what do you see as a source of happiness? by Miyako Okuda

This article "Choosing clothes, but not husbands" gives us difficult issue. Because I think protecting own culture is important but I cannot really agree with this manner even if it's their culture. The custom lacks respect to female. I've red one article and I got shocked. That was about a 16 years old girl who was raped by 51 years old man and she was subject to capital punishment. Because there are three kinds of capital crimes under Islamic law, based on Sharia code; murder, drug smuggle, extramarital sex. she would be guilty if could not prove that the men raped her. But it is very hard to prove to be raped in Iranian court and men's testimony is taken much more seriously then women's so her situation was hopeless. The court didn't tell her family about this capital punishment. Her age was witten down in document of court was 22. Because the cases under 18 don't come under regulation by Sharia law but they altered her age to punish by the law. Her family even could not say good-bye to her. This is so sad. I understand a lot of culture exist in the world and those have different beliefs or values or whatever, but that is just so sad. I believe that all people should have equal opportunity and rights. However no one should judge other culture by one's standard and what you see as a source of happiness is depends on the person.