CNN's Ivan Watson reports on how some young Egyptians suffer for raising their voices.
Some people call checking a girl or woman's virginity status "rape." But police and military forces throughout the world prefer to call it a purity "test."
This is particularly important in societies that value purity, such as the puritanical United States, Christian crusading Europe, and former Western empires (British, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavian/Viking, Roman, Greek). Of course, we are told it never happens here, except maybe by some aberrant rogue element. It is what others do because they are "barbarians." And we are virtuous, upholders of the good, never hypocritical... "in God we trust," yada yada yada.
This is particularly important in societies that value purity, such as the puritanical United States, Christian crusading Europe, and former Western empires (British, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavian/Viking, Roman, Greek). Of course, we are told it never happens here, except maybe by some aberrant rogue element. It is what others do because they are "barbarians." And we are virtuous, upholders of the good, never hypocritical... "in God we trust," yada yada yada.Our soldiers and police prefer to conduct these tests on countries we as a nation invade and colonize -- from theaters of war to ghettos, jails, and barracks. Virginity testing has long been an instrument of "genocide-lite." US soldiers -- for example in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and South America -- could kill the women like they do the men who resist being invaded.
(ClevverMovies) "In The Land Of Blood & Honey" (in theaters Dec. 23, 2011) is a love story set during the Bosnian war of 1992-1995, focusing on a couple who meet on the eve of the war and the effect the war has on their relationship.
But sometimes they let them off lightly with rape. Of course, some of our soldiers are tricky and kill the victims they sexually violate. But we prosecute them, particularly if they are quoted as saying "It was awesome."
(AlJazeeraEnglish) Egyptian military official denies that
military conducted forced "virginity tests" on protesters.
Goodness knows it happens in our jail, to both male and female detainees. But our forces prefer to inflict this examination on the powerless and voiceless. It has even caught on in the Islamic world. Testing was recently highlighted in Egypt's Tahrir Square misunderstandings.
A few valiant soldiers in the police and "security" forces may have gotten carried away with female prisoners they beat, publicly stripped, brutalized, and tested. Now Egypt has officially banned the practice.
(Did it previously allow it? No, but now it's really banned...unless it is done in private and kept secret like before.) It even went on in the Land of Blood and Honey. And in a film of the same name, director Angelina Jolie aims to shine a light on the practice.
Amnesty International
Survivors of [Rape] Anonymous
Rape and Abuse National Network
The sexual assault of males
VIDEO: Kimberly speaks out
State Rape?
Karen Stuhldreher, University of Washington, Seattle
The act of raping women is largely understood to be an inevitable consequence of war. As General George S. Patton predicted during World War II, "there would unquestionably be some raping."1
Rape and the mutilation of women's bodies are evidently part of the usual military fare in war. During the Vietnam war, rape was in fact an all too common occurrence, often described by GIs as SOP -- standard operating procedure.2
"That's an everyday affair... you can nail just about everybody on that -- at least once," offered a squad leader in the 34d Platoon of Charlie Company when questioned by a reporter about the rape that occurred at My Lai.3
Another GI, Joe Galbally, when testifying for the Winter Soldier Investigation, concluded his report about a specific incident of gang rape by American soldiers by saying... More
There's nothing else to do here with all this testosterone but kill and...
But sometimes they let them off lightly with rape. Of course, some of our soldiers are tricky and kill the victims they sexually violate. But we prosecute them, particularly if they are quoted as saying "It was awesome."
- "I didn't think of Iraqis as humans," says U.S. soldier who raped 14-year-old girl before killing her and her family
- Victory for Egyptians: Military's "virginity tests" banned
- US crimes you've never heard of (History News Network)
- VIDEO: Police strip innocent woman naked
(AlJazeeraEnglish) Egyptian military official denies that
military conducted forced "virginity tests" on protesters.
Goodness knows it happens in our jail, to both male and female detainees. But our forces prefer to inflict this examination on the powerless and voiceless. It has even caught on in the Islamic world. Testing was recently highlighted in Egypt's Tahrir Square misunderstandings.
A few valiant soldiers in the police and "security" forces may have gotten carried away with female prisoners they beat, publicly stripped, brutalized, and tested. Now Egypt has officially banned the practice.
(Did it previously allow it? No, but now it's really banned...unless it is done in private and kept secret like before.) It even went on in the Land of Blood and Honey. And in a film of the same name, director Angelina Jolie aims to shine a light on the practice.
Amnesty International
Survivors of [Rape] Anonymous
Rape and Abuse National Network
The sexual assault of males
VIDEO: Kimberly speaks out
State Rape?
Karen Stuhldreher, University of Washington, Seattle
The act of raping women is largely understood to be an inevitable consequence of war. As General George S. Patton predicted during World War II, "there would unquestionably be some raping."1Rape and the mutilation of women's bodies are evidently part of the usual military fare in war. During the Vietnam war, rape was in fact an all too common occurrence, often described by GIs as SOP -- standard operating procedure.2
"That's an everyday affair... you can nail just about everybody on that -- at least once," offered a squad leader in the 34d Platoon of Charlie Company when questioned by a reporter about the rape that occurred at My Lai.3
Another GI, Joe Galbally, when testifying for the Winter Soldier Investigation, concluded his report about a specific incident of gang rape by American soldiers by saying... More
There's nothing else to do here with all this testosterone but kill and...
