument in favor of our "civilization".

our own society is violent in it's own way. very violent. never forget it.

It's difficult to forget when "8 soldiers killed in Baghdad blast" or something similar scrolls across the bottom of the news screen, seemingly every day.  But there are different kinds of violence.  MOST of the world is familiar with the idea of war and, as awful as it is, war really defines human history.  I don't like war any more than anyone else, but I do believe there can be a "just" war, even if the current one is not.  I don't think there can be a "just" stoning of a 17 year old girl, due to her dating outside of her ethnic group.

And freedom just ended this conversation with the main point. These people are sick and this should not be happening in this day and age.

[norway]

So disgusting, and shows how inhumane things in Irak/USA other countries can be, it's never any humane way of executing another human being with force.

These people are sick and this should not be happening in this day and age.

Any use of death-penalty is, this has to be the most cruel way.
It's not really about religion, in Norway we have christianity but things like these doesn't happen...not anymore.

[gnrgnr06]

I wish I was there with a gun so I could shoot those fuckers. That is unterly disgusting

[journey]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped. In Jordan a man was sentenced to six months in jail for killing his sister. It was considered an honor killing, rather than murder.

I don't know how most people in Iraq, Jordan, etc... feel about these honor killings. Surely not everyone supports them.

[The Dog]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped. In Jordan a man was sentenced to six months in jail for killing his sister. It was considered an honor killing, rather than murder.

I don't know how most people in Iraq, Jordan, etc... feel about these honor killings. Surely not everyone supports them.

in some parts of the world/the middle east dogs are treated better than women.

there was a story in Pakistan not too long ago about this guy committing a crime and getting caught - as punishment, his female relatives were raped.  screwy world we live in

[TAP]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

[SLCPUNK]

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

Really? In the muslim community? Or other?

[TAP]

It's difficult to forget when "8 soldiers killed in Baghdad blast" or something similar scrolls across the bottom of the news screen, seemingly every day.  But there are different kinds of violence.  MOST of the world is familiar with the idea of war and, as awful as it is, war really defines human history.  I don't like war any more than anyone else, but I do believe there can be a "just" war, even if the current one is not.  I don't think there can be a "just" stoning of a 17 year old girl, due to her dating outside of her ethnic group.

Extremely well said  You would think people would have had enough of violence in that country without murdering 17 year old girls for dating..........or maybe you wouldn't.

[TAP]

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

Really? In the muslim community? Or other?

In the UK, Southeast Asian communities, so muslim but also sikh and hindu (I think, can't find a specific example.)

Here's one in the US

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/001706.php

April 24, 2004) ? Ismail Peltek, who was indicted Friday on charges of second-degree murder in the April 15 slaying of his wife, Hatice Peltek, claimed he attacked his wife and daughters after learning that his brother had molested his wife and his 22-year-old daughter, according to court documents.

Peltek, 41, said he attacked his 4-year-old daughter because she had been ?sullied? by a gynecological exam.

?I was concerned that my family?s honor was taken,? he allegedly told investigators. ...

His 39-year-old wife died after being stabbed repeatedly and bludgeoned on the head with a hammer.

His daughters suffered fractured skulls from hammer blows.

?If you had the opportunity to kill the family again, would you?? he was asked by Rochester police Officer Emre Arican, who was brought in to help investigators because he speaks Turkish.

?My female family, yes. My male family, no,? Peltek allegedly replied. ...

So-called ?honor killings? of females are common in Turkey and countries of the Middle East, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children?s Fund. UNICEF defines the practice as one ?in which men kill female relatives in the name of family ?honor? for forced or suspected sexual activity outside marriage, even when they have been victims of rape.?

[Grouse]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

We call it bloedwraak(Blood revenge) over here and we have many many cases of it...

I'm sorry to say it but there are just way to many muslims in our country....I mean 42% of our capital is muslim? and that's a sad fact

[sic.]

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

That's true.

The whole situation somewhat reminded of a similar incident in Sweden in 2002. The woman in question was Kurdish Muslim immigrant, who wanted to marry a local man instead of settling for a marriage ordained by her family. She made it through troubled times, media exposure, family disassociation, secret identity and the death of her beloved before her father finally shot and killed her in front of her mother and sisters.

- Seattle Times article

[SLCPUNK]

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

Really? In the muslim community? Or other?

In the UK, Southeast Asian communities, so muslim but also sikh and hindu (I think, can't find a specific example.)

Here's one in the US

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/001706.php

April 24, 2004) ? Ismail Peltek, who was indicted Friday on charges of second-degree murder in the April 15 slaying of his wife, Hatice Peltek, claimed he attacked his wife and daughters after learning that his brother had molested his wife and his 22-year-old daughter, according to court documents.

Peltek, 41, said he attacked his 4-year-old daughter because she had been ?sullied? by a gynecological exam.

?I was concerned that my family?s honor was taken,? he allegedly told investigators. ...

His 39-year-old wife died after being stabbed repeatedly and bludgeoned on the head with a hammer.

His daughters suffered fractured skulls from hammer blows.

?If you had the opportunity to kill the family again, would you?? he was asked by Rochester police Officer Emre Arican, who was brought in to help investigators because he speaks Turkish.

?My female family, yes. My male family, no,? Peltek allegedly replied. ...

So-called ?honor killings? of females are common in Turkey and countries of the Middle East, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children?s Fund. UNICEF defines the practice as one ?in which men kill female relatives in the name of family ?honor? for forced or suspected sexual activity outside marriage, even when they have been victims of rape.?

Sometimes I want to just stop reading..........

[mrlee]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

We call it bloedwraak(Blood revenge) over here and we have many many cases of it...

I'm sorry to say it but there are just way to many muslims in our country....I mean 42% of our capital is muslim  and that's a sad fact

you talkin bout england? thats appalling if you are.

[SLCPUNK]

I detest most organized religions........

[TAP]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

We call it bloedwraak(Blood revenge) over here and we have many many cases of it...

I'm sorry to say it but there are just way to many muslims in our country....I mean 42% of our capital is muslim  and that's a sad fact

you talkin bout england?

Does bloedwraak look like an English word?

[Nightfall]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

We call it bloedwraak(Blood revenge) over here and we have many many cases of it...

I'm sorry to say it but there are just way to many muslims in our country....I mean 42% of our capital is muslim  and that's a sad fact

you talkin bout england?

Does bloedwraak look like an English word?

Holland.

[mrlee]

That's a sad story.

I've heard of women getting stoned to death in certain parts of the Middle East by their male relatives for having premarital sex or for being raped.

The very inappropriately named 'hono(u)r killings' have spread to Western Europe and even to the US. You can good quite a few cases in the UK for example.

We call it bloedwraak(Blood revenge) over here and we have many many cases of it...

I'm sorry to say it but there are just way to many muslims in our country....I mean 42% of our capital is muslim  and that's a sad fact

you talkin bout england?

Does bloedwraak look like an English word?

over here mayb have been in reference to the town he lived in not country, so it was open for interpretation