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An Anti-Abuse Coloring Book | Newsweek Periscope | Newsweek.com

After years of humiliating sexual-abuse scandals, Roman Catholic Church officials are trying harder than ever to convince parishioners that they're doing everything they can to prevent such tragedies from happening again. That means public education, training programs and—in the New York Archdiocese—a surprisingly direct, abuse-themed coloring book for kids that's being sent to parishioners across the area. At first glance, "Being Friends, Being Safe, Being Catholic" is what you'd expect from a Christian handout: lessons in loving thy neighbor and knowing we're all special in God's eyes, plus a fun word search with names of people whom kids can trust (parents, counselors, teachers). Many of the book's cartoon-sketch drawings, which were created by a church volunteer, are light in tone and narrated by an angel looming overhead. But on one page, the angel warns of an online predator—with chest hair exposed—who attempts to chat with a child; on another (shown above), the angel implies that children should make sure they're never alone in a room with a priest.

SOS Morocco

As Child sex tourism continues to grow at an alarming rate causing serious harm to millions of children around the globe, Morocco is contributing its share doing whatever possible to fight sexual predators who are increasingly targeting Moroccan children. 

Thanks to Kenza, I just discovered this nonprofit organization that was recently founded by a group of caring individuals to help raise awareness on children's rights and say NO to sex tourism in Morocco.

Please let's join them in this noble effort by signing this petition and do whatever we can to help spread the word.  Thank you!

Palestinian Mickey Mouse killed off in final episode

Hamas Hijacks Mickey Mouse To Brainwash Little Kids

H/T Geenstijl

The Wall

Update:

Hate mouse banned and then reinstated again....Velvet Hammer has the scoop.

Hamas Mickey Mouse Clone Teaches Hate Death & Terror - Updated « Ironic Surrealism#comments#comments

A Child Soldier Calls for Action

Madeleine had nearly finished primary school when she was forced to join the Mai-Mai militia group as a soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo - she was 11-years-old.

After two years fighting on the frontlines and witnessing the rape and sexual slavery of girls, Madeleine escaped. On Friday she asked the world to recognise the crimes committed against the girl soldiers in Congo.

"We have been forgotten by those people who should have rendered justice regarding the sexual exploitation that we suffered, which amounts to sex slavery," said Madeleine, whose surname was withheld for security reasons.

Read more here

Conscription of Children, Sexual Abuse Unabated in Darfur

Human rights abuse against children in Darfur continues ...

Boys in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region are increasingly at risk of being recruited into armed groups, while sexual violence against girls is unabated, despite growing official awareness, a top United Nations envoy said on Thursday.

Sudanese children at the Abu Shouk refugee camp in May 2006. Abu Shouk is the largest refugee camp in northern Darfur with more than 50,000 displaced people in 2003 and 2004. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has urged patience to end the bloodshed in Darfur and voiced hope that Sudan would keep a pledge to allow a joint African Union-United Nations force in the war-torn region.(AFP/File/Ramzi Haidar)

Hot Topics

Thanks to Larwyn for pointing out some of the hottest topics in our time.

Larwyn says:

"We are probably lucky that a community/voting bloc of Mayans is not resident in our modern

"multicultural" world. 

One point, if you take away a physical ability for a women to enjoy sexual intercourse, thereby putting into a "chore" category, or worse, you'll get many women who will agree to the "protection" of wearing sacks and masks." 

Fausta's blog on Female Genital Mutilation

A Lawrenceville, GA, man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for mutilating his 2 yr old daughter with a pair of scissors. A judge sentenced him to the prison term, to be followed by five years of probation. While laws exist against FGM, he was sentenced for aggravated battery and cruelty to children, not under anti-FGM laws since the crime took place prior to the enactment of the laws.........

Peaktalk on Theo van Gogh

Pieter Dorsman has a series of posts on the van Gogh murder that you should read. Start here and work your way through the comprehensive file. As Pieter said,

It has been two years since his murder, but I think since then the conditions for free speech and an open debate have only deteriorated.

Also via Pieter, Theo (in Dutch)


(technorati tags Theo van Gogh Netherlands Submission)

North Korean Government Murders "Racially Impure" Children

Well ... I really had no intention of a Nazi theme today, but I couldn't let this one go unmentioned. Someone tell me, how is it that Nazi Germany is ressurecting itself in various flavors around the world? We already know about Ahmadinejad's government and it's lame denial of the Holocaust. Now we find out that North Korea murders children: those that are "racially impure" by having Chinese blood, and those that have birth defects. This is so unbelievably sick, I mean, really reminiscent of Nazi Germany. (H/T Egyptian Sandmonkey). Nazi Germany, after all, started its campaign of racial purity by murdering off many of their own mentally and physically challenged citizens, including children. That was in the 1930s.

Now fast forward...

THE North Korean regime’s obsession with racial purity has led to the killing of disabled infants and forced abortions for women suspected of conceiving their babies by Chinese fathers, according to a growing body of testimony from defectors.

The latest description of Kim Jong-il’s policy of state eugenics came from a North Korean doctor, Ri Kwang-chol, who escaped last year and told a forum in Seoul that babies with deformities were killed soon after birth.

“There are no people with physical defects in North Korea,” Ri said. Such babies were put to death by medical staff and buried quickly, he claimed. He denied ever committing the act himself.

...

Choi Yong-hwa, 28, described how she was made to accompany a heavily pregnant woman, who had also been returned across the bridge from China, to a clinic where doctors induced labour. After the infant was born, Choi said she and other women stood by in disbelief as it was suffocated with a wet towel. The mother passed out.

A 66-year-old grandmother also testified to witnessing the deaths of babies at Sinuiju, two of them healthy boys born at full term. The first belonged to a 28-year-old woman called Lim. The witness was holding the newborn in a blanket when a guard grabbed him by a leg and threw him into a large box lined with plastic.

A total of seven babies — five born prematurely after labour was induced — were left to die in the box. Two days later the premature babies were dead. The two full-term boys were still blinking, although their lips had turned blue. A guard battered them to death with forceps, the witness said.

At the Nongpo centre in Chongjin, witnesses saw the “children of betrayers” tossed into a wicker basket, covered in plastic sheeting and left to die. One woman watched the killing of seven babies, taken from their mothers and left face-down on the ground within their view.

After two days the guards smothered any that were still alive. “Guards would say the mothers had to see and hear their babies die because they were Chinese,” the report said.

WTF is China doing protecting North Korea?? They are scared North Korean spies in China will create chaos so they are willing to let this go on? Good L'rd help us because some countries clearly have their ancient DOS programs stuck on <C:/FUBAR>.

Haiti's Dirty Secret -- Child Slavery

The US and the international community focus much of their attention upon the Middle East ... and increasingly more on Africa, which is good. However, what about our own backyard, Haiti? Haiti has many social problems that can be cured with attention and effort. However, Haiti doesn't seem to have a lot of resources, does it?

This can, and must, be stopped. Now.

In Haiti, the institution of slavery survives in the form of restavec, a system of forced child labour. Restavec is the Haitian Creole term meaning “stay with” ...

...

According to the Haitian government, there are about 90,000 to 120,000 children in bondage, but UNICEF estimates significantly larger numbers, ranging from 250,000 to 300,000.

...

Over 70 percent of the restavecs are girls, most of whom range from as young as 3 to 15 years of age. Many of them are virtually enslaved by individuals who are situated in only slightly better circumstances, who otherwise could not afford to hire domestics. In a class-based society such as Haiti, the ownership of a restavec elevates one a few rungs on the social ladder. Restavecs are often made to sleep on the floor, usually under a table, on a pile of rags or on a piece of dirty cardboard outside of the family’s home. Moreover, they are easily identified on the streets by their tattered clothing. It is devastatingly common for young, female restavecs to be subjected to repeated rape by male members of the “host family.” When their owners have no further use for them, these children are often thrust out onto the streets after being severely beaten or sexually abused. Since these children have not received the education promised by their “hosts,” they have little opportunity to improve their situation at the close of their servitude.

...

The Challenge to the International Community
Child slavery is so ingrained in the national psyche that many Haitians do not feel that the practice is particularly odious. In a society sharply divided by colour and class, many of those who occupy the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder are not considered fully human and are thus not accorded basic human rights, especially the restavecs. Given Haiti’s current lack of state capacity, it is doubtful that the government will make any significant inroads on this social blight for years to come, especially in light of the privileged classes’ opposition to any justice measures designed to uplift Haiti’s poor.
Due to Haitian society’s silent acceptance of this deplorable practice, there needs to be increased media attention and international condemnation of the restavec system to bring this dirty little secret to light. The U.S, which strategically fabricated and then indignantly denounced human trafficking in Venezuela, is suspiciously quiet when it comes to the woeful plight of Haiti, over which it has unique stewardship. Instead of manipulating the issue of human trafficking to suit its diplomatic goals, or ignoring it altogether, it is imperative that the international community take serious action to eliminate the existence of child slavery worldwide.

I agree that there needs to be increased media attention and condemnation of the restavec system, but that is not nearly enough. Without socio-economic endeavors to enhance Haitian society, the restavec system is unfortunately here to stay.

You can read more about the restavec system here: Child slavery in Haiti

Millions of Girls Suffer Breast Ironing

Worried that her daughters' budding breasts would expose them to the risk of sexual harassment and even rape, their mother Philomene Moungang started 'ironing' the girls' bosoms with a heated stone.

"I did it to my two girls when they were eight years old. I would take the grinding stone, heat it in the fire and press it hard on the breasts," Moungang said.

"They cried and said it was painful. But I explained that it was for their own good."

"Breast ironing" -- the use of hard or heated objects or other substances to try to stunt breast growth in girls -- is a traditional practice in West Africa, experts say.

A new survey has revealed it is shockingly widespread in Cameroon, where one in four teenagers are subjected to the traumatic process by relatives, often hoping to lessen their sexual attractiveness.

Millions suffer "breast ironing"

Before anybody rushes to judgment, consider the following ... This practice is done by women upon girls in order to lessen sexual attractiveness. The reason why they do this is to discourage rape. Unfortunately, in many parts of west Africa and other places of the world, women have less rights than do men, and rape often goes unpunished. These women have essentially no power or authority to stop it, so they feel their only alternative is to resort to mutilation.