Kidnapping Brides

I just watched a show on Discovery that depicts how women are kidnapped to be married. This is in a small country called Kergystan (sp?). Even though it is illegal it happens alot, usually with the bride's family knowing or helping....sometimes the bride's family doesn't know. What the family of the men do is sit around and talk about which girl to kidnap, the men plot it out and the women bake the ceremonial bread. The men then kidnap the girl bring her back to their home and try to convince her to stay..to accept the cermonial headscarf. If the girl refuses she is tagged as someone who is not a virgin or someone not to marry...there have even been incidents where the girl is killed. Although it is illegal, the authorities hardly investigate or arrest the families that do it. It is so ingrained into the culture that many people just accept it. They say it is about respect...beauty doesn't matter...all that matter is if a women respects the husband and vice versa. The woman must be submissive to the man..she gives he takes. Isn't it ridiculous that in this day and age this is still going on? We (Americans) live in a country where we, as women get to vote, get to work, have a say on how many children we bear, can decide what we want to do and where to go; we forget that there are countries out there that have no such rights. Women suffer kidnappings, rape, and abuse in so many places where there is no one to help; at least here there is the law. I will pray tonight for those women who are in such situations.