Posted on 04/12/2002 9:53:41 PM PDT by Cultural Jihad
Edited on 04/12/2004 5:35:05 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) - A 41-year-old businessman was arrested after police learned that he allegedly kept an Egyptian girl as a servant, made her sleep in a garage and prevented her from going to school.
Abdelnaser Ibrahim, 41, was arrested and booked for investigation of felony child endangerment and infringing upon the girl's liberty. He is free on $150,000 bail.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
So far we've been having a nice conversation, so I'd really appreciate if you wouldn't use inflammatory language ("flakey", etc.)
Shunning actually has been used successfully in this country. In most parts of the country, it's still legal to walk up to a black person and call them the n-word. But not too many people do it, because to do so gets one branded as a racist, and that label comes with a lot of negative- but not legal- consequences.
We can also look at boycotts by the NAACP or pro-life groups. Many powerful corporations have changed their policies in response to non-legal pressure from these groups. Race relations and abortion are both extremely controversial subjects. Is it so unreasonable to believe that people would be able to work together voluntarily to put an end to something like the indentured servitude of children?
Is it so unreasonable for the members of a society to enact societal sanctions involving the use of force to protect the rights of its most vulnerable members?
That is a paradox.
No it is not, as long as those sanctions are used to protect rights. Libertarians recognize the protection of rights as a legitimate function of government.
And in this particular case, I think such sanctions would be justified. Twelve-year-olds lack the maturity and ability to make decisions like these. This is one of those areas where parents can not make the decision for them either, any more than they could decide to make their child engage in sexual activity.
Police said the girl began working for Ibrahim's family as a maid in Egypt when she was 8. Eighteen months ago, she arrived in Irvine, joining the family, which includes three girls, 11, 14 and 17; and twin boys, 7.
Although the boys were regularly seen whizzing around the neighborhood on bicycles, neighbors said they rarely caught a glimpse of the 12-year-old girl.
Unlike Ibrahim's children, the girl did not attend school and did not speak English. Those neighbors who occasionally saw her told authorities they saw her through windows hosing down patio furniture or dusting inside the home.
Teaming up with police, social workers and investigators went to the family's $660,000 home in the exclusive Northpark section, which is adorned with statuettes and paintings in ornate frames.
Inside the garage, police said they found starkly different living conditions.
About a third of the garage had been converted without city permission into the girl's bedroom, police said.
Stokke said the girl slept in the garage only because there was no room in the house.
And he said Ibrahim's support of her and her family is part of a well-established Egyptian practice of the well-to-do helping children from poor families.
Khaled Abou El Fadl, a professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law at UCLA's School of Law, said that although the practice is common in Egypt, it's a violation of that country's laws and has come under increasing domestic criticism.
"[Egyptians] know that this practice is not transferable to the United States or Europe and that it would qualify as child abuse," he said.
The servants, known as "Khadamah," usually range in age from 9 to 16 and often are forced to sleep in kitchens, El Fadl said.
I'm not sure what you are saying.
Are the schools in my area like the hypothetical description I gave? Some of them are. And yes, they are quite horrific.
The main clue here is that those horrific schools are populated with children whose parents live personally irresponsible lives which the L.P. lauds as 'rights.'
Injustice breeds vigilantism, which in turn further thwarts justice.
What parts of the parents' irresponsible lives are lauded as rights?
Would you admit that racism is unjust?
And yet, no one but a handful of liberals suggests making it illegal. How is it then that we are not engulfed in a race war in this country?
Just about any evil is considered a 'right' by the humanist ideologues. Adultery wrecks families and impoverishes women and children, but the L.P. would call that a 'right'. The same with drug abuse, or promiscuity, or any other evil behavior which brings with it evil repercussions. Ideologies which tolerate, wink at, or turn a blind eye to behaviors which destroy the foundation of our society, which is the family, deserve the scorn they have earned.
Yes, racism is unjust when it is acted upon. There are laws against discrimination, which the L.P. calls for the repeal of, by the way.
I'd call adultery "breaking a contract." Breaking contracts is not a right.
The same with drug abuse, or promiscuity, or any other evil behavior which brings with it evil repercussions. Ideologies which tolerate, wink at, or turn a blind eye to behaviors which destroy the foundation of our society, which is the family, deserve the scorn they have earned.
Okay. So do you suggest making promiscuity illegal? What about breaking the fifth commandment, which also hurts families? Does that become illegal as well?
What about an executive father who is a workaholic? Do we need to impose salary caps to make sure he spends enough time with his family, instead of being a slave to money?
Therefore, if I call someone the n-word, I should be fined or go to jail?
I'm sorry, but it's getting late here in Texas. I have to get some sleep now. I will try to make my responses tommorow. Have a good night.
Show me exactly where any Libertarian (or libertarian) ever said something even remotely related to supporting slavery, and I'll reconsider my membership in the party... Your statement is on par with the radio ads in St Louis a few years ago stating that a vote for republicans meant more church burnings, or the James Byrd dragging ad in TX against President Bush...
You're no better than the DemonRATs here...
Mark
PS, this is the only case of "slavery reperations" that I'd support...
(My apologies to any 3rd world freepers who respect US laws and contribute to society)
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