Jamie&Lumi

We found an [|article] entitled "Turkish girl, 16, buried alive for talking to boys." The article talks about the findings of a girl (MM) who was buried alive and found in a hole. She had been reported missing, and was found tied at the bottom of a hole with evidence that she was buried alive. Her father and grandfather supposedly justified their brutality by saying that she had been talking to male friends.

This article immediately caught my eye because of the brutality of the story. A teenager was simply killed (buried alive!) for talking to someone of the opposite sex. I was even more shocked after the article stated that half of the total murders in Turkey are related to this type of situation. What's wrong with talking to a boy? Why was only the girl punished and not the boys that talked to her? The boys contributed to the problem as equally as she did. In my opinion I think that this situation portrays or further emphasizes stereotypes placed on women...Women are not as powerful as men and women are restricted from the same rights as men. Again, it is difficult to change a certain belief that has existed for so long. Maybe women in Turkey have been raised knowing the role of a man and accept the punishments because they don't know another way. The article forces me to think about how different our society is or has changed over generations compared to other countries such as Turkey. Women have certainly grown and are still fighting to prove their strength here, but what about women elsewhere? Why don't those women exercise the same power?

Jamie: I was appalled by this story! First of all, I was a little upset that the article claims that the men that the her father and grandfather were not immediately arrested. I did not know to what extent women in other countries experienced harsh discrimination and restrictions. When interviewed, I was surprised at how casually the grandfather and father justified their actions. Their culture is so strict with male and female relations that even talking is punishable by beatings or, apparently, death. Furthermore, they call this an "honour" killing, justifying the murder by saying that it is to protect the honor of the girl. To what extent does culture justify punishment? In my opinion, the worse part of this article is that they did not find any bruises on her body. It seems to imply that the men in the family thought this "sin" was not punishable by normal means. They thought it beneath them to exert themselves to guide their child in learning their customs. The men immediately resorted to shoving her in a hole and leaving her there to suffocate o death. I hope that the women in such oppressive countries find their own voice to speak out against these killings instead of having speculating countries merely gasp at this horor.

Well stated here. The abstract is thorough, and I like the way your discussion questions actually flow through it. I see Jamie's reaction, but where is Lumi's? Ms. Falk

Discussion questions:

1. Why do you think only the girl was punished and not the boys that talked to her?

2. How is gender different in our society then in countries such as Turkey?

3. Does religion or certain beliefs carry stereotypes from generation to generation?

4. Why don't the women in Turkey do anything to solve the situation?