Witchy Woman

Indian police have filed murder charges against two individuals who allegedly set a 16-year-old girl on fire on December 23, after the victim succumbed to her injuries and passed away on New Years Eve. The two suspects are closely connected to the people accused of gang-raping the 16-year-old, who was pregnant at the time of her death, and may have burned her alive in order to punish her for going to to the police.

The Metropolitan Police Sapphire team in Southwark, South London, had an active policy of “encouraging” victims to retract sex assault claims, allowing it to say no crime had occurred and raise its detection rates from 10 per cent to 31 per cent.

The scandal came to light after one man who the police refused to investigate for rape went on to murder his two children.

A young mother was burned alive in Papua New Guinea this week after townspeople accused her of being a witch.

According to multiple reports, Kepari Leniata, 20, was tortured and killed in front of a mob of hundreds in the town of Mount Hagen. The woman, stripped naked and covered in gasoline, was burned alive on a pile of trash by relatives of a young boy who had died earlier in the week. The relatives had accused Leniata of killing him with sorcery.

A 32-year-old man in India who had been acquitted of all charges in the rape and murder of a young girl was allegedly arrested last week for the murder and rape of another child.

"In more than 80 countries around the world, homosexual acts are still illegal. Sometimes the law dictates life imprisonment. In seven countries the death penalty may be applied. Even in countries where homosexuality is not illegal, discrimination and physical assault is more than frequent. It is even worse for trans people who are particularly exposed, and for lesbians, who are particularly made invisible. In some countries, there is a positive progress, but it is fragile. In others, the situation is worse every year.
Each year, for May 17th, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia reminds everybody there is a need for action. It is celebrated through actions (exhibitions, screenings, debates, shows, TV or radio programs, etc.), and promoted by individuals, organizations, institutions, cities, governments in more than 60 countries, on every continent, from Albania to Zimbabwe.
Today, for May 17th, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, we ask:
• all political leaders to fight by any means against violence and discrimination related
to sexual orientation and gender identity;
• all citizens to use this day to encourage hope, diversity and peace in the world, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity."

"A French parliamentary committee has recommended a partial ban on women wearing Islamic face veils.

The committee's near 200-page report has proposed a ban in hospitals, schools, government offices and on public transport.

It also recommends that anyone showing visible signs of "radical religious practice" should be refused residence cards and citizenship.

The interior ministry says just 1,900 women in France wear the full veils.

"The wearing of the full veil is a challenge to our republic. This is unacceptable. We must condemn this excess," the report said.

The commission called on parliament to adopt a formal resolution stating that the face veil was "contrary to the values of the republic" and proclaiming that "all of France is saying 'no' to the full veil".

Presenting the report to the French National Assembly, speaker Bernard Accoyer said the face veil had too many negative connotations.

"It is the symbol of the repression of women, and... of extremist fundamentalism."

*Headdesk.*

It's France, not Saudi Arabia. I highly doubt that they are being "forced" into this.

Who gets to judge what is considered "radically religious"? Considering they estimate that "only" 1,900 women in France wear niqab, this would indicate that the majority is attempting to dictate the wardrobes of a minority. Since Catholics can also be considered radical, does this mean that they can ban nuns' habits and rosaries as well? This is a slippery slope when attempting to control the rights of a minority.

How on earth is showing modesty considered an "excess"?! This from a country where nude beaches are de rigeur! Personally I think that the French have long had an obsession with the female form and find those who hold to strict traditions of modesty as offensive, at least was my impression when I visited Paris. Thus I would not be surprised if most of those pushing for this ban are male.

They are operating under the assumption that they have to rescue these poor, oppressed women who are quite loudly saying, "Don't touch my veil!" It's rather condescending for men to step in with the presumption that they know what is best for the rights of women, especially so when they are told to butt out.

The law that they want to write even includes a clause that patients cannot have a say in the gender of their doctor. I, obviously, do not belong to an orthodox faith, but I choose female doctors whenever possible. I have found that they actually listen to me more, and when it comes down to it, I do not want men who are not family or close friends touching me. Period.

In their "attempts" to liberate Muslim women from their clothes chains, they are saying with every ounce of their white male privilege, "You only have the rights that we say you can have."

"Jim Simpson would have to be the toughest man to ever pick up a pair of knitting needles.

The former prisoner of war, who spent more than 19 months in Germany's World War II prison camps, not only survived interrogations and torture but managed to knit arguably Australia's most valuable war artefact, outside a museum.

Jim's rug is a perfectly preserved 1.83m x 1.9m knitted woollen blanket, featuring the map of Australia and the Coat of Arms.

"I knitted it with straightened handles from the camp's cooking pots; they looked like pieces of number eight wire," Jim says.

"The cook agreed to give them to me if I knitted him a pair of socks.""

The toughest knitter.