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Jerome Delay/AP/PA

Pregnant teenager receives jail term after being gang-raped

The jail term has been suspended because of her pregnancy but she has also been fined around €640.

A PREGNANT SUDANESE teenager has been handed a one-month jail term for “indecent acivity” after being gang-raped, according to her lawyer.

“But the sentence was suspended because she is pregnant,” Samia Hashmi told AFP.

The woman was also fined 5,000 pounds (€640).

A man whose video of others having sex with the pregnant Ethiopian teen created a rare case of Internet controversy in the conservative nation was sentenced to 40 lashes the lawyer said.

Hashmi said three men who admitted to having sex with the woman were sentenced to 100 lashes while another man who filmed the acts received the 40-lash penalty for distributing indecent material.

“He was also fined 10,000 pounds and if he doesn’t pay he will be jailed for six months,” the lawyer said, adding two other men were acquitted after the trial in Khartoum.

The video published on social media showed sex acts and some of the men laughing.

Despite the popularity of mobile messaging service WhatsApp in Sudan, this was a rare case of such a crime being publicly flaunted in the conservative nation, where women risk flogging for leaving their hair uncovered under morality laws which took effect after the 1989 Islamist-backed coup by President Omar al-Bashir.

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), a regional association of women’s groups, said the 18-year-old pregnant woman was lured to an empty property and attacked while house-hunting last year.

Arrests were made after publication of the video in January, SIHA Network said on its website.

Hala Elkarib, the group’s regional director, said the verdict reflects the substantial challenges victims of sexual violence face in pursuing justice.

“It will also serve to prevent future victims from speaking out and seeking assistance and entrenches a culture of impunity for perpetrators,” Elkarib said.

- © AFP 2014 with additional reporting by Michelle Hennessy.

Read: Thirteen in court over India gang-rape ordered by tribal leader>

Read: India to hold vigils to mark anniversary of gang-rape victim’s death>

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    Mute Luke Daly
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    Feb 20th 2014, 9:59 PM

    How on earth did they justify that?? They must be demented.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:23 AM

    Or highly repressed.

    107
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:05 AM

    Religion has them repressed.

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    Mute Jonathan Kennedy
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:57 AM
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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Feb 21st 2014, 5:26 PM

    She is a woman and in patriarchal society it is always Eve ill Eve’s fault.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:26 PM

    Not so long ago in this country, pregnant women, many of whom were victims of rape and incest, were locked away in laundries and used as slave labour. This happened in my lifetime, many of the women are still with us, so we are not so long out of these dark ages ourselves. So blame Islam but remember the Catholic Church is not so different.

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    Mute Tony
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:49 PM

    @ Dermot

    Yes there is certainly a lot to be ashamed of in our own history.

    203
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    Mute Colin Kavanagh
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:26 PM

    This story disgusts me. But let’s not forget women who are raped in Ireland may still be forced to undergo a 9 month pregnancy unless they can afford to travel and even at that they’ll still be made feel morally defunct by some.

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    Mute Richarddoherty
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:28 PM

    Yes we have learned from these past mistakes even if we have not paid compensation to all mothers but this should happen if I doesn’t we not much better than sudan

    39
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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:37 PM

    “not much better than sudan” The histrionics from some people here amazes me. Every woman I know wears what she wants. Works at what she wants. screws who she wants. Does whatever she wants without a second though but we are still compared to Sudan. You really have lost the plot my man. You need to put down those feminist books.

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    Mute Marcus power
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:25 PM

    Every time I read a horror story story such as this I lose more hope in humanity. ….. religion is an odious and soul destroying force if in the wrong hands and if allowed to run riot outside the privacy of our hearts and minds. .. The poor female populations of some of these dreadful parts of our planet need our protection

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    Mute Vera Dawber Power
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:31 PM

    Well said Marcus Power ..xx

    138
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:56 PM

    Religion is odious even in the right hands.

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    Mute Terry McSweeney
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:34 AM

    I am not a religious person but I think religion gets blamed too much. It is people who carry out these acts. If they converted to Christianity in the morning they would still be sick in the head. There are atheists in the world who are murders and rapists. Dont blame the religion blame the person.

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    Mute Terry McSweeney
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:38 AM

    And idiot judges

    89
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    Mute Gillian DeFaoite
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    Feb 21st 2014, 8:37 AM

    While I don’t disagree with you, I think the outrage here is a reaction to the punishment inflicted upon this victim rather than this horrible crime. Punishing a raped woman is something quite unique to the religious laws of these Muslim nations. Religion has a lot to answer for.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:42 PM

    It is easier to blame a religion than to face facts – nobody can deny that in many places around the world we have patriarchal societies that severely crush women’s rights – we have had it in Ireland too in the fairly recent past. Those societies created the religions – religions are just a social construct arising out of a society. They seek to pretend that they are something other than plain old power structures by claiming to have some independent universal authority. So we have some African societies that are repressive and use Christian fundamentalism to back up the control they wish to have against minorities; others will use Muslim fundamentalism. Blaming religion rather misses the point that these religions are just something created by societies to copper-fasten their power structures!

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    Mute Ciaran Whyte
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    Feb 20th 2014, 9:59 PM

    Unbelievable…

    453
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    Mute Matthias Baumann
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    Feb 21st 2014, 7:38 AM

    @the idiots that red thumbed my comment

    I am right and you know it!
    Now feck off , you inbred morons!

    81
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    Mute John Smith
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    Feb 21st 2014, 8:51 AM

    Calling him a “knacker”
    Is just as offensive how dare you think it’s ok to use the “travellers” as a way to insult him.
    You are just as racist as him

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    Mute John Smith
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    Feb 21st 2014, 8:54 AM

    @matthius I’m a gay jew traveler and I think you are even worse than him he is just a troll you showed your true colours.
    Travellers are not inbred

    54
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    Mute Matthias Baumann
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:10 AM

    @John

    It was not my intention to insult the travelling community in any way or form but used the term “knacker” as in “sc*mbag” in general. I was not aware that the term “knacker” refers to members of the travelling community in general and like to apologise to any member of the travelling community that felt insulted by my use of the word “knacker”. Thanks for pointing out to me that “knacker” is used in Ireland as a derogatory term for travellers. I will not use that term anymore in the future!

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    Mute Matthias Baumann
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:16 AM

    @John

    I think you are wrong here! Using a swastika and making sick racist jokes about a raped teenager goes way beyond trolling in my opinion!
    He is disgusting sc*m and needs to be addressed in no uncertain terms!
    You, being of Jewish descent should know what that vile Nazi sc*m is capable of and even the public display of Nazi symbols should not be tolerated in any way or form!

    43
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    Mute John Smith
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:30 AM

    My grandfather died at the hands of those nazis
    My grandmother told me horrific stories he said the only thing that got her through my grandfathers death was my own father being born 11 months after my poor grandfather died.

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    Mute Joan Dolan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:43 AM

    Seriously @thejournal.ie Herr’s comment has been up 3 hours and you havent deleted it??

    42
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    Mute Matthias Baumann
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:57 AM

    @John

    I’m very sorry for your loss.

    I hope you do understand my “zero tolerance” approach towards Nazis and racists.
    Being a German citizen I will always stand up and speak out against these venomous morons as should any decent citizen in any country!
    The sooner these disgusting animals die out the better.

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    Mute Matthias Baumann
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:55 PM

    @Joan

    And it´s still on here while Twitter meanwhile has the Swastika account suspended….

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    Mute Cathal Jenkinson
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:36 PM

    @John. Your own father was born 11 months after your grandfather died….so your grieving grandmonther was having intimate relations with someone else within 2 months of her husband’s passing in the 1940s? Just for clarity please

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    Mute Sinead Ryan
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    May 16th 2014, 9:11 AM

    Eleven months after?

    3
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    Mute Ben Redline
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:00 PM

    Wait let me guess… Islam ?

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    Mute Joe McAndrew
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:54 PM

    It’s the religion of peace

    119
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    Mute Mohamed Bouchaib
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:02 PM

    Thanks for the shortcut and the syllogism Ben Redline !!!!!!!

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:00 PM

    How do we give money to these nothing nations??

    If they are homophobic, corrupt, violent and atrocious legal system they consequently = nothing and thus we should have nothing to do with them. We have our own problems.

    I could think of a few things I could do with a) that judge b) a rope and c) a car

    329
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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:31 PM

    What about the citizens who are starving and living without clean water or access to education – and also have nothing to do with creating or implementing systems where rape victims are convicted or homophobia is legally supported? Should we cut their funding?

    115
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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:41 AM

    Correct. Deliver it to innocent ppl only. How I don’t know but it should be looked at.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:44 AM

    The majority of the time it is delivered to the people that need it. So no need to worry!

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    Mute Fergal McDonagh
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    Feb 21st 2014, 9:32 AM

    I agree. It’s really not our problem. If we could be sure that even half the donations went to the needy it would be justifiable but we all know we’re just buying more rounds for the ak47s the children are carrying.

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    Mute Mícheál Barry
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:15 AM

    Anyone else wondering how/why the description “having sex” is used? Having sex and rape are two very different things in my book…

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 6:18 AM

    The definition is a bit looser it seems in the Islamism world.

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    Mute defcon5
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:30 PM

    And yet the Labour Party insist on handing over millions of our money to the likes of these plonkers, time to stop pumping money into these backward nations.

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    Mute Linda Shakir
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:10 PM

    Islam is the blame for this there is sick people ever where . When Christians or Catholics do this is the religion brought into it . No ! Islam dosent teach people to rape no more that any other religion .

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    Mute Aidan Ryan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:16 PM

    You have missed the point..islam does not teach rape but it does view women in a certain way that they are punished for being raped!!

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    Mute Steven Flannery
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:21 PM

    Islam , has to be blamed woman are worthless to them how can they protect something they don’t respect

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:33 PM

    So does Christianity!

    49
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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:40 PM

    You always get some nut who has to mention Christians when muslims commit some atrocity. Give yourself a slap and calm down.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:04 PM

    You’re right. Christianity is such a peaceful and open religion. They’ve never hurt anyone.

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    Mute Richard Joseph Dunne
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:16 PM

    The further crime committed against this victim of gang rape by Islamic religious authorities is almost as horrendous as the crime itself.richard

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:20 PM

    Very similar to the crimes committed against rape victims by the state and Catholic Church in Ireland.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:32 PM

    Yes there are similarities, but there’s a huge difference. It happened years back when religion ruled. We have now woken up to this and so has the state. The point is it does nt happen now in Ireland, but these Islamic states still live in the dark ages have not moved on. And have no intention of doing so!!!

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    Mute George Hogan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:33 AM

    @ Driv

    Absolutely agree Driv! What religion doesn’t treat women as inferior to men. The Jews have a prayer which is recited by men which has the line, “Thank you Lord for making me a man”. Don’t Catholic women have to be ‘churched’ after they give birth for the sin of having had sex…while the men have a pint in the local.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:40 AM

    Women have to be churched for the sin of having sex while the man has a pint in the local????? Where did you get that dribble from? And what century?

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    Mute Hung Xi
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:45 AM

    People who are having a go at Islam should try reading the bible. It is as barbaric as any other book. You shouldn’t throw stones in glass houses

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:46 AM

    Christians are atrocious to women so consequently this is a valid point thus not sure why you’re writing a post saying otherwise

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:47 AM

    Sorry that comment was for wasteland

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:55 AM

    Moved on in the sense that we still don’t afford equal rights to every adult and family if they don’t comply with the churches definition of normal? There are people in this country still hurting from the atrocities committed by the partnership of church and state. And these things didn’t happen ‘years back’.
    The Vatican is still actively covering up these crimes. That’s happening right now. We haven’t moved on at all. I was told when I was in school that men only wanted women for one thing; sex. And that my job was to protect this gift of virginity that I had and not just to give it away to anyone, because it was the most valuable thing in my possession. And I would never be the same again once it was gone, especially if I wasted it on someone that I wasn’t married to. I did my leaving certificate seven years ago!

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:56 AM

    I dont know a single woman that does not completely do what she wants and live how she wants. Where are all these phantom Christians raping them and stoning them to death? Or these frightened Irish women who fear for their lives if they see Christians.

    Every Christian I see is the nicest most inoffensive people I have met. Who would help any stranger in the street.

    You either have mental health issues or you live in one weird place.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:57 AM

    Every religion has women oppressed in one way or another. But Ireland as a Catholic state has pulled from the clutches of the church people do not live their lives around it anymore. When I keep reading horrific stories of girls been raped and then punished for it or a father giving up he s daughter for marriage and all in the name of Islam I think I have every right to have a go. As I would the same if it was still happening here in the Catholic Church.

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    Mute Wanaka
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:58 AM

    Women haven’t had to be churched since Vatican 2 so that’s a moot point. In every religion and culture at some point in history menstruating sexually active women have been considered unclean or sinners even Native American Indians thought it. Western countries have come a long way but it’s the people who carry out the crime be they religious, atheist or agnostic are at fault not their believe or culture.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:02 AM

    I’d love to know which bog your living in cause I did my leaving best 20 years ago and never once did I hear that shite. So your saying Ireland is still the same as it was back in the 40s 50s etc??

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:04 AM

    But the congregation is the church and belief. If it’s the culture that women are second class citizens or unclean sinners or whatever, then you can’t separate the two.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:06 AM

    Clonmel is not a bog Jackie! How dare you! It’s actually quite the metropolis. It’s not the same, but it hasn’t made the progressive steps that you are claiming.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:09 AM

    It has nt made any at all by what your saying in your posts!!!

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:11 AM

    Have you been watching the Tudors box set or something?

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    Mute Wanaka
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:19 AM

    What’s wrong with the Tudors they liked their fun and women held a lot of power just look at the Boleyn girls until they fell out of favour. ;)

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 2:10 AM

    Yes. Tudoring you on deductive reasoning. Limerick citay kid.

    On a serious note. You’re right women have so much freedom now, however, that statement ignores in Catholic Church they’re not allowed be priests. In graduations women have to wear a hat representative of here you go kid this is as high as you can go – this is gone now but this is still what the hat means. In pay scales they’re way off compared to men. They’re humiliated for sleeping around unlike men. They have disproportionately higher incidences of sexual and physical abuse than men. I know employers who won’t employ over potential pregnancies. In sports they don’t attract they same commercial interest as men. So no it is not that simple after all to be a girl despite what you say and no one was saying that they are being stoned either

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 2:13 AM

    Well said!

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    Mute Wanaka
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    Feb 21st 2014, 2:46 AM

    Not in all university’s Sean UL still cap their female graduates unless it’s a diploma course, the cap is optional in the NUI’s.
    Your correct about job opportunities & pay scales even in female dominated professions like nursing the only discipline that pays higher is mental health where there are more males than females.
    The perception of women who sleep around is unfortunately still firmly rooted in the dark ages; even the Tudors were more forward thinking than modern society on that one ;)
    But we in the western world have come a long way and further than countries where sharia law is practised.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 8:25 AM

    What I’m saying Jackie, is that our record of treating women isn’t very clean either. That’s all.

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    Mute George Hogan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 11:04 AM

    @Jackie Jones

    ‘dribble’ don’t understand your comment?

    Two friends from Galway mentioned just a few weeks ago in a similar discussion that their mothers had been churched NOT their fathers. It happened in the 1970s or so. Just because you don’t like what you hear doesn’t make it untrue.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:06 PM

    Ye re missing my point. What happened in the 70s does not happen now. Women are not treated or would not be aloud be treated like the way they were in the 70s. The woman no longer just holds place by the kitchen sink. The one religion that I do know that is back their is Islam due to the way they treat there females. Look at Lee rigby s murderers they are now known as martyr s it’s a twisted faith.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:27 PM

    Yes they are Jackie! Many Christian churches systematically oppress women. Read about what goes on in the Bible Belt in the US. Abuse goes on every day in catholic and Christian missionaries overseas. And women in Ireland are still suffering from the influence of the Catholic Church – with no marriage rights for gay couples, and no reproductive autonomy, to name a few.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:32 PM

    So are you telling me that Ireland has not moved on since the 50s 60s 70s etc?? I’m on about Ireland not over seas.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:19 PM

    I haven’t told you any of that Jackie. I have highlighted to you some of the injustices that currently go on in Ireland under the guidance of the church, and some that went on as late as the 90′s – and some that are going on right now in several continents. How you can proclaim that Islam is the only religion that doesn’t respect women is beyond me!

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:47 PM

    That is what iv been trying to say, Ireland has moved on a hell of a lot since back then, in a whole the Catholic Church did rule, in a whole every religion did oppress women, and maybe we still have a lot to go. But what I know and seen from the Islamic religion they have taken the religion to the extreme and it is disgusting and I would not think twice about slamming it as I do the treatment of men women and children by the Catholic Church years back. To justify rape on a young girl, to justify marrying a 14 year old child off to justify female mutilation all in the name of a religion in this day and age, it is vile and I will slam it.

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    Mute Etienne de Montfort
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    Feb 21st 2014, 3:25 PM

    Driv, you’re just taking shit. Maybe the church controls you but they don’t control the rest of us.

    You’re saying g women have no reproductive autonomy? Have you never heard of the pill, the coil, the patch, the IUS, diaphragms, injectable contraception or implants? Women have far more reproductive autonomy than men. Even after birth, an unmarried father has the same rights to his child as a stranger does. Women have total control. And you’re concerned with whether they wear hats on graduation day? (Which is something that’s their own choice, by the way)

    You can do what you want and be what you want. If you think Ireland is comparable to Sudan you’re just another spoiled western brat

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 4:01 PM

    Of course I’m not saying that Ireland is in a worse position than Sudan when it comes to human rights. I’m saying that Ireland and the Christian faith have held in the past and continue to hold women as second class citizens. Which is why it is not correct nor fair to single out Islam as the only religion which oppresses women, when we ourselves are in the thick of it.

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Feb 21st 2014, 4:37 PM

    In this day and age how are we in the thick of it? And Islam is been singled out because the acts that this religion are committing NOW are barbaric and centuries behind. And that you cannot deny!!!!

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 9:16 PM

    I’m not denying that the acts are barbaric or that their suffering is lessened by ours or vice versa. I’m saying that Ireland had a long way to go if it’s citizens, especially women, are to be treated equally – something that has been hindered by the church.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 3:05 PM

    Come off it lads, most religions are patriarchal and seek to impose the power of men over women – that is pretty obvious! Religions are just social constructs that reflect the power in society.
    Some African countries are using fundamentalist Christianity to justify their abuses and laws against women and gay people too.
    Let’s not be distracted by the religion or the culture – patriarchy is alive and well in many countries – just scratch the surface…

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    Mute amandap
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:38 PM

    Its just a shame nothing is ever going to be done about this and them poor girls and women will go on sufferin, its absloutley shocking reading these stories god bless them poor girls.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:05 PM

    I would like some way of sending money to help pay that fine for the poor girl. Is there anyway we can send a donation? Or help with medical costs?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:23 PM

    I hope all the people getting worked up about gay rights in Russia etc realise there’s more important issues going on in the world. Human rights trumps gay rights every time. (And before anyone says anything, they’re not the same)

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:26 PM

    You don’t have rights. You have privileges. A right can’t be taken away. Virtually every right you think you have can, and in some cases already has been, taken away.

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    Mute Tony Duncan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:43 PM

    @ Dave, Why have gay people suddenly stopped being human? What kind of idiotic bullshit statement are you trying to make?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:55 PM

    Tony – it’s simple logic. Gay rights pale into insignificance on a world stage when this is still going on in the world. However, these people don’t have Madonna, panti and graham norton championing their cause. They have no one on their side.

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    Mute Tony Duncan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:04 PM

    That’s bullshit, so when does the rights of one person become less than the rights of another? This horrendous crime that the girl suffered and continues to suffer because her rights as a women are seen as less than the rights of a man. You can’t cherry pick which rights are more important, and I for the life of me can’t see why you even brought up the issue of gay rights on this article.

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:34 AM

    Dave that is a very ill thought out comment. You can be killed in certain countries for being Gay!! Young teenage men are beaten and humiliated by gangs in Russia for being gay! What is the difference? Are gay people not human i.e. how do you say Gay rights are not the same as Human rights? Anyone who thinks they can verbally/physically or sexually attack someone because they are more vulnerable or weaker in strength or number than them is an out and out bully and brute. Plain and simple

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:44 AM

    Really worried about you

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    Mute Debbie Kenny
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    Feb 21st 2014, 8:57 AM

    Gay rights are human rights, so it’s wrong to put a women in jail in Sudan for something, she had no control over, yes we all agree with this, but by your logic it’s not so serious to hunt down and murder someone for being Gay in Russia, the Ukraine , Uganda etc. Maybe you should look up the definitions of human rights.

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    Mute Driv ElMachine
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    Feb 21st 2014, 11:51 AM

    Don’t forget the correctional rapes that are systematically enforced upon gay women.

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    Mute Hugh Mahon
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:22 PM

    Primitive culture behaves in primitive manner shocker.

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    Mute Donal Flynn
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:19 PM

    Spread around on their primitive smartphones on whatsapp? I thought Sudan was one of the poorest countries in the world.

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    Mute Jay Finn
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:07 PM

    Religion: destroying humanity one nation at a time.

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:26 PM

    The most mass murdering states were all atheistic. China, Russia under Stalin, Cambodia etc.

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    Mute Jay Finn
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:52 PM

    I would list the religious atrocities (with regards to war and murder)but the list is too long. But I never mentioned anything about killing people. Your point is moot.

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    Mute Jennifer Hislop
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:03 AM

    No murder/punishment of law impeding basic human rights/decency has been implemented in the name of atheism.

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:13 AM

    Really. Try living in China, North Korea etc.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:49 PM

    That’s communism! Really though, this religion and non-religion divide is a false one. Religions are just ideologies. Ideologies generally tend to get created for a purpose of social engineering – and usually end up benefitting a particular power structure. Remember, religions are created by societies to copper-fasten power and privilege with a false call to some higher moral power, and so are most political ideologies.

    It’s all about power and control!

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    Mute Richarddoherty
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:24 PM

    This country needs to be taken in line with its human rights this should never happen again if it does sanctions need to implement to make sure that this never happens again

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:42 AM

    What actual creep gave thumbs down to Richards comment

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:45 PM

    If every country acted not out of self-interest but out of morality, we would see countries who abuse human rights being shunned and having sanctions from the rest of the world… that would be something great to see…

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    Mute Jason Downes
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:25 PM

    And civilization is reset to year dot in that land

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    Mute Nicole McCormack
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:19 PM

    What sick bastar*s they all are. Ohhhhh

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    Mute Patricia Ann McCarthy Moore
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:18 PM

    Coming soon to a country near you.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:57 PM

    No, it isn’t!
    The west has fed fundamentalism by its injustices in the Middle East – it has ever been thus down through millennia of history – just swap the religions or groups, but always the same thing – fear and mistrust of anything different – sigh!

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    Mute Joanne Cussen
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:25 AM

    Allah me hole!!

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:19 AM

    Gang raped, impregnated, lashes, fined and a criminal conviction. It really sucks to be a woman sometimes. Don’t kid yourselves either – women who are assaulted in this country are tried by their communities and their attackers get off. We just don’t do the lashes bit or hide behind a religious code.

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 6:21 AM

    Nicola, that is one idiotic comment – comparing here to Sudan.

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 7:50 AM

    Are you a man or a woman?

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 7:52 AM

    And i am not comparing here to sudan. I’m saying rape victims everywhere, unfortunately, have a tendency to be victimised even further (to varying degrees). But thanks for the feedback

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:36 PM

    This shower of idiots would charge a murder victim if they could. Despicable and disgusting.

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    Mute Ben Frank
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:57 PM

    Just another day in Africa.

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    Mute Eimear Smith
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:12 PM

    It’s a mans world

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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:42 PM

    That is patriarchy at its finest.
    All religions see women as breeders, possessions of men to be husbanded by the men for the benefit of society.
    It is all written in the sacred texts of all these religions- not just Islam.
    Surely it is time for men and women to unite.
    We had the same treatment of our own unhusbanded women not so long ago. We too locked away and punished our raped daughters of Eire, sold their children for profit, made them live in guilt,drove many to suicide, etc.
    We need to do our own healing before pointing the finger at others.
    We still have members of society trained to see all Irish women as feeble minded and this is 2014 not 1914. But no one says a word.
    Are we too busy looking out at others instead of looking inside our own island?

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:55 PM

    Steady on you live in Ireland. Lets not get too excited now.

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    Mute Ben Frank
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:56 PM

    We are only emerging from our animal roots. Give it a couple of millenia of civilised society and everything will be ok

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:58 PM

    Speak for yourself Ben.

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    Mute Mike Rotchburns
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:23 PM

    We are run by such a bunch of traitors that they would rather cash in on saudi money by building europe’s largest mosque in clongriffin than tell this lot to f*ck off back to the stone age. Islam is an absolute abomination.

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    Mute Ben Frank
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:26 PM

    Islam, Christian = same thing. The Muslims are just a few centuries behind us

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:30 PM

    So were the vikings ffs catch a grip of yourself man.

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    Mute Mike Rotchburns
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:33 PM

    you’re aware that Star Trek is fiction right?

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    Mute Ben Frank
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:34 PM

    What are you blabbering about wanderer? In what way were the vikings behind us? If anything, they were far more advanced than we were

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:46 PM

    The vikings raped and pillaged in the middle ages but we dont still bang on about it every time we see a modern day Swede or Dane.

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:29 AM

    @Wanderer rape is a weapon of control. Whether perpetrated on a male or female. Don’t kid yourself that we are any more progressive than anywhere else. Only a small percentage of rape cases result in conviction. I live in kerry. In the last 2 years there has been 2 high profile cases in North Kerry. In the first, despite concrete proof to the contrary, the local community stood in support of an attacker whilst a young woman was made to give evidence and was reviled by her peers. In another, a lady with addictive problems was brutally violated in plain view of party goers, and despite witness testimony and medical evidence her attacker was exonerated and she is reviled in her community. These stories are not the exception unfortunately.

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    Mute Wasteland Wanderer
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:34 AM

    So Ireland has issues like Sudan? No Im sorry your just getting yourself worked up into a frenzy. Have a nice cup of tea in your first world kitchen and have a think about what you typed. Every country on earth has rapes but lets keep some perspective.

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    Mute nicola lawless
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:43 AM

    “Have a nice cup of tea in my first world kitchen.” I don’t think I will bother responding to that. It’s not a worthy point.

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    Mute Hung Xi
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:47 AM

    Star Trek is fiction. So is the bible and other holy books. If Jesus Christ did exist he was no more than the David Blaine of his day.

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    Mute nubus
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    Feb 21st 2014, 1:23 AM

    They have the technology to take video; and still give “lashes”?!

    Something here doesn’t add up.

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    Mute Caroline Dunlea
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    Feb 21st 2014, 2:34 AM

    The common denominator in all these arguments about what religion did what… MEN!! Never mind their religion, it’s a gender dysfunction! I’ve yet to read a story of a man being gang raped. Men need rewiring!

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    Mute Etienne de Montfort
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    Feb 21st 2014, 3:15 PM
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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 3:01 PM

    It’s bizarre alright Caroline – it is like the elephant in the room that whenever we talk about the abuses of women’s rights around the world, we fail to note the common denominator, which is not the religion, but the abuse and constraints of women’s rights! Hellooo! To point out this obvious fact is not to be anti all men, but it’s just bloody obvious!

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    Mute Gerard Ryan
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    Feb 21st 2014, 4:46 AM

    Many religions treat women as second class people. This is just another sad, mind boggling example.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:54 PM

    It’s not religion, it is men (and I don’t mean ALL men – I am not a man hater! In the case you are talking about though it is men!)… those in power create religions – which are just really a way of legitimising the kind of power structures and rules they wish to see that will maintain their control – whether as men over women or a certain class in society over another. The religion thing is just an attempt to say, no this is not just something I made up to benefit myself, oh no, this has an independent reality and a universal higher power says so. Basically I am saying it is not religion per se; it is society making up stories in an attempt to try to hold power over others – it’s just what the human animal does!

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    Mute Sam Aritan
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    Feb 20th 2014, 11:41 PM

    There’s no instant fix for this. We simply have to wait for other countries to catch up, and in some cases we have to catch up with 3rd world countries. Sanction, political pressure etc all play a part. But it isn’t going away.

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    Mute Sean
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:52 AM

    @sam, catch up?? Catch up?? This is rape. Women are going to jail for being raped.

    Why they don’t send in an army in next 20 mins to remove this dictator and minions. This is urgent. Seems drastic but given the context women are being raped and blamed for it I don’t see how any country doesn’t send in an army now. It effectively encourages rape in the next 30 mins 60 mins. Why is there no intervention now this is not a case of catching up or waiting

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    Mute kingstown
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    Feb 20th 2014, 10:33 PM

    Allah be praised

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    Mute Joanne Cussen
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    Feb 21st 2014, 12:25 AM

    Allah me hole!

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    Mute Pat Collins
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    Feb 21st 2014, 11:43 AM

    Just awful – but IMO Africa will not really start to thrive until it begins properly to address the huge sexism that is rampant there and that applies to many religions not just Islam.

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 22nd 2014, 2:58 PM

    Exactly.

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    Mute Louise Smith
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    Feb 21st 2014, 11:54 AM

    Any whoooo! This is awful ! :(

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    Mute Cyril Butler
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    Feb 21st 2014, 10:56 AM

    The idea that religious delusion gives people hope without any negative impact is as delusional as religion itself. Delusional behaviour needs to be reclassified by the DSM.

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