Two Malaysian women caned under Islamic law for lesbian sex

Welcome to the 13th century...

@theFritzX

I think the point is it happened in Malaysia - a country held up as an example of a more moderate country. The revolting excesses of the more hardline countries are common knowledge.

This is very depressing and concerning.

Well that will teach them? Nothing like Islamic Law to deter a human condition/ nature.

Malaysia should allow its muslim citizens to renounce their religion without penalty. That way backwards Islamic law would no longer apply to them.

"strict Islamic laws"

Those laws, incredibly, actually hold sway in quite a few countries. No one should be subject to such laws.

A more enlightened country should offer to take them in, and allow them to live happily ever after.

@burningfritz This is news? Far worse happens in countries under Islamic law.

True. In totalitarian states like Russia and China, too.

True, but the only countries in the world which have execution on the books for homosexuals do so under Islamic Law. It would be horrific if Malaysia went further.

The treatment of LGBT in the Muslim world is generally horrific.

Well that will teach them? Nothing like Islamic Law to deter a human condition/ nature.

Look also at totalitarian states like China and Russia and how they're rated below (or use your own source). All powerful states seem to want to restrict individual freedoms of all sorts. They divide their populations into 1. the state's way or 2. wrong.

http://theconversation.com/most-countries-score-an-f-on-our-lgbt-human-rights-report-card-78732

Once liberal country now being slowly moved towards religious fundamentalism for political ends.  True many non-religious countries punish people far worse than a caning, but still.   The storm of protest seems rather overdone for caning as against the state sponsored killings that go on across the Middle East and Asia.

This is news? Far worse happens in countries under Islamic law.

Oh, and its not going away.

Shocking and brutal punishment. Poor women. No wonder many Westerners are wary of Islamic ideology seeping into the West.

Burning Bush, you are correct.

And theres a sad irony in the fact that the LGBTQ communities in europe are among the biggest welcomers of islamic immigration, under the banner of diversity and inclusiveness. They have no idea what is coming.

"A storm of criticism", "widespread condemnation", uh-huh. But not n Malaysia or the rest of the muslim world.

PTownheretic, whats with the mixing of handles and incorrect attribution of quotes?

They were two consenting adults and they were not causing any harm to anyone else. They certainly did not deserve to be beaten for what they did.

Where's the UN High Commissioner for the Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein?

He should have talked to the fellow Muslim Government about the prosecution of these innocent two women is broken the their human right.

Why didn't he protest the Malaysia Government for this barbaric persecution of those two innocent women?

It's his duty to protest the Malaysia Government as the UN High Commissioner for the Human Rights.

Some of the Islamic Sharia law is barbaric and the UN must ban Islamic Sharia law.

The country operates a dual-track legal system and Islamic courts can handle religious and family matters for Muslim citizens, as well as cases such as adultery.

That's the problem. Religions should stay out of the judicial system.

Barbaric.

They were two consenting adults and they were not causing any harm to anyone else. They certainly did not deserve to be beaten for what they did.

From a progressive perspective this statement is perfectly accurate and appropriate. As progressive values and institutions have gained ground around the world, more and more people have been exposed to, and have embraced, this way of thinking.

Current events around the world, however, make it clear that these truisms are not universally accepted. In fact, there seems to be a swing in the other direction. It's not a right or left thing, it's happening across the board. Fundies are getting more fundamental, moderates are being pushed aside in favor extremists but no matter what ideological stripe they are they all want to tell you what to do and how to think. Live and let live is on the way out.

Traditional liberals and progressives have been beaten to the curb by the leftists and have been put in the uncomfortable position of either going along or facing the wrath of the mob. The ensuing, and incessant, drive to the left has spurred the rise of the right wing in the west and religious fundamentalism in many Muslim countries as much if not more than any other variable.

Maybe the pendulum has swung as far one way as society, as a whole, is comfortable with and now it will swing back. This could get ugly.

@jim True, but the only countries in the world which have execution on the books for homosexuals do so under Islamic Law.

On a couple of Fridays when I worked in Saudi Arabia I had a religious policeman invite me to go to chop-chop square. One time one of them was particularly excited because there was going to be a stoning that day. I have always feared totalitarianism in all its forms, and learned to especially fear that one.

It is not only Muslim countries that homosexuality is illegal - a number of nominally Christian African countries too.

Strangely I have attracted a number of down votes for this factual observation. I thought that people might find it helpful to know that homosexuality is illegal in more countries than Muslim ones,

Clearly not.

AndI forget to mention the very Christian Caribbean countries as well.

Clearly not just an issue of Islam.

@burningfritz This is news? Far worse happens in countries under Islamic law.

True. In totalitarian states like Russia and China, too.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/gay-rights-abuses-war-crimes-world-cup-russia-fifa-putin

@burningfritz Happens daily in Saudi Arabia, but the “free” press never mentions it.

I did a quick scan of RT (I know it's state controlled, not free press) and couldn't find much about crimes committed in Russia against those in the LGBT community. I did read, though that domestic violence is not necessarily a crime. It must be a country controlled by manly men.

Whoa. They were in public. If a husband and wife were having sex in public, they'd be arrested almost anywhere.

I was pissing in some bushes walking to my apartment long ago when a cop "discovered me." I was alone. He said that was a sexual offense and if he arrested me, then I'd be added to the sexual offender list forever.

Don't do private things in public. Don't care what their religion or sexual orientation is. You might have sex in front of your kids, but don't make mine watch.

The punishment is a different issue. Too bad they were Muslim.

It is not only Muslim countries that homosexuality is illegal - a number of nominally Christian African countries too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-43822234

@burningcochise True, freedoms are eroding everywhere. The US government wants to limit 

far too many things. It's really worrying. The president, GOP and their supporters are even trying to control the free, for-profit press.

the freedom to own guns 

In the case you mentioned, it's spelled free-dumb. But I know you factory/farm workers are big contributors to the NRA and other uber-rightist and white supremacist groups.