If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve possibly noticed a complete lack of political content. That’s exactly how I like it. However, I read an article earlier about Morocco that, as a father of a daughter*, makes me sick. It appears that in Morocco, it’s a girl’s responsibility to keep her virginity intact – even if she’s raped. That’s right – even if one of the most disgusting, cowardly crimes imaginable is perpetrated against you if you’re still a virgin, it’s your fault and you bring shame to your family.
Whoever devised this concept – even though it’s a national law, I refuse to refer to it as such – is evil.
I’m not religious. My wife’s not religious. My family is not religious. We have no concept of sin, as that’s a religious thing, but we are good people and we live in a way that is respectful to others. When I think of evil, I think of Biblical stories which use concepts of sin and evil.
You want to know my definition of evil? I can’t give it to you. I haven’t thought that much about it. But the thought of attaching blame to a rape victim – read that last word, VICTIM – and then forcing her to marry her attacker as a way of providing the rapist with a get-out-of-jail-free card…I don’t even need to think about that. It’s evil.
My daughter has been asking when we’ll go on holiday again. I’ve already started looking at places, and Morocco was one of those places. It’s not any more, and it won’t be until it decides that fundamental human rights apply to women too.
* I just re-read this after posting, and the “father of a daughter” line reads, to me, that if I didn’t have a daughter then I wouldn’t care. This is not the case – what is happening in Morocco is offensive to, I believe**, everyone.
** If you’re not offended by it, please explain to me why.