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A poll taken by a Southern Baptist research firm has found that a majority of Americans
agree that same-sex marriage should become legal in the United States. The results should
give pause to the anti-gay crowd as a clear majority of Americans are now more tolerant
to differing points of view.
The poll also found that "eighty percent of Americans disagree that employers should be
allowed to refuse employment to someone based on their *** preference." The data also
revealed that "more Americans do not believe homosexual behavior is a sin than those who
believe it is a sin." Not surprisingly, those calling themselves fundamentalist or born-again
Christians were less likely to agree that homosexuality will eventually become legal
in The United States by a wide margin.
The data indicates that people with a college degree and those within the age of 18 to 29
are most likely to agree that homosexuality is a civil rights issue. Meanwhile, the minority
still holds out for bigotry.
Richard Land is the political spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention who recently
stated that the devil is responsible for homosexuality. Mr. Land also thinks that offering rights
to LGBT Americans will lead to the "paganization" of The United States. He said that "the Devil
takes pleasure in anything that causes destruction in human society and the homosexual lifestyle
does cause destruction".
The survey was conducted last November and involved 1,191 respondents from across the
country.
A twenty-seven year old Pakistani soldier was strapped to the hood of a car and taken
to a cemetery where he was brutally *** and shot. His crime? Having a relationship
with a nineteen year old local woman from a different tribe.
The murdered soldier Anwar Din, was a Sunni and his love, Intizar Bibi is a ***'ite. The
incident took place in the unruly Kurram Valley area of Pakistan. According to tribal reports,
Mr. Din had met Ms. Bibi after his unit had been stationed in the region. Mr. Din was
assigned to a checkpoint near Ms Bibi's home. The two became romantically involved and had
planned on getting married.
However, Islamic law forbids Sunnis and ***'ites from having a relationship due to their conflicting
theological convictions. This lawless area of Pakistan is continually ravaged by vicious
sectarian violence between ***'ites and Sunni's.
This is mostly due to the lack of a proper administrative and judicial system in parts
of the country. This absence of proper authority has allowed backward tribal elders to take
justice into their own hands. The primitive system of laws resembles vigilante justice
as actions are judged by local elders who preside over kangaroo style courts called
"jirgas".
Munir Hussain is the head of the local jirga that sentenced Mr. Din to his horrifying death.
Mussain stated that "The girl left her home on Monday and met Anwar Din when villagers
saw them. (…) We took the girl into custody and took the boy to the local graveyard where
he was *** to death and buried." Speaking on condition of anonymity, one government
official declared that the jirga had also decided that 19 year old Bibi should be shot
to death for her transgression.
The jirga also came to the stunning conclusion that a third soldier should be handed over
to the mob for sentencing. He is charged with assisting the young couple and possibly helping
them forge plans to elope. Apparently, no one attending the jirga stopped to consider
the obvious problem that their belief system has created for them. The same holy book that
both Sunnis and ***'ites subscribe to, gives them conflicting information on the most human
part of life: love.
Islamic tribes in the region often hand down primitive punishments for crimes of passion
as well as organize the bartering of women to settle the score and to restore honor.
It is interesting to note that some government officials as well as tribal elders will only
speak on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution from the locals.
The fate of Ms Bibi is unknown at this time.