reader discretion advised

i say reader discretion is important for this post because the subject is pretty intense. a friend sent me a link to a BBC article about some recent amputations carried out under Sharia law in Somalia. four young men, estimated to be between the ages of 18 and 25, were accused and convicted of robbery, and sentenced to lose their right hand, and left foot.

i know this isn't the first time that such cruelty has characterized the execution of so-called "justice" in human history. i'm also fairly convinced that we still have a ways to go before we'll see such violence for the last time. however, it still deeply saddens me when i hear about my people perpetrating these heinous acts in the name of law, or piety, or revenge, or any reason at all really. it hurts me that these young men now must live with the pain and humiliation of losing two vital appendages.

perhaps someone might wonder how i could have sympathy for criminals, or people who have broken the law. well, some people do commit atrocities, and there must be ways for society to justly punish these people. at the same time, no matter what a person may do, i believe in essence that human beings are inherently noble. that the abasement we see results from our lack of education about what this nobility means, and requires of us to live up to our potential. because people are noble, even when they have made poor choices in life (who's perfect anyway, i make mistakes and poor choices plenty often) the possibility always exists for positive transformation. i can also say that i don't want to see people suffering regardless of which "side" of the law they're on when it happens. i want to see people becoming increasingly aware of the oneness of humanity. to see that this whole planet is our family, and that we can't rest easy while our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins (you get the point) are in pain.

all the suffering in the world will not be solved overnight in case you were holding on to some extra high hopes. they can and will, however, be overcome through a unified effort on the part of a growing population around the world, that regard it as one civilization, and want to make it a safe, beautiful, and prosperous place for all people. until then, even if you haven't heard me say it recently, just know that it hurts me to see people in pain.

as always your own ideas and reflections on such an intense issue are strongly encouraged. what do you think about all this? is corporeal punishment an appropriate way to carry out justice? what is an appropriate punishment for crimes like robbery? why do people use religion to sanction barbarism? in the context of islam, if God is the Merciful and the Compassionate, does violent punishment really reflect mercy and compassion? have we misunderstood God's will? holler.

my prayers and my love are for this human family.