The story of Aisha Ibrahim Duhuhulow – the child who was stoned for the crime of being raped – has really touched me.
The young girl grew up under one application of Sharia, where ‘justice’ meant that rapists are caught and punished. However, her local Mosque had come under ‘new management’: the ‘elders’ (Islamic scholars) who now controlled it applied Sharia very, very differently. Admitting to having been raped was interpreted by them as admitting to having had sexual intercourse outside of marriage, which is punishable by stoning. And, while stoning her, the cleric, Sheik Hayakallah, continued to praise ‘sister Aisha’ for ‘wanting Sharia and its punishment to apply’!
And THIS is why Sharia – even if it were fully compatible with ‘Western’ laws and principles (which it is not) – is UNACCEPTABLE !!!
This ‘Islamic Law’ and its applications are not consistent: the local Islamic leader has the authority to interpret it in any way he deems to be correct! (This does not even take into consideration that there is no consensus as to what training (if any) a person requires in order to be an Imam or an ‘Islamic scholar’. Currently, any man who considers himself to be knowledgeable of the Koran and the Sunnah can declare himself to be an Islamic scholar and act as an Imam.)
Thus, a simple change of Imams at a Mosque could completely change the rules under which are ‘the laws’ which govern every aspect of public and private behaviour in the local community. And, the people might remain completely unaware how the changed interpretation of Sharia will be meted out: unaware, that is, until someone like Aisha gets stoned for having been raped!
THAT, in my never-humble-opinion, is a big problem!
As for Aisha, not only was her story criminally mis-reported (at first), she herself has remained faceless: no amount of Googling has revealed any pictures online of the unfortunate girl. (If you find one – please, let me know!)
Since I could not find a picture of her, I decided to paint one… this is my impression of ‘Aisha’:
Then, someone posted this comment about Aisha:
WHITE FLOWERS FOR AISHA
I could not sleep for days after reading about Aisha’s tragedy. I would have wanted to bring flowers to her grave, but there was no grave to be reached. I felt so powerless!
But then I got the idea that we should all try and create a wave of sweetness and kindness in the love of Aisha, all over the world. May her death not have been in vain. Let us transform it into a stimulus to spread lovingkindness.
I decided to buy a bunch of white flowers and offer one of them, together with a 5 dollar bill and a piece of candy,to every homeless person I woud find at the railway station,
mentioning Aisha’s name and sending her a blessing every time.
I also made an offer to Amnesty international to honor her name.
Let us all do something, let us create a wave of white flowers and of kind actions so as to try and counterbalance the horror of her death. And let us pray for her, telling her we all love her.
Ilaria
Yes! WHITE FLOWERS FOR AISHA!
What a beautiful idea: the innocent blossom, plucked before her time!
White Flowers for Aisha
This is my take on ‘White Flowers for Aisha‘! What is yours?
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 
April 10, 2009 at 10:17
You’re a good painter…
Xanthippa says:
Thank you!
April 10, 2009 at 15:48
It’s certainly an appropriate picture for such an issue. If I ever find myself referring to it, I will certainly give credit to this blog.
Xanthippa says:
Thank you!
July 19, 2010 at 12:55
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August 16, 2010 at 18:30
Dear Xanthippa, it is Ilaria again. I think I found a picture of our dear Aisha, but I don’t know how to copy it for you. If you go on google, click on “video”, and then enter “aisha ibrahim dhuhulow”, you will be able to view a short news clip within which they show the lovely face of a young girl with tears in her eyes. it is probably she, and I hope you are able to copy the photograph and paste it to your blog.
there is also a second video, whose name appears on the right when you watch the first one. I have not yet had the courage to view it. It apparently shows the scene of a stoning by Al Shabab, and someone commented “poor Aisha”.
Your painting is impressive, it shows all the pain that women any age have suffered. It is very dramatic.
I myself wrote a small poetry collection, part of which is soon going to be published in Italy in an anthology.
I believe Aisha’s death is inspiring many other hearts. Your painting, my poems, who knows what else, are all white flowers for Aisha. I wish other people would join in telling us what ideas they had to honor her memory. There is a “fiori bianchi per Aisha” string on wikio, and a group on facebook.
Take care
i.
July 23, 2012 at 21:14
[…] yet, but I plan to donate something… As I have already promised to donate my painting of Aisha to the Free Thinking Film Society fundraiser, I’ll have to think of something else: […]