As we all remember, September 11, 2001 was a Tuesday. On Wednesday, conservative pundit and syndicated columnist, Ann Coulter, wrote that “we should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity”.
In some circles Ann Coulter’s comments were at least as shocking as having watched the Twin Towers fall the day before. As Coulter herself has subsequently pointed out, the first two of her suggestions had become part of the foreign policy of the United States by Friday. Let’s face it – the urge to invade and kill in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was not confined to extreme right wing pundits and talk radio hosts. While a few on the far left thought that “the little Eichmanns” as Professor Ward Churchill described them deserved what they got that day, most Americans felt that the enemy should be sought out and destroyed.
What the masses found offensive about Coulter’s suggestion was the fact that Muslims should be forcibly converted to Christianity. In the world of political correctness, all religions and all cultures are equal. Everybody knew then what we know now; that despite whatever steps were taken after 9/11 religious conversion was not going to happen. But with that in mind these same people are now expressing shock and awe at the proposed changes to the law in Afghanistan.
The changes to Afghan law would allow legalize marital rape and would forbid married women leaving their homes without being accompanied by their husbands or another male relative. The civilized world expressed shock at these changes that President Obama called “abhorrent”. In the wake of all this outrage, Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that he was pulling the law and having it reviewed by his Justice Minister. It is unlikely that the law will now be introduced and passed but in the end and there is some doubt that Karzai can override a law passed by the legislators. In the end it will probably make little difference to the Afghanis. It is hard to imagine that a country that opposes the notion of marital rape will ever prosecute an offender regardless of whether or not the act of a husband raping his wife is formally sanctioned by the law. Nor is it likely that women who leave their homes without being accompanied by a male relative will be allowed to go about their business unmolested by the authorities. But if the law will be left off of the books and the West will be pleased.
The war in Afghanistan, aka Obama’s War, is the first totally politically correct war in history. After the 9/11 attacks the Taliban government in Afghanistan refused to hand over Osama bin Laden and continued to provide a safe haven for Al Qaeda. This was the justification of the United States and its allies for invading the country; to topple the Taliban regime and to take out as many terrorists and potential terrorists as possible to protect the West from further attacks. But this is not the way the war was sold to the citizens of countries that took part in the military action. The notion of killing the enemy was quickly replaced by nation building and bringing democracy to the war torn country. Democracy came and now the world is shocked that the democratic leaders of a backward Muslim country are attempting to enact Shariah law. If brave men and women weren’t dying it would almost be funny. The continuing war is justified on the basis of bringing human rights to women and girls while killing the enemy is shoved far into the background. Surprisingly, Canada’s socialist New Democratic Party seems to get it. Always moaning about the rights of women, they have consistently been opposed to Western troops in Afghanistan using all kinds of events as excuses to bring the troops home. What seems contradictory is perhaps not; possibly the NDP sees that no matter whether troops are in Afghanistan or not, there will be no change in the rights of women. Even if this proposed law will not be passed anytime soon, it is bound to be enacted after a majority of the Western troops leave the country.
We never did listen to Ann about converting them to Christianity. And now we shouldn’t be surprised if husbands can rape their wives with impunity.
