Thursday, October 8, 2009

Five Years in Jail for talk about sex

Mazen Abdul Jawad (pictured)got sentenced to five years in jail, 1000 lashes in instalments (surely not because they care so much about not killing him), his car was confiscated because he flirted in it, his mobile phone was taken by the judge too because he used it to pick up women. It is this appearance on TV that led to his punishment:
Clearly, while people in Saudi Arabia are desperately oppressed but trying to be freer this country established Sharia courts and much other nonsense.
Psychiatric patients in UK had more religious pressure piled on them in the last twelve years.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists established a Spirituality Special Interest Group although I cannot see anything in the Royal Charter, Supplemental Charter, Bye-Laws and Regulations that would make it really legal.
Section XXIII B. Special Interest Groups
1. There may be Special Interest Groups within the College in certain fields of Psychiatry with such objects and so constituted as the Central Executive Committee may prescribe in the Regulations.
Well, in Regulations we find that "The main objects of a Special Interest Group are to facilitate the exchange of information, to promote discussion and to generate interest in a particular field of psychiatry".
Religion is not a field of psychiatry. However, although it is legal to be stupid, it is the abuse of power one is witnessing at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The last twelve years UK had a government with religious agenda. The programme of interfaith working was set up even before they came into power, in the 1980's. Catholic church in particular urged its members to get into positions of power within public institutions and they did as we all know. One particular diplomatic arm from Vatican worked with Muslims and struck deals with serious consequences for UK today and other states most likely. Vatican emissaries visited Arab countries trying to establish common ground first and they did in these areas:
1. Stance on women
2. Opposition to birth control
3. Homosexuality
Having done that, in 1986 there was the first papal visit to a Muslim country.
Mazen Abdul Jawad may be scarred for life with psychological trauma and physically from beatings.
I had to laugh when I read on the Internet that the rating of UK was high as one of the free countries in the world. It is not a free country nor is it very democratic if one looks at the electoral system.
Some UK patients would have died because of religion and persistent refusal of the Royal College of Psychiatrists to consider the experiences of men raped by clergy, for example. Traumatized men have higher suicide rate.
If Mazen Abdul Jawad survives prison he would not be allowed to leave the country for five years.
In prison he could suffer torture and rape. As a psychiatrist who treated Muslim men who were raped (some for political reasons as part of the torture) I am aware of the devastating consequences for them and others such as their family, friends and neighbours.
Mazen Abdul Jawad thought he was talking about sex and probably did not realize that there is nothing in this world that some people would not want to regulate and own. His talk was a threat to political powers of his country.

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