Wednesday 3 March 2010

Why?

I love my Sunday Times. I genuinely love sitting down and spending a few hours working my way through it. I read each section in the order I least like, so I don't even bother opening the sports section and so on till I get to the magazines.

I have been agitated and upset since seeing the photography section in the magazine.

I saw photographs of a man being stoned to death for adultery in Somalia.

I can't get them out of my head. I feel nauseous still. I'm sure there are sound journalistic reasons for publishing these photos and maybe I am far too comfortable in my world where these things are not known to me. Does it help to inform us that these things happen? will it encourage people to campaign against such practices? do I have the right as another human to question people's culture and traditions?

Everywhere I turn there are stories of infidelity, break ups, divorces and pain. I keep seeing the Somali man.

11 comments:

libby said...

Gosh I know - it was awful was'nt it? I couldnt make it out at first as the right hand page seemed to make no sense and then I saw his face on the left hand page and thought 'what must be going through his mind?' or indeed what was going through the minds of the mob?? such awful realities and images that do indeed stay with you..

Chic Mama said...

Not nice. :0(

Rarelesserspotted said...

I am slightly biased against national newspapers and the power they weild for a number of boring reasons; I don't believe that you need to see a graphic representation where a written article can more than adequately express horror and outrage. I believe the story has to be told - no issues there, but your kids could easily pick that paper/magazine up. If it was on the TV, they couldn't show that until well after the watershed and in fact the vast majority of news editors would never countenence showing it in newspapers or on TV anyway. I don't think it has any place on our Sunday breakfast agenda.

I do hope that you're able to get that imagery and your perception of what the man suffered mentally and physically out of your mind. If you need to speak to someone about it if it doesn't go away - I have a contact.
XX

Sueann said...

Things like this really bother me too. I saw one newspaper did a photographic journal of them punishing a 5 year old little boy by putting his arm under the tire of a car and running over the arm! That is the one he stole something with! It is still in my head! Do we need to know this?? I don't know. Personally I would rather now. But maybe I am naive? 'Tis a dilemma!!
Hugs
SueAnn

Kitty said...

Does it need to be told? Yes, so the world is aware that these barbaric practices still exist. In the Sunday Times? No, just no... The Mail, or News of the World I could see it, but, why show graphic images that THEY MUST KNOW will be read as one is having a leisurely Sunday, with a cup of tea. Is that why? To shock you from your comfortable life?
I don't understand the Editor's reasoning behind it.
And for me, I'd rather just not see it. I have enough to deal with in my OWN life than to have it forced upon me, for that to intrude into my thoughts. And I agree with RLS, what if my child had picked this magazine up to look at the pictures? Is this the type of conversation I even wish to have with my own 10 and 12 year old daughters right now?

There are a billion ways that Man's inhumanity towards Man is being perpetuated on a daily, hourly basis. It has been so all down through the ages. I can, myself, say as just one individual it is outrageous and wrong, but that is all. I cannot rail against a culture, a mind-set or even intrude into a world that isn't mine to intrude into.

All I can really DO, in a practical manner is to feel sorry for that man, feel sorry that things are as they are and turn the page. Then try to forget.

(And send a very pointed letter to the Editor...)

Nota Bene said...

I saw this too...what an horrendous punishment...and don't think we need to see this - yes we should know that these practices go on, but it was too, too graphic....

Muddling Along said...

I understand the need to raise awareness but you need the option to click through these things (and to avoid your children seeing them) - a story yes, an explanation, a word picture but not the image in the paper

AGuidingLife said...

schools teach 'bad things happened in history' - people don't always realise it's happening now - it needs to be said and known. So many of us sit in cosy homes with cosy 'it isn't my problem attitudes', the world is an unbalanced place. We can choose whether to shout out about these things or not. Your post today has helped remind me of the suffering of some people and I think that is important. I hope you don't continue to suffer from a distressing imagine but I also hope you don't 'forget' the wider lesson it gives us and help where you can in whatever way fits your life and ability. I think this post is a wonderful way xx

Style At Every Age said...

Glad I didn't see it, it sounds really upsetting. Wouldn't mind a go at John Terry and Ashley Cole though.

Mrs Worthington said...

Hi

I saw the same article and I kept flicking back to it because I couldn't quite believe my eyes either. Every week the Sunday Times do a photo album of sometimes quite disturbing images. Part of me wants to say of course they should print them it raises awareness and another part just wants to shout enough! That's sitting on the fence for you. Am glad they didn't publish the images of the female adulterer who got severely flogged but I can imagine it....

Looking for Blue Sky said...

The media has to draw a line somewhere, not everything is ok to print. I had nightmares for years after seeing a certain photograph in the papers following the Le Mons restaurant bombing in 1978. I still remember it with horror. I was a teenager at the time, but I'm sure lots of children saw it too, what must it do to them to see such images?