Teenage girl faces lashing for pre-marital sex

The ruling came 10 months after UN human rights chief Navi Pillay urged the Maldives to stop publicly flogging women for having extra-marital or pre-marital sex.

Pillay noted during a visit that the Maldives had progressed in safeguarding the rights of its 330,000 Sunni Muslims, but more needed to be done to protect women.

Flogging, carried out with a cane, is normally handed down as a punishment by village chiefs who also act as local judges.

Rights activists slammed the judgement and called for it to be overturned.

"Degrading and inhuman punishments should find no place in a democracy," said Aruna Kashyap, women's rights researcher for Asia at Human Rights Watch.

"Maldives should immediately halt the execution of the punishment and take action to amend its discriminatory laws."

Suhas Chakma, director of the Asian Centre for Human Rights, said the sentence reflected the government's intention to consolidate its support among sharia law followers, in the face of serious political opposition.

"This could be used by the government to say they're committed to Islam," he said. "Courts are not independent in the Maldives so the government will have a hand."

He said the lashes were also a breach of the UN Convention against Torture.

There were mixed reactions in comments posted on the local news website Minivan News.

"This is ridiculous, and hypocritical," said one reader, identified as Mariyam.

"How many people over the age of 18 are having sex outside of marriage every day in this country. Why not flog them. And why not flog the 29-year-old man. If the girl has to face public humiliation why not the man."

Another, identified as Dhivehi Hanguraama, volunteered to administer the lashing.

"I myself would volunteer to whip this creature, as would any of self-respecting, esteemed, members of the ulama (religious scholars)."

Police said they began their probe after receiving a complaint from the girl's family.

"We investigated and forwarded our findings to the prosecutor general. The man was convicted of having sex with a minor," police spokesman Hassan Haneef said.

Official sources said the girl had been tried under sharia law which prohibits girls between the ages of 13 and 18 having pre-marital sex. Sex with a girl under the age of 13 is considered rape.

She was convicted on the basis of her confession.

Her lover, on the other hand, was tried under common law and convicted of having sex with a minor, an offence punishable with a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

The pair had intercourse on the Raa atoll, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital island Male.

There was no immediate comment from the Maldivian government, which includes the ultra conservative Adhaalath Party, whose supporters follow a strict brand of Wahhabi Islam.

The country's first democratically elected president, the Western-educated Mohamed Nasheed, resigned in February saying he was forced out in a coup backed by Islamic extremists along with elements of the police and the armed forces.

The unnamed teenager was convicted on her confession under sharia law after her family complained she had sex with a 29-year-old man in July.

The man was given 10 years in jail during a court hearing on the remote Raa atoll on Sunday.

A court official said the girl could refuse the flogging and would then instead be subjected only to eight months house arrest. Should she agree, the lashing will be carried out when she reaches the age of 18.

"In most cases, the offenders would accept the lashing as part of penance," the official, who declined to be named, said.

Secret previous sexual intercourse

One in ten women lie to their partners about how many previous lovers they’ve had. I can’t work out if that’s surprising or not but what does stagger me is why this conversation is happening in Stradas across the land in the first place. To my mind, this has ‘DON’T GO THERE’ scrawled all over it. For myriad reasons.


Everyone goes on about how ‘age aint nothing but a number.’ Well, why not the same judgement-free attitude towards sex? The fact that we worry about putting our number ‘out there’ shows that this bit of information is still loaded with assumption. I’ve heard all kinds of sane, smart men and women reel off their own utterly arbitrary rules on this. ‘More than 15 will make him think I’m easy. Less than 10 and I’ll look inexperienced...’ (Misguided.) ‘If I say the truth – three – he’ll think I’m frigid.’ (And you’re dating him because...?) ‘Saying more than 25 would make her feel insecure...’ 


Why is it anyone’s business? Yes, of course you need to delve into your sexual past if a trip to the STI clinic has revealed you’ve got a very intimate NBF but since when did this conversation become a given? You’ve agreed to date this person, not endure an Apprentice-style grilling on your sex CV. If the question comes up, how about a simple ‘I don’t think that’s really relevant... Now tell me, if you could be any fish, what kind of fish would you be?’ (Trust me, this is the kind of question you want to be asking on dates. Piranha, yowch! But kinda hot. 


And anyway, how come so many of you can pluck this number out of the ether anyway? I was an avid list-maker as a teenager. In fact, I had colour-coded lists so I could keep track of ‘boys I fancy’, ‘boys who potentially fancy me’ and ‘boys who are a sort’ (that was 1990s burbs-speak for ‘hot’). But I honestly couldn’t tell you how many men I’ve kissed or slept with. I can barely remember what I had for dinner last night. 


So can we all agree that sex isn’t a numbers game? Give up the mental tally. Quit the grilling. And let’s see every new relationship  for what it is: a fresh start. And a chance to ask people about the fish they most represent...

Reasons why women cheat

She seeks the thrill. Some women cheat for the thrill of it. The excitement of doing things behind a partner’s back, the risk, the adrenaline rush, the desire are all very potent reasons for a woman to cheat. The cheating bit isn’t always emotional, it is in fact an out and out physical act that is engaged in for the thrill of it.

She wants more. The most obvious reason for a woman to cheat is that she isn’t getting enough sex or that she isn’t happy with what you have to offer. It is this happiness that results in her getting involved in an adulterous relationship. It is left to the man in the relationship to pull his socks up and fight for his woman. If you love her and want her, you have to go the extra mile and satisfy her.

She wants to get back at you. If you have cheated on her in the past, she could cheat on you just to get back at you. Yes, women can be rather revengeful if they so wish!

She is bored. Less or no experimentation in the bedroom can be one of the reasons a woman chooses to cheat. Women seek as much variation in the bedroom as men do and if her man cannot provide her the same, she is bound to look for it outside.

She feels neglected. This is the most common reason women give when asked why they cheated. Feeling neglected, unwanted or useless is what drives women to cheat. It is when their husbands or boyfriends ignore them that they take to finding companionship and solace in the company of others.

If you don’t want to go through the pain of being cheated, then it is up to you to ensure your woman is happy and satisfied. Give it your best shot and more and thus ensure that she has no excuse to cheat on you.

Six Benefits of Sleeping Naked

1. Release oxytocin
The hormone oxytocin is released when the skin comes in contact with skin. For example when touching the skin from head to toe all night long. Some of the benefits of oxytocin, which increase the sense of prosperity, lower heart rate, reduces stress hormones, increase trust, and sexual urges.

2. Create a "mood" for sex
Many women refuse to have sex because it was baseball mood. Can cause fatigue, fear of waking the child at any time, or anything that disturb the mind. In fact, refuses to just make women feel lonely and neglected.

3. Look erotic
Couples everywhere will not bear to see his wife at his side curled up nude. It becomes a kind of invitation for him to have sex.

4. Creating desire
One of the main reasons women do not want to have sex is the imbalance in the relationship with their spouse. When we feel separated from your partner, you may also lose the passion for him. Well, sleeping naked can help overcome these obstacles.

5. Bonding
When skin contact with each other in bed, you can increase the sense of the bond between you and your partner. Remember when first dating or first married, wanted always in touch, right? The more you touch, you feel more close to the couple.

6. Better
Have sex more often provide many health benefits. Half to one hour a day to make love can be a fun sport.

Mandatory sex education

The Sarangani lawmaker also aired his concern regarding what he sees the bil requiring mandatory sex education for elementary and high school students. "Puwede po bang tuimanggi ang isang estudyante sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang mga magulang?" he asked.

Lagman said he has also answered the question during Bagatsing's interpellation. "Iyan pong mandatory sex education, nagpadala na po kami ng amendment."

He said parents who do not want their children taught about sexual reproduction and reproductive health in schools will be allowed by the proposed law to refuse to send their children to the specific classes.

"Iyung mga magulang na ayaw nilang pag-aralin ang kanilang mga anak (tungkol sa sex education), puwede. Ire-respect po natin sila, but this might prejudice their children," he said.

Pacquiao, who was apparently reading from a list and failed to note Lagman's answer, claimed that many students will not graduate from schools because of sex education in schools. "Ang compulsory sex education ay labag sa constitution," he said.

Lagman repeated his answer that students will not be compelled to attend sex education in schools if their parents object. "Ang kanilang mga magulang, may karapatan na huwag payagan ang kanilang anak. Walang basehan iyung apprehension na walang makaka-graduate. Exempted sa pag-attend, exempted din sa pagkuha ng periodic tests. Ang mga estudyante po ay makakagraduate."

He also cited surveys showing that an overwhelming percentage of parents and student want family planning taught in schools.

Lagman said the RH bill also respects freedom of religion. However, he explained that freedom of religion, based on Supreme Court rulings, is not absolute. "Freedom to believe is absolute. Freedom to exercise belief is subject to police power," he added.

Pacquiao continued his attack on the RH bill, citing a legal case in the United States involving Amish ultraconservatives, who have refused to adopt modern technology and modern ways of living. The Amish do not educate their children past the eighth grade, which resulted in the Wisconsin vs. Yoder case in 1972 when 3 Amish men were fined for refusing to send their children to high school.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled in favor of the 3 and overturned their conviction, saying universal education should not violate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment of the U.S constitution.

Lagman repeated his earlier answer, stressing that that parents are allowed to have their kids exempted from sex education and family planning classes in schools. "Ang malayang pagpapasiya nasa mga magulang," he said.

"Wala na nga pong obligasyon na ito, tinanggal na nga ito."

He added that another amendment on House Bill 4244 removes employers' responsibility under the bill.

"Amended na ang provision na ito. Hindi mo (Pacquiao) ata narinig dahil nag-eensayo ka para sa laban mo," Lagman said.

"Incomplete ang impormasyong ibinigay sa iyo. Hindi ito sapilitan. Freedom of informed choice. Simbahan at state ay walang karapatang pilitin ang mga mamamayan, Katoliko na mamili ng family planning method," he said.

Pacquiao then shifted his attention on what he believes as teh RH bill being a waste of taxpayer's money. "Ilang bilyon ang pondo? Hindi kaya lalong magpapahirap sa taxpayer?"
Lagman said he had answered the question in previous day, during the interpellation of Manila 5th District Rep. Amado Bagatsing.
"Ang budget para sa RH bill ay maliit kumpara sa mega-projects of government na konti ang beneficiaries. The budget for the RH bill is in vicinity of P3 billion... very meager percentage of the trillion-peso budget of government," the Bicol lawmaker said.
He also cited a Unicef statement saying that "family planning will bring benefits to more people at less cost to any known human technology known to every mankind today."
"Ito ba ay ipagkakait natin sa mga ina at kababaihan?" Lagman asked.
"Too young, too old, too many, too soon. Iyan po ay high-risk pregnancies. Kung wala po silang access sa family planning, marami pong namamatay sa ating ina. Ipagkakait po ba natin pondo ng gobyerno? Eleven moms die daily," he added.
He said that the country also has United Nations Millenium Development Goals to meet. "Malayo pa po tayo sa ating target."

Women who want to be a nun should try having a boyfriend first

Women who want to be a nun should try having a boyfriend first. The surprising advice is not from some liberal activist, but from a Benedictine nun, Sr. Mary John Mananzan.

Mananzan, the head of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), said having a romantic relationship with a man is one way of helping a woman find out if she is really meant to spend a life of meditation, embracing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

''I tell them go have a boyfriend or if they have a suitor, I tell them entertain him,'' she told reporters in an interview during a gathering in Manila.

''I don't mind if they'll have a boyfriend; at least they have a choice so that when they're inside (a convent) they won't be tempted anymore,'' the 74 year-old nun said.

Mananzan also counseled young women to try working first.

''If they are only 22 years old, we tell them to work first for them to experience it so that they won't regret it later,'' she said.

Mananzan admitted that the number of women joining a religious order has declined over the years.

''If you will compare it to the 1950s it's not so much anymore, but we have yet to experience a crisis unlike in America and Europe where convents are closing down. We still have enough personnel. We even send missionaries all over the world,'' said Mananzan.

The Benedictine nun attributed the decline mainly to the secularization of the society.

''There's a lot of secularization and women have more opportunities now to serve the poor unlike before that you have enter the convent to do that,'' Mananzan said.

''To be celibate is a special vocation. If you want to help the poor you can do that without having the vow of celibacy. To have the vow of celibacy is something very special that's why I don't believe that everybody is called for that,'' she added.

But, Mananzan said, the degree of secularization in the Philippines is not so much unlike in other countries.

''There's a difference in the degree of secularization. In Europe, they don't go to church anymore unlike here our churches are full with people. The people are still very religious and families are more or less still intact,'' she said.

Mananzan said there are still more nuns than are priests in the Philippines.

''I think we are about 10,000...there are more nuns than priests,'' she said.

In 2004, then Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle disclosed that there is a shortage of priests in the Philippines and at least 25,000 are needed to serve some 68 million Filipino Catholics.

Tagle, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' Episcopal commission on doctrine of faith, said the 8,700 priests nationwide are overworked since the ideal ratio should be one priest for at least 2,000 parishioners.

That time, he said, the country has only one priest serving 15,000 Catholics.

Mananzan then invited the youth to consider entering the religious life.

''To the youth, if you want a meaningful life, this is a very meaningful life. I could say that because I'm a nun for more than 55 years and I'm not regretting it at all,'' she said.

Pomegranate the Sex Fruit

We've always enjoyed pomegranates for their sweet, tart flavor, but now there's a new reason to embrace this robust-looking red fruit. They're being touted as a nutritional powerhouse, and they're popping up in everything from cocktails to body lotion.

A prominent player in aphrodisiac lore, pomegranate was regaled as a culinary symbol of Aphrodite by the ancient Greeks. Some say the forbidden fruit of the Bible was not apple at all, but a pomegranate fruit. In other Western lore, the mythological unicorn was tied to a pomegranate tree. Since the early days of the written word, the promise of the pomegranate has made a lasting impression as a sensual symbol, appearing in poetic works of great authors from Homer to Shakespeare.

In the Orient, pomegranate has been used for generations to treat depression, settle sore stomachs and neutralize internal parasites. According to Chinese lore, this particular fruit, based upon its abundance of seeds, promotes and serves, as a symbol, of prosperity, in the form of an abundant household. Such abundance is measured in the size of the family, based, of course, on procreation. Hence, procreation is brought about through sexual interaction.