8/19/2010

The Choice


Promised to another, but loving only Khayyam, Siddiqa made a choice.  Allowed to marry four women, but not Siddiqa, Khayyam made a choice.  Custom said no to their love and marriage, so they made a choice. 

The men-only crowd cheered as they enthusiastically stoned the couple to death.  Such was the choice of the Taliban.

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Last Sunday, the Taliban ordered a public execution by stoning of this young couple.  To read more about this horror, go here.

This is my offering for Friday Flash 55, hosted by G-Man at Mr. KnowItAll.

35 comments:

  1. quite the world we live in at times...sobering 55 patti...

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  2. Anyone who has not should read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini. I read the article in the Times Monday. Their deaths were sad and senseless.

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  3. Gaaahh!
    What a miserable thing to happen.
    Sad and frustrating too.

    Great 55... powerful stuff.

    Here's mine... significantly less serious. :)

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  4. What a loving Forgiving religion...
    Sad commentary Patti..
    Excellent 55 though...
    Very morbid My Dear, Thanks for the awareness.
    Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End!

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  5. So sad and terrible a thing to happen.

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  6. just horrible that things like this still happen

    mine is here

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  7. Is this the world we want? What fear of women drives such punishment? What can we do other than recoil in horror? How do we even start to change such a reality? Bless them both.

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  8. I generally try to accept other cultures as they come, but stuff like this is hard to tolerate.

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  9. I ain't afraid ... I ain't afraid ... I ain't afraid ...

    I ain't afraid of your Yaweh,
    I ain't afraid of your Jesu,
    I ain't afraid of your Allah,
    I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God.

    "I Ain't Afraid", by the Klezmatics.

    And I am.

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  10. thanks for integrating other culture or religion into your 55.

    sad but absolutely stunningly done!

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  11. Unfortunately, the world is filled with evil and with those willing to twist faith and scripture to their very own narrow ideology. Thanks for sharing this prose. Maybe through it, others will take note.

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  12. Their story is gut-wrenching and your 55 words are a testimony to their lives, their choices and ultimately, their death at the hands of religious fanatics (some of which may well have been their former friends and relatives).

    Fundamentalism in any religion is so very, very deadly.

    A sobering 55 words, Patti.

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  13. Barbaric controllers. Freedom and free will forever, I say. Great 55.

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  14. I hate to say this but those bastards. I can't stand them. Very chilling 55 my friend and thanks for sharing to let us know about this barbaric event. Sad. Your 55 was excellent. Have a wonderful Friday :)

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  15. oh, what horrors religions can wreak, not only on the innocent who follow their own way out of/ into love, but on those who have to live with the guilt of carrying out so-called just punishments on all who disobey

    another tight, beautifully crafted 55!

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  16. Brian: it is quite the world. One wonders how humanity could become so inhumane.

    Charlene and Janna: Senseless, sad, and frustrating indeed.

    G-Man: I think forgiveness must not be in the vernacular.

    Anthony (UK) and Claudia (Germany): Your comments are back to back, and in total agreement. I love how goodness around the world joins together in outrage at something like this atrocity.

    Mary: I wonder if there is anything we can do. I suspect that such a fundamental change has to come within, when the average citizen in such places decides that enough is enough, and resists.

    Lou: Yeah, me too. Sadly, we have had little explosions of killing in the name of God (whichever one) here in this country. That scares the daylights out of me.

    Jingle: I agree, very sad. Thanks for the compliment.

    5th Sister: I hope so. but I'm not holding my breath.

    Ti: I hadn't thought about some of that crowd being former friends and relatives, but you are absolutely right. Religious fanaticism seems to blind one to every other relationship except the one the believer has with the religion.

    MM: I'm with you. I can never understand what gives people the idea they have the right to force (force being the operative word) their ideology on someone else.

    Thom: "Barbaric" is exactly what it is. Thank you for visiting, and you have a great weekend.

    turtlememoir: I wish those who might be living with guilt as a result of taking part in this would act upon that guilt. If enough did, change might be possible.

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  17. A living example of the term "not fair". Thanks for sharing.

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  20. Sorry -- had a misspelled word then forgot to change it -- ugh, I think this poem upset me more then first blush. Was hard to right a response.

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    wonderfully written 55, shame it had to be true.

    The miracles of the internet, it shows the world where we need to change in our belief systems, here there and everywhere, no country or person is exempt, many injustices take place daily.

    Thanks for your kind comments on my blog today.

    cheers,
    Joanny

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  21. love knows not to live separate i guess .. such sadness in this short fiction !

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  22. A horrific custom. You highlighted the situation very well in a few words.

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  23. Intolerance makes me ill. This level of insanity is so disturbing. Thanks Patti for sharing this today.

    (55) Fifteen is far too young . . .

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  24. hope: You've got that right.

    Joanny: I hope the Internet can can a positive effect. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

    Numue: Sadly, it wasn't ficion. The stoning happened five days ago.

    Nessa: Yes, unbelievably horrific.

    Cheryl: It made me ill, too. Insanity is one thing I might call it.

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  25. It is so unbelievable that we live in a world where this type of travesty happens.

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  26. This is so heartbreaking. I just cannot resign myself to atrocities like this taking place in this world - even after 21 years as a sexual assault nurse examiner and forensic nurse for San Francisco and dealing with atrocities committed against adults and children here in our own country.

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  27. magiceye: Yes, it is tragic. And horrifying.

    Teresa: I agree.

    RNSANE: You do amazing work. I can't imagine the terrible things you've seen. I agree, no one should be reigned to this.

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  28. One is always cautioned "Be broadminded and allow other customs to exist" but sadly these customs are too brutal and barbaric to be allowed to exist

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  29. Good God! This was heart breaking!
    But alas we live in such a cruel world, that sometime irrespective of the choice we make, we are crucified and slain! :(

    A very poignant read, Patti...

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  30. This custom is just barbaric. You captured the essence of it in your 55. :(

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  31. Phoenixritu: I agree. Broadmindedness and tolerance become impossible in the face of this kind of cruelty.

    Kavita: I am so thankful to live in a place where, for the most part, we enjoy freedom of choice.

    Akelamalu: Thank you.

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  32. A wake up moment, with emotions of all kind flowing from the story.

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  33. how horrifying and cruel---your 55 illuminates as well as inspires all of us to live compassionately--thank you c

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  34. Buzzard: One wonders how many such wake-up calls they must be before we hear the alarm.

    CM Jackson: Indeed. I'm happy if my words inspire compassion.

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Thoughts? I would love to hear from you.