Barbarism has a name in Islam – hirabah. (WARNING – graphic violence)

This is why we need a War on Terror (or better yet, a WOMBAT). It’s also why I favor intervention rather than isolationism. Pursuant to the debate here at Talk Islam, I reject the argument that we are “imposing” our values on other societies. Rather, I think that there are indeed universal human rights and that we have a moral obligation to uphold them.

In fact, the argument (made largely by the political left) that muslim countries do not share these universal values is a form of racism. It’s also theologically incorrect – there is a substantial body of literature supporting an argument for human rights within the Qur’an itself.

Note that it is indeed true that meaningful reform and change cannot be imposed from the outside on a society. It must come from within. But that change cannot occuruntil the field is cleared of authoritarian control by equally nativeforces that oppose such reform. It’s a romantic view that all oppressedpeople will rise ultimately someday against their oppression, but that’sonly happened perhaps twice in all of history. and in those cases, the oppression was far milder than what the muslims in Afghanistan and Iranand Saudi and Gaza and Darfur experience. An excellent example is the British worldwide campaign against slavery.

At any rate, the girl above is a victim of her own society’s cruelty and our indifference alike. That’s why i am placing the video here – so we have less excuse to turn away.