Torture and Cruelty, a Sad Truth

Article 5 of the declaration of human rights states that all human beings shall not be subjected to torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This should sound like a great right that all humans should be able to live by, however this right is still violated by use of barbaric methods of capital punishment and as a means of attaining valuable information. It is important that humans treat each other with enough personal respect as to not have to torture or treat each other in a cruel manner. We all have heard the rumblings about Guantanamo Bay, and the way that Americans have used waterboarding as a method of interrogation. However, there are other ways that humans violate this right, as can be seen by studying the Islamic punishment of stoning, and sexual torture, such as in Abu Ghraib prison.

Stoning, an ancient way to punish muslims for committing adultery, is unfortunately still practiced today. Men who commit this sin are wrapped in a sheet, buried in a hole up to the waist and pelted with stones until: they escape and are free to go, or, until they are killed. Women are not wrapped in a sheet, but are buried up to the neck before being stoned, as to make it harder for them to escape their gruesome deaths. In addition, the stones are even regulated and have to be of a certain size, to ensure that the stone is big enough to cause pain but not big enough to kill too quickly. Although some countries in the Middle East have outlawed this practice, it is still used and no doubt violates the fifth universal right.

Abu Ghraib prison became an issue when photos and testimonials from prisoners who had been sexually abused surfaced. The guards at Abu Ghraib apparently neglected to give medical treatment to any of the prisoners there (sometimes up to 7,000 prisoners at a time). Photos from Abu Ghraib depict soldiers degrading prisoners by walking them around on leashes and injuries due to sodomy.

The fifth right under the declaration of human rights exists to protect all humans from physical and psychological torture, the examples above only scratch the surface of the many ways humans have and will continue to torture and degrade each other. There need to be laws and sanctions installed to ensure that these crimes do not go unnoticed. While Abu Ghraib made international news, it is no secret that there is probably still some torture being used by the American military (like at Guantanamo).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7516238.stm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1025139-1,00.html