Risky Reality II

Alex commented on the Lara Logan post a few days ago:

You're not really agreeing with that moron, are you? You want to criticize a woman for having the guts to place her life on the line in order to do her job? Should we, likewise, mock and insult female soldiers who get killed in the line of duty? Female cops who get attacked on the job? Female firefighters who burn to death while trying to save someone?

His manner is crude but I do agree with his underlying point.

If you had a female relative -- a sister, niece or cousin -- who wanted to travel to an Islamic nation, oh let's say Pakistan, and work there for many months, then what would your reaction be?

a) That's very brave. I hope you have fun!

b) Very. Bad. Idea.

You can guess how I would react. Now, my reaction would be the same for any men who want to travel and work in such a wretched part of the world but women face far greater dangers. Infidel women are thought of as whores by most Muslims. They're considered "uncovered meat" fit for public consumption.

Many Muslim men don't have any qualms about fornicating with them but they don't consider the infidel women as marriage material. This can be seen in England where Pakistani men marry within their family at higher rates than men in Pakistan!

Muslims treat their own women in a vicious manner. Sisters, wives, daughters are beaten if they misbehave. Such men are not going to accord more respect to a non-Muslim woman. Furthermore, given the revolution and the mob mentality in Egypt, when law and order fractured, the situation could have turned lethal for an infidel.

In a sane world, we wouldn't have to worry about such horrors but to willfully ignore these truths will only lead to misery.

Comments

[Alex]

My apologies for the 'crude' manner - I was simply disappointed to see (what I perceived as) you still dragging the cultural chains of your Pakistani upbringing.

Having served in the Canadian Forces for well over a decade now, I'm quite familiar with the concern that people feel and express when their loved ones deploy to a combat zone. I fail to see why that should be an opportunity to differentiate between sexes. If a male reporter had gotten raped by the Egyptian crowds, I would find it no more or less tragic than what happened to Lara, nor would I feel a greater or lesser desire to waggle my finger in a condescending manner while saying "You should have known better!". Male or female, we're adults, capable of making our own choices. Ferdinand doesn't seem to get that; I'm glad that you do.