From the New York Times, a quote that shows some hope:

Hind Abinabi, a 52-year-old Shiite woman and mother of four, said to maim children was not only cruel, but also against the religion. ”When the rest of the world is going to the moon, look where these people are — still drawing blood from their heads,” she said.

An example (disturbing to watch):
[youtube]QKce1PHKYZ4[/youtube]

21 Comments

  1. What the hell was that bloodfest?
    I can live with consenting adults doing stupid mutilating things to themselves, but to abuse children like that is just wicked and wrong.
    Gonna go puke now…
    Hi Tamara–
    I warned you.  Read the NY Times article that the quote came from and you’ll learn all about it.
    Best–
    MRE 

  2. I much enjoy your blog, Dr. Eades, and it is yours to post what you like, of course, but personally I wish the “nutritional science” : “anything else that strikes my fancy” ratio were higher. The New York Times and Little Green Footballs fill their niches well enough.
    All the best!
    Hi Seamus–
    I wish the ratio were higher as well.  Whenever I post an ‘anything else that strikes my fancy’ post I’m always inundated with comments that I have to deal with, which eats up the time I need to post on the ‘Nutritional science’ subjects.  Maybe there’s a lesson in there for me.
    But I find so many things interesting that I can put up quickly that I almost can’t resist.  The ‘nutritional science’ posts always take much longer.  In fact, I’m working on one right now that’s taking me forever.
    Thanks for writing.  I truly appreciate the feedback.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  3. Oh, on the contrary. Dr. Mike, please do not stop posting the anything at all that strikes your fancy. We appreciate every single post. Thank you for everything.
    Hi Cathy–
    I’ll put your vote in the other column.  Thanks very much for writing.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  4. Dr. Mike,
    Add my vote to the “nutritional science” column. When you overload on the “anything that suits my fancy” (especially YouTube and politics) I tend to wander away and not read at all.
    Also missing the frequent updates to the “news” items on the home page. Used to be something new there almost daily, now it goes weeks without a word.
    Glad you enjoyed your golf trip as well.
    Hi Rebecca–
    I’ll tally your vote.  Some of the YouTube posts are nutritional, so don’t avoid them all.  I’m glad to hear that you read the news items on the home page.  I used to put them up religiously, but, for some reason, I figured no one was reading them, so I lost some of my enthusiasm.  Now that I know that at least one person reads them, I’ll be more diligent.  In fact, I’ll go put some up right now.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  5. Dr,
    Regular reader here. I applaud and enjoy both types of posts. Society is rife with specialization, I feel compelled to vote for a Renaissance-person blog.
    Hi Richard–
    Another vote for the keep-it-the-same column.  Thanks for the feedback.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  6. Dr. Mike,
    You can put me in the keep doing what you are doing column. I almost always have seen or read the source of what you post about the “religion of peace” before you post it but I enjoy reading the comments of head in the sand types and your responses.
    Hi RobD–
    Thanks for the support.  Now I guess I’ll have to make three columns to tally the responses.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  7. You can put me in the keep-it-the same column. I enjoy everything that you post with perhaps the exception of lovely pictures of warm and sunny Mexico when I’m stuck here in Colorado with yet another day of more cold and snow.
    Good thing I read the Times article first instead of clicking on the video. I don’t think I’d handle the slicing all that well. Saw a picture in our local paper later on and that was enough for me. The quote is very good and she hits the nail right on the head. My sentiments exactly.
    Hi Esther–
    Thanks for the feedback.  I’ll tally you as a keep-it-the-same vote.
    And, remember, I spent my time in freezing Colorado just a couple of weeks ago.  I had to go to Mexico to recover. 
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  8. Add my vote to “keep doing what you’re doing” – I love the tidbits, YouTube and whatever else suits your fancy – along with the analysis of the diet/health news and research!
    Another vote for the keep-on-keeping-on column.  Thanks for the feedback.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  9. The quote is very good and she hits the nail right on the head.
    Pun intended?
    Hi Regina–
    Hahahahah.  No, unfortunately, the pun was unintended.
    Thanks for pointing it out.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  10. I’ll go with a “keep it the same” vote. You posted earlier that living a healthy life takes time, energy and money.
    The tax rip-offs, government scandals, corporate lobbying, ineffectual terrorist attack prevention programs and delays at the airport cause us, as a nation, to lose time, energy and money.
    It all ties together.
    Keep it up!
    SPE
    Hi SPE–
    Good points all.  I wish I had thought to make them.  Who would think that a YouTube video of Muslims slicing their children’s heads could lead to weight loss and better health among the masses, but I suppose it can.
    I’ll put you in the keep-it-the-same column.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  11. P.S. I got so tied into the vote that I forgot to post on the video!
    I saw that video awhile back, actually.
    If terrorists are devising ways to think of how to distribute anthrax to a large population of people via our envelopes and air ducts and such, I wonder if any of them have considered what effect a little bit of the AIDS virus might have on one of those blades.
    (Readers please note: I am NOT advocating this in any way!)
    I’m merely wondering because it’s the first thing that I got scared about when I saw all of those people covered in blood. I doubt the process hurts really that much, but with all the diseases out there, the idea of it chills me.
    Hello Scott–
    Interesting idea. “I doubt the process hurts really that much…” Didn’t look to me like those kids were enjoying it a whole lot.
    Cheers–
    MRE

  12. Maybe you should dig way down to the bottom of that “anything that suits my fancy” box and really freak out some of your readers.
    Then again, maybe not. I vote libertarian — post whatever the hell you want.
    Hmmm… No, I’d better not.  I’ll tally your vote as a keep it as it is.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  13. Post whatever you like Dr Mike….if I’m not interrested I’ll just move on!!
    I look forward to your posts, and so far I think I’ve read/watched everything! 🙂
    Hi Cindy–
    Thanks for the feedback and thanks for reading/watching.  I’ll keep trying to make it worthwhile.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  14. Haha! True, but getting a white blood cell count and giving blood don’t hurt that much either, but I still squeal like a stuck pig when I do it.
    It’s a good thing then that your parents never took a razor to your head.  You could have been scarred for life.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  15. Wow I felt sick to the stomach just reading about it, no way am I watching it.
    The ironic bit is where the man justifies their crying etc in regards to the children with the comment that it is because they don’t understand…
    That makes it even more cruel, does it not? To break your childrens trust like that. I hate to think the mental effect on these children that all these extreme leaps of faith bring.
    Hi Sherrie–
    I can’t imagine doing something like that to a child.  Of course, I wasn’t reared in that culture.  If I had been, maybe I would look upon it differently.  But to my eyes it is a savage, uncivilized, tribal form of behavior that one would think would have died out in today’s modern world.
    Best–
    MRE 

  16. And one vote for ‘Stick to nutrition and medical themes’ from me.
    Hi gallier2–
    I’ll put your vote in that column.  Thanks for the feedback.
    Best–
    MRE 

  17. Just to keep things on an even keel, there were and possibly still are, orders of monks and nuns who would self-injure, to put it politely, in order to suffer in the name of Christ. The big difference is, that they are adults who had and have chosen a certain way of worship.
    What makes this so heinous, is that the children are too young to chose this for themselves with any level of self awareness.
    The parents make a decision that breaks trust forever, and is blatantly physical abuse.
    This is really cultural and not religious. I don’t think you will find this in the Koran, this comes from the culture that was there before Mohammad, as does the attitude that women and children are property without the ability to give or withhold consent.
    Hi LC–
    I agree completely. I’m glad the Shiite woman who gave the quote had sense enough to see that as well.
    Best–
    MRE

  18. I say let’s have more posts about drinking and gambling, you degenerate you!
    Hey mrfreddy–
    I’ll put you down in that column.  It might make me have to do more drinking and gambling just to have something to write about, but, hey, someone’s got to do it.  BTW, do you have a hot tip on the Super Bowl?
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  19. “The quote is very good and she hits the nail right on the head.
    Pun intended?”
    Ha ha, that one went right past me when I wrote it so the joke’s on me!
    My comment about the pics was a bit tongue-in-cheek, however as I rather like winter weather. I actually moved up here from Southern AZ for that reason. What sort of bothers me is how the folks around here act like the snow and ice is just about the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. Lord help us all if we should ever have a real disaster here, they’d never be able to cope. It’s all the cattle out on the plains that I feel for.
    Hi Esther–
    Well, I’m glad someone likes the cold weather.  I like it in theory, but whenever I actually get in it as I was a couple of weeks ago in Colorado Springs, I realize how much I hate it.
    Cheers–
    MRE 

  20. Just wanted to point out that us ‘civilized’ folks do the same thing to some degree when we pierce our kids’ ears and especially in the case of the commonplace practice of circumcision for boys. The latter of which is truly angering and barbaric.
    Hi RC–
    I would not put ear piercing in the same category as having a kid’s head sliced with a razor.  As to male circumcision, it’s less barbaric than it used to be and has been shown to prevent problems later in life.  Many adult males undergo circumcision because of chronic problems.  The process started out as ritual and ended up having medical benefit in many cases.
    Best–
    MRE 

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