Difficult to Watch
In the Guardian, Terry Jones of Monty Python fame makes some interesting points about the barbarian practices being used by the Iranians towards the 15 captured British naval personnel that they are now holding.
Amongst the disgraces that no civilized anglo-saxon should tolerate:
- Instead of putting cloth sacks over their heads when shown in public, the one woman captive (Faye Turney) is forced to wear a headscarf. The men’s heads are all… naked!!!
- Instead of putting duct tape over their mouths (before putting the cloth sacks over the heads), the captives are allowed, when shown on TV… to speak.
- Instead of putting each captive in solitary confinement, they are allowed to write letters home.
- And finally, “What is so appalling is the underhand way in which the Iranians have got her (Faye Turney) “unhappy and stressed”. She shows no signs of electrocution or burn marks and there are no signs of beating on her face. This is unacceptable. If captives are to be put under duress, such as by forcing them into compromising sexual positions, or having electric shocks to their genitals, they should be photographed”
Will us civilized westerners be able to maintain our sang-froid in the face of such affronts to our deeply held beliefs about what constitutes dignified treatment of prisoners? This is going to be a difficult test.
Update (2 april):
Just received this from Meredith:
