The three articles in the May 23 paper about the Islamic extremists in Palmyra are truly depressing (Page A2: “Extremists execute purge in Palmyra”; “On the ground, a complex strategy”; “Brutalization of women, girls called ‘central’ to jihadists”). It seems as though humans are never going to become civilized.

One article quotes Zainab Bangura, the U.N.’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict.

She says: “After attacking a village, the Islamic State splits women from men and executes boys and men aged 14 and over. The women and mothers are separated; girls are stripped naked, tested for virginity and examined for breast size and prettiness. The youngest, and those considered the prettiest virgins fetch the highest prices and are sent to Raqqa, the IS stronghold.”

Thousands of years ago, according to Numbers 31 of the King James version of the Holy Bible:

” And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites. … And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. … And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. … And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? … Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known a man by lying with him … .”

The only improvement I can see after thousands of years is that males under 14 and women who are not virgins are allowed to live. Not a great improvement, as far as I can see.

Anne Richmond

Cape Elizabeth


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