I am totally sickened

This is beyond evil. Those poor little girls, I am heartbroken for them

I understand a "trope" just means a figure of speech
While I don't agree with jollyg's opinion/statement it is nevertheless the case that in the example of fundamentalists wonen do play a very subservient role .
It makes me angry to see the (archetypical?) couple in this country where the woman walks the requisite 10 paces behind her man, even if her little boy is walking with Daddy or to hear of wonen who are not allowed to leave their home and consequently become very isolated and even less likely to integrate in western society.
At times of atrocity it is understandable to feel and express a gut reaction in the face of such horror.
Bearing all that in mind to me at any rate it is the youth of the poor children involved, rather than their gender, What other instances, though, did you have in mind nancyma?
And anya , fear not, my hair is well and truly fixed on.

Archetypal? No! Stereotypical? Yes.

I am sure you know best.

Daphne I do hope you continue to enjoy your study of the role of women in Islamic society. Best to move on now, wishing you and your family the best of christmases Christmas Mubarak

First calling themselves Suicide bombers, is wrong! Suicide is what one person commits, they don't take people with them! To use little seven year old girls, is atrocious! What the hell is the mother thinking of?? All the soldiers we remember on Remberance Sunday, fought and lost their lives so we could live in peace,! It sickens me and makes me sad and angry,

Yes, these little girls are not suicide bombers. They are too young to give informed consent to pretty much anything. It's children used as murder weapons. Just beyond awful .

Is this meant to be heavy sarcasm, nancyna??
What exactly are you saying?

Daphne I do hope you continue to enjoy your study of the role of women in Islamic society. Best to move on now, wishing you and your family the best of christmases Christmas Mubarak

"Your study of the role of women in Islamic society"???

I really don't get what you are talking about. My opinions of what ? My opinion about these child "bombers"??
Your point is nancyma?

Goodnight daphne

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/life-as-a-woman-under-isis-document-reveals-for-the-first-time-what-group-really-expects-from-female-10025143.html

Food for thought?

Tonight, on BBC2 I watched 'Muslims Like Us' which brought together a group of Muslims from the ultra conservative to the liberated feminist. It showed the diversity of opinion and interpretation of the Q'ran among the group, giving the lie to the notion of 'The Muslim Community'. The family with the woman walking behind in a burkha may be seen as stereotypical but the couple drinking coffee together in Starbucks could just as easily be Muslim but not displaying their identity.
The second episode of the programme is tomorrow night at 9pm on BBC2. Of course it can only scratch the surface but I found it enlightening.

DB no one is disputing what life is like under for women under extremist régimes like ISIS bit the days of the average Muslim woman walking your stereotypical 10 paces behind her man is laughable.

Did anyone see the very revealing programme about ten muslims living in the same house. Fascinating and definitely Myth Busting.

Crossed posts anno

Laughable? I'm not laughing, it looks as incongruous in a department store like John Lewis as on a high street in Horsforth. Not criticising the culture in its own setting, but saying it sits uncomfortably with my own views on gender equality. And from what anno says of the TV programme, yes it does happen.

Night, night Daphne

Anyway,last comment as I feel I am being somehow backed into saying something I don't necessarily want to say.
As I said further back in the thread, I am NOT Muslim-bashing, merely condemning THESE perpetrators.
I am sorry a thread which I started in good faith as a reaction to another tragedy has somehow been taken as an indictment of Islam
End of.

[tchmoon]

Sorry - thought I could get a Christmas moon!

Don't stress Daphne. I know what you mean. There's 50 shades of Islam. Only the very darkest would even think of using children as human bombs. What a world.

Good morning Daphne - don't stop posting and don't feel backed into a corner.

Using children as weapons isn't new sadly.

I was in the army at the height of the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland and personally saw many, many instances where bombs or weapons were transported in prams under living babies, where children were indoctrinated from a very early age to loathe the British forces and actively take part in any activity designed to hurt/harm/kill.

They knew no different and perhaps this is the case here.

I am a C of E Nannima to Muslim grandchildren, and I can honestly say that none of the women in my wider Muslim family are treated or behave any differently from the non Muslims in the rest of my family or the wider community. Are we lucky? I think we're completely normal, especially after watching Muslims Like Us on BBC2 last evening. The monsters who sent strapped explosives to those little ones are exactly that - and bear no relation to any Muslim I know and love. I think they are like Kay in The Snow Queen - their hearts have been turned into blocks of ice ..........

@NanaandGrampy

When I read about what's happening in Aleppo, I wonder what kind of values anybody has and how war will have affected those children who do survive. It's heartbreaking. I see the tat in Christmas advertisements and I can't help thinking that there are millions of children in the world who would be grateful for a roof over their heads, a quiet night's sleep, water, a decent meal and a family not in danger.