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Do you know if god has reserved a special place for persons who are opposed to the use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives? Perhaps there is also one especially for those who persecute homosexuals in Jamaica or women in Pakistan who are thought to have “dishonoured” their family.
Let us pause for a moment to think about these people:
The woman in the Philippines who must give birth to another child that she will be unable to feed. If not, she must practice natural family planning and risk being beaten by her husband for refusing to have her vagina penetrated by his penis another time. She is also unable to protect herself from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The young people who use drugs to escape and cope with all the problems they have in their life. They find solace with a bunch of street youth who use drugs. In many instances, they share needles to inject drugs. Many of them become HIV positive, yet the most acceptable solution to harm reduction are more laws to criminalize them and lock them away in a jail cell -- thinking this will solve their problems.
The young gay man in a homophobic country like Jamaica or Uganda that is unable express his identity freely. He was never given the appropriate information and services he needed to safeguard his health at school or his community clinic.
The lesbian in Zimbawe who is routinely raped by men as a way to cleanse her sexually, show her how being with a man feels like, which should ultimately make her heterosexual.
The young Catholic woman, born HIV positive, married to the man she loves but is told by her Bishop not to have sex, since condoms “kills babies”. What about protecting her husband from becoming HIV positive too.
The young HIV positive person who is the subject of much discrimination and harassment -- refused entry to an educational institution or a country they wanted to visit.
The young girl who in India was deemed to have dishonoured her family and must pay the cost. She was raped by a group of men (perhaps without condoms) as a punishment for what she has done.
I do not know what god you serve, but I doubt any would sanction these violations. There are many other stories. Maybe those of us who fight for the rights of oppressed people missed an important lesson at church, mosque, or wherever it is we congregate.
It is alarming to hear people speak of these human rights struggles. Many of us, even myself a human rights activist, do not know the half of what many people are subjected to. Much of our knowledge is based on what we have read in a report or seen on a documentary, yet we find it so unbearable. Imagine the people live in these circumstances. I can only imagine what the people who bear these sufferings everyday experience. In some countries where these human rights discrimination occur, they are often supported by the state and faith-based organisations.
There is too much intolerance, hate and violence -- much of which is motivated by prejudice and ignorance. How can we as Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Rastafarians, or whatever our faith, be comfortable and even glorify others when they promote or perpetually discriminate against others? This is unjust. I don’t know much about religion, especially outside of my own region, but from my understanding they all agree on one thing: there is a god and he/she teaches us to love each other.
It is time we all do something about this. I encourage you to change our world to make it a better place. No one should be subjected to such harsh circumstances, especially when we can do something about it.
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by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
by AFY_Samantha
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