You don't really see much in the news about the war in Somalia, but it's there and it's bad. CNN posts stories from time to time, but I hadn't really heard much about their ongoing crisis until a few weeks ago. I picked up a magazine while waiting in our Dean's office, and read about a Somali family who has managed to relocate to our area.I heard more about the situation in Somalia on my way back from ASC last week. The man who drove me to the airport has a second job--he serves as an interpreter for a St. Louis refugee service. He speaks English, Somali, Arabic, Swahili, and one more I can't remember (I just remember thinking he knew five languages). We talked about the number of people trying to leave Somalia and finding it difficult, if not impossible, to get out.
It seems there has been no functioning government in Somalia since 1991. Piracy has become a huge problem in the seas off the Somali coast. And as usual in disorganized countries, women and children suffer assault and rape on a regular basis. From The Guardian:
Fears over what would happen if the Islamists were to take the capital and impose sharia law across the south were underlined by a single incident at the beginning of the month - the stoning to death for adultery of a 13-year-old rape victim, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, in Kismayo. 'You know how bad it is getting,' said Zam Zam, 'when a 13-year-old is stoned to death. Then you know that it is really scary.'That's right--a Somali court sentenced her to death by stoning for committing adultery because she was raped.
It occurs to me that criminologists in the U.S. spend a great deal of time worrying about crime here or in similar Western nations. However, we need to spend more time studying and working internationally to solve crime problems in countries who are in great need.
And while I'm at it, maybe CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and all the rest should spend more time reporting on these issues instead of speculating on which bedrooms Sasha and Malia will use in the White House. Just a thought.
1 comments:
The ongoing conflicts in Darfur and the Congo are two issues I've been trying very hard to get the DWC to address through some kind of philantrhopic efforts. Sadly, as Somalia shows us, there are no shortage of countries with devastating conflicts that disproportionately victimize women and girls.
Thanks for the post and all of the links.
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