This BBC News report by Nora Fakim is about death a sentence imposed on a newspaper editor by an Islamic cleric for supporting an end to a Moroccan law that makes sex between unmarried people illegal (2012). Fakim says that this fatwa is an example of the tension in modern Morocco between socially progressive people and conservative traditionalists.
Some of the other details in this report are shocking, although perhaps not surprising. For example, Fakim quotes Morocco's Justice Minister Mustapha Ramid, who has said that "legalising sex outside marriage is an initiative to promote debauchery" (2012). I heard the same sort of alarmed warnings and predictions in my country 30 and 40 years ago when the laws about divorce, abortion, and homosexual sex were being debated. Such fears, although perfectly sincere, are also perfectly unfounded. Australian society did not become debauched because more people started having sex with more people at a younger age, nor has American society become worse because abortion has been legalized since 1973 along with gay marriage in more recent years. In fact, the statistics plainly show that crime levels in these countries, especially violent crime, are decreasing as basic human rights are being protected instead of violated by unjust laws. If Morocco's Justice Minister looked at some relevant facts, he would see that the younger generation is right not only about those but also about the moral issues involved in unjust laws that make consenting sex outside of marriage illegal.
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Like a number of Muslim countries, pre-marital sex is unacceptable of thier taditional customs. I know one Serian guy who has some female friends from abroad. Sometime his friends touch him by accidentally, and then he said please do not touch me, but if you don't intend, it's okay.
ReplyDeleteI have know idea much about pre-marital sex. It's seem very serious whenever ones muslim break the rules. in particular some Arab nations like Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia. I heard this thing is not accept in their society.
This is a big problem of the world. It seem all of countries are going to develop in the bad direction. I'm not sure about how to Thai's law for this issue and Thailand now is the country of a largest number of teen mom in Southeast Asia. The Thai Government try to solve this problem by launch campaign stop teen mom but it sound not OK for this problem.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I hope that all of society in the world should be develop in the way of positive and people in each society should aware to the sequential problem that make they get a difficult thing to use their life.
Unfortunately, bad law in Thailand causes the excessively high number of teenage and unmarried mothers, with bad consequences for everyone. The unjust laws are bad for the mothers, who are not prepared for and do not want to be a mother. These bad laws harm the unwanted children who are born into lives of misery and often abuse. And the immorality in the legal system then harms all of society by causing higher crime rates and repeat cycles of child mothers.
DeleteA sensible and just approach would be to make abortion readily and legally available to all who ask for it for any reason. Easy, legal abortion would be good for the mothers, much better for Thai society and would not harm anyone.
Is there any good reason why abortion should be illegal under Thai law, especially for young, unwed mothers?
Most countries now allow abortion to anyone who wants one, although in some it is still opposed by many. It is, for example, still controversial, but legal, in the US. In China, abortion is often strongly encouraged. It might not be the happiest solution to teenage mothers, but it would be effective to the great benefit of everyone and the harm of none.
Abortion is actaully allowed by thai law in some cases;for example,when women are raped or to preserve their physical or mental health. Besides,the abortion must be operated by the doctors.
DeleteThe reason behide the law(from what I have studied)is that the fetus are also humans so they already have some rights which are protected by the law such as the right to receive the heritage.Therefore,abortion is about killing a human which is not accepted by the law.
Some countries legalize abortion later.There is a big argument about legalizing it in thai law too.
Abortion can be criticized in many aspects.It does cause the problem to the society when their parents are not ready to bring their children up as you mentioned.On the other hand,some people think that the babies should have the right to grow up and live their lives so parents have no rights to kill them.
In my opinion,I understand both sides and I think this is a tough issue.Therefore, teaching teenagers to prevent pregnancy is much better.
I like Pang's very thoughtful and balanced response.
DeleteI would agree that if the foetus (unborn baby) were a human being, then that might be a good reason not to allow abortion, but could an embryo (earliest stages of pregnancy) or foetus be a human being?
What is a human being?
If we have a box in front of us and have to decide whether the unseen object inside is a human being or not, how do we decide? What do we look for? What characteristics would we need to find to say that the object in the box is a human being? And lacking which it is not a human being? Does a foetus meet the agreed criteria for being a human being?
How should the term human being be defined?
This is very good question" What is a human being? "
ReplyDeleteIn my view, human being mean man who have ability to think or do anything by themselves or some supporting. So I'm not sure that fetus and embryo can do that. I know that in late stage they almost have organ like us, but it's not completely function. Thus, can we called human being?
I agree to legalize abortion in Thailand and give well education about prevention pregnancy and consequence of unmarried and teenager mom and dad. I hope this is not problem for women but men too. Pregnant is cooperating procedure from both. Certainly, women can't pregnant by themselves.
I think that we should teach our young generation about sex and responsibility after that. How hard to pregnant in young? What is the result after that? I want to encourage to produce artificial pregnancy suite for boys and girls which have to wear it. And baby dolls that always crying and screaming is for them to take care. Surely, they will know how hard to be parent is.
I have three younger brothers and four younger sisters, whom I had share caring for. I think that gave me some idea of how demanding it is to be a parent - a full-time job.
DeleteI largely agree with Mo's idea about what the term human being means, so I don't think that abortion can be killing a human being, at least not until around the 7th month of a pregnancy. Before that, the foetus cannot have human rights because it is not a human being.
But what do others think? Do you also agree with Mo's definition?