Good morning!

I HOPE everyone had a wonderful weekend! If it wasn’t enough fun for you, perhaps this will whet your appetite for more. It certainly did for me. I have been fortunate to have traveled to a few of these places. But I’m not done yet. You?

Form Nothing Familiar:

Asia’s Wildest Cities

Of the countless things to see and do in Asia, often the biggest draw is that of the unknown. Tourists and travelers alike flock here in search of something far from the norm, and to escape there daily comfort zones. While there is plenty to see and do on the world’s largest continent, the most exciting places are undoubtedly its major metropolitan areas. So it’s time to unleash your crazy side… Here are Asia’s wildest cities!!

Bangkok, Thailand

Why not start this list off with a bang? When you’re talking about Asia’s wildest cities, Bangkok should immediately come to mind. As both the countries capital and its most populated city, Bangkok is the melting pot of everything Thailand. With its bustling streets, strange food, and outrageous transportation options, this is definitely a must see place if you’re heading through Southeast Asia. Yet, if the sights and sounds aren’t enough to entertain you, Bangkok’s nightlife has quite the reputation!

Hong Kong

With your first glimpse of Hong Kong Island it’s easy to tell they mean business, and they certainly know how to showcase it! Aside from being one of the world headquarters of finance, there is plenty to do and see in this illustrious city. However, it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies. As a British territory from the end of the First Opium War all the way until 1997, Hong Kong has had both an interesting and tumultuous history. Nevertheless, with its steady rise economically, there are only good things store for this giant island metropolis.

Manila, Philippines

As far as cities go, it doesn’t get much wilder than the capital of the Philippines! Established by Spanish Conquistadors in 1571, Manila has gone through sweeping changes in the hundreds of years that followed. So when you’re not exploring the underground tunnels or checking out one of Manila’s beautiful churches, make some time to see some history! Oh wait, did I say churches? Yeah that’s right! One of the most interesting things about this country of 100 Million people, is that it’s predominantly Roman Catholic. On a continent with several different popular religions such as Islam and Buddhism, the Philippines proudly boasts as the only one heavily preaching Christianity.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Now what would a list of Asia’s wildest cities be without Vietnam? The city formerly known as Saigon has truly become a world of its own! In very few cities can you have the type of amazing experiences like in Ho Chi Minh, all on an absurdly low budget. I can still remember walking the muggy streets, floating in between soup and noodle stands, and grabbing a fresh beer to wash it all down. The smells and sounds of Ho Chi Minh are unforgettable, and the activities are even better!

Jakarta, Indonesia

Not only is Jakarta the political, financial, and cultural center of Indonesia, but it’s also one hell of a wild city! With a whopping 10 million people, Jakarta is Southeast Asia’s most populated metropolis. Although this dense area may be filled with unhealthy amounts of pollution and traffic, there is plenty for you to uncover and explore! Differing from Manila, Jakarta has a large Muslim population which makes it unique from most big cities in Asia. From the spices, to the nightlife, to the lively markets, don’t miss out on everything Indonesia’s wildest city has to offer.

Taipei, Taiwan

Located on the most northern part of Taiwan and 1,300 miles off the coast of Southeastern China, is one of the most sacred cities on earth! So what can you expect on your visit to Taipei? Constant street festivals, unique food, and a certain buzz you wont find anywhere else in the world! Not to mention, you’ll be surrounded by mountains, rivers, the pacific ocean, and witness to one of greatest spectacles of modern architecture, Taipei 101!

Macau, China

We couldn’t just go with any old city in China now could we? As the gambling capital of the world, the bright lights of Macau can definitely make for some wild days and nights! This incredible port city on the South China Sea is a place for Asia’s elite to let loose and have some fun. Even with the recent economic downturn, Macau’s 33 glorious casinos generate five times more revenue on a yearly basis than Las Vegas! Are you feeling lucky?

Yangon, Myanmar

Ever since Myanmar has been unlocked to the western world, millions of travelers have poured into this special place to see what it’s all about. So what sets Yangon apart from the rest of the wildest cities on this list? Well for starters, they have the Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest and most sacred Buddhist temple in Myanmar. If that isn’t enough to get your juices flowing, the local markets, an amazing selection of vegetarian food, and simple Burmese way of life are all sure to impress. With increasing levels of tourism already underway, now is definitely the time to get to Yangon!

Tokyo, Japan

Why not end this with the worlds biggest and craziest city? With a mere 37 million people, Tokyo promises to be not just one of the wildest cities in Asia, but on planet earth! For those who haven’t had the pleasure, picture Times Square in New York taking over an entire city. While the cramped streets might not be for everyone, the lights, the dance clubs, and the spectacle that is Tokyo, makes it an important item on the bucket list!

✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️

Well? What’s your pick?

Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

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Here it is…Another disgusting BS religion’s rules about “religious duties.”

From NBC News:

Pakistan Advisory Body Suggests Men ‘Lightly Beat’ Wives Who Refuse Sex

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A powerful constitutional body in Pakistan proposed legislation last week that would allow husbands to “lightly beat” their wives who decline sex or refuse to wear what their mates prefer.

The Council of Islamic Ideology says it has to finalize the 160-page draft before it is sent to lawmakers in the Punjab province, the country’s most populated region, for approval.

As well as beatings for wives who decline to have sex with their husbands, the document also advocates men use “limited violence” on spouses who do not bathe after intercourse or during menstruation.

“”DO NOT HIT HER VINDICTIVELY, BUT ONLY FOR REMINDING HER ABOUT HER RELIGIOUS DUTIES””

The council — known as CII — went so far as to provide guidelines on how to inflict the beatings.

“Hit her in areas where her skin is not too thick and not too thin,” CII leader Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani told a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday. “Do not use shoes or a broom on the head, or hit her on the nose or eyes.”

“Do not break any bones or cut her skin or leave any marks,” he added. “Do not hit her vindictively, but only for reminding her about her religious duties.”

The CII cannot make laws itself but gives suggestions to Pakistan’s government and parliament.

Already, the proposal has sparked outrage inside the country.

“This is unbelievable,” said Allama Tahir Ashrafi, a former member of the CII who resigned for what he called religious regions. “So, what is ‘light beating’ and ‘limited violence’? Not chopping off their heads but only, say, burning them in oil?”

Ashrafi is now leader of the 110,000-member Pakistani Religious Scholars Council, a group of mullahs who debate Islam and preach.

He told NBC News the CII was subverting the very religion it claimed to uphold: “Violence is forbidden by Islam, period.”

He said the council should be speaking “about rape, about the increasing divorce rate, about suicide bombing — but they avoid these issues.”

“”VIOLENCE IS FORBIDDEN BY ISLAM, PERIOD””

Others have questioned the practicality of the proposals.

“Will the Maulana [religious scholar] observe every beating himself, personally?” said Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab province law minister, in another press conference in Lahore. “How will he ensure that ‘light beating’ doesn’t become ‘heavy beating’.”

The draft bill has a step-by-step guide on how to administer these beatings. If a wife disobeys her husband, according to the document, the husband should try to talk to her. If that doesn’t work, he should sleep separately and only finally use violence as a last resort.

The CII suggests that any man who doesn’t follow that process should be prosecuted.

Pakistan was the first Islamic country to elect a woman to high office, with Benazir Bhutto serving as prime minister in the 80s and 90s before her assassination in 2007. However it consistently ranks as one of the world’s worst countries for female employment and education.

More than 1,000 “honor killings” were carried out in Pakistan last year, a practice where women are murdered by their own relatives if they are seen as bringing “dishonor” on their families.

The CII’s proposal was in response to an unconventionally liberal move by Pakistan’s Punjab province, which pushed for a progressive gender-equality law called the Protection of Women Against Violence Act. The act sought to give women more rights, including fitting violent husbands with electronic tracking bracelets.

Rejecting that bill as “un-Islamic,” the CII proposed its own document instead. The CII’s draft bill has to be finalized by the council before it is sent to the provincial legislature for approval.

In addition to the beatings, it also seeks to ban women from several aspects of society.

Female co-eds? Nope, not after primary school. Women joining combat squads in the armed forces? That would be out too — a far more conservative approach than the country’s air force, which has started training women to be fighter pilots.

Women also would be barred for nursing male patients in hospital unless it is their husband, son, brother or father.

The proposal does make some paltry concessions for the female population. It says they should be allowed to inherit property and given protection from being kicked out of their houses if their husband dies without a will. Women should not be subjected to forced marriage, acid attacks or honor killings, the draft also states.

Still, the list of punishable offenses goes on. The draft said beatings also should be administered to any woman who does not wear a hijab, gives money to other people without her husband’s permission, and talks loudly so the neighbors can hear.

Women would also be forced to breastfeed their kids for two years and banned from using contraception without their husband’s permission.

“Disgusting,” human-rights lawyer Asma Jahangir said in an interview with Pakistani television this week. “But we shouldn’t be worried. The women of Pakistan know how to protect themselves.”

*****

Readers: Notice how religion once again is so hypocritical? On the one hand (the one that’s not doing the beating), ”Violence is forbidden by Islam, period.” And on the other, (the one that is doing the beating),  “Hit her in areas where her skin is not too thick and not too thin,” “Do not break any bones or cut her skin or leave any marks.”  Wha’at? How hypocritical can you be?

And how about that “step by step guide?” Not only is it shocking to know that there is a “guide” on how to “administer beatings,” but that any man would actually follow the “guide” in fear of being prosecuted should he not, is a sick joke. You can bet if this BS bill passes, they’ll skip the “talk” and go straight into “limited violence” (Whatever the fuck that means to whoever the fuck is raising the hand), because they can.

I mean really, how do you police something like that? The answer is ” You don’t – They have no intention in policing anything.” It’s just a BS bill for men to be able to do what they want to their women and have legal means to get away with it. Any council that drafts a bill that allows men to rape and beat their wives because of so-called “religious duties” is not concerned at all about the health and well-being of any woman.

This is one sick country using religion as a license to rape and beat their women as they see fit. Period.

Thoughts? Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Efenia: Since most of the comments made yesterday were in Spanish, I couldn’t resist translating yours. You are very welcome. Happy to hear that. Deseandote lo mejor! (I hope that is correct. :)

To the commentators from yesterdays blog, and anyone else from South or Latin America, this one is for you. From Think Progress:

Thanks To Donald Trump, The RNC Just Lost A Crucial Hispanic Official

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, known for his brash anti-immigrant, anti-Latino sentiment, may profess love for Latinos, but the feeling is far from mutual. In fact, he’s already holding to his campaign promise of driving out Latinos. This time, it’s an in-house job.

In the latest indication that Latino Americans feel uncomfortable with Trump’s rhetoric, Ruth Guerra, the Republican National Committee’s director of Hispanic media relations, will step down from her role at the end of this month — a “rare” move for party staff members particularly during a presidential campaign.

Guerra, whose parents are from Mexico and who grew up along the southern U.S. border in McAllen, Texas, will be resigning after nearly two years in the role.

The New York Times, which first broke the news, reported that Guerra had “told colleagues this year that she was uncomfortable working for Mr. Trump, according two R.N.C. aides who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the difficulties surrounding the party’s presumptive standard-bearer.”

“I’ve had a great nearly two years at the R.N.C., and I’m excited for the new opportunities that I will have at A.A.N,” Guerra said, though she did not mention Trump by name.

Since Trump’s campaign announcement last June, Guerra has had to defend him on television and in public appearances, which left her increasingly exhausted, the Washington Post reported.

A sign sits near the site where Marcelo Lucero was killed in Patchogue, N.Y., on Wednesday, April, 13, 2016. The Rev. Alan Ramirez, an adviser to the family of Lucero, has called for Donald Trump to cancel a planned appearance at a Suffolk County Republican Committee fundraiser on Thursday, April 14, in Patchogue, because it is being held at a nightclub just blocks from where a gang of teenagers killed Lucero in November 2008.

Trump built his campaign on harsh rhetoric surrounding immigrants, particularly those of Hispanic descent. He has broadly characterized undocumented immigrants from Mexico as rapists, drug dealers, and criminals. He has also called to build up the border wall along the southern U.S.-Mexico border and to kick out the country’s 11.3 million undocumented population.

Guerra will be going to work at the right-leaning super PAC American Action Network, a move that would land her at a “less prestigious job at a super PAC, which focuses on down-ballot races and thus will not require her to defend Trump,” the Washington Post reported.

Guerra is not the only person whose exit has been expedited by Trump. At least two other Republican National Committee staff members — the director of African American outreach and communications director for black media — stepped down in March.

“As a Hispanic, I know that we have an opportunity with Hispanics/Latinos — they want to hear from us and want to know that we care,” Guerra previously said. “The Republican National Committee has been showing up and engaging with all communities like never before, but we can all do more and a lot more work needs to be done.”

*****

Readers: Not to mention his apparent racism towards U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. The guy will not stop. That is unless we stop him. Any more repubs wanna join us over here on the Dem side?

Well…It’s Super Tuesday here in California and 5 other states (New Jersey, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota) A super important day. Get out and vote for Hillary, if you haven’t done so already. Let’s bring this home! Easy peasy, right?

Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

This girl always wanted to be a fighter pilot – she was destined to do what she is doing…which is kicking some ISIS butt. Watch out misogynists – a girlz is on your ass! Congrats to Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri!

The write from CNN.

UAE’s first female fighter pilot led airstrike against ISIS

(CNN) – Maj. Mariam Al Mansouri may be ISIS’ worst nightmare.

The first female fighter pilot in the United Arab Emirates, she led a strike mission this week against the terror group, that country’s ambassador to the United States said Thursday.

“She is (a) fully qualified, highly trained, combat ready pilot, and she led the mission,” Yousef Al Otaiba told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

The UAE has joined the United States and a handful of other Arab nations in conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

This summer, the group declared the establishment of a “caliphate,” an Islamic state stretching across the territory it has conquered. It maintains strict rules for women, who are lashed for infractions such as not being fully covered.

Al Otaiba said the campaign against ISIS basically boils down to the question of what type of society one wants.

“It’s important for us — moderate Arabs, moderate Muslims — to step up and say this is a threat against us. This is more of a threat against us than it is against you. This is not just a threat to our countries. This is a threat to our way of life,” the ambassador told MSNBC.

CNN spoke to Al Mansouri earlier this year about her work. She had wanted to be a fighter pilot since she finished high school, but had to wait until women were allowed.

“At that time, the doors were not open for females to be pilots. So I had to wait almost 10 years for the decision to be taken,” Al Mansouri said.

She stressed there’s no difference between men and women when it comes to defending their country.

“We are in a hot area so that we have to prepare every citizen,” Al Mansouri said. “Of course, everybody is responsible of defending their country — male or female. When the time will come, everybody will jump in.”

*****

Happy Saturday everyone!

Blog me. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Readers: What are your thoughts from Obama’s address last night? What’s on your mind?

This is what’s on mine. From the Wash Po.

I am a 14-year-old Yazidi girl given as a gift to an ISIS commander. Here’s how I escaped.

“Narin” was deeply scarred by her ordeal. (Hassan Haji for the Washington Post)

This is the story told to me by a 14-year-old Yazidi girl I’ll call “Narin,” currently staying in northern Iraqi Kurdistan. I am a Kurdish journalist with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia who covers northern Iraq as a freelancer for several international news outlets. I heard about Narin’s tale through a Yazidi friend who knew her. Aside from translating from Kurdish and excerpting her story in collaboration with Washington Post editors, the only things I changed are all the names, at Narin’s request, to protect her and other victims from reprisal; many of her relatives are still in captivity.

*       *       *

As the sun rose over my dusty village on Aug. 3, relatives called with terrifying news: Jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) were coming for us. I’d expected just another day full of household tasks in Tel Uzer, a quiet spot on the western Nineveh plains of Iraq, where I lived with my family. Instead, we scrambled out of town on foot, taking only our clothes and some valuables.

After an hour of walking north, we stopped to drink from a well in the heart of the desert. Our plan was to take refuge on Mount Sinjar, along with thousands of other Yazidis like us who were fleeing there, because we had heard a lot of stories about Islamic State brutality and what they had done to non-Muslims. They’d been converting religious minorities or simply killing them. But suddenly several vehicles drew up and we found ourselves surrounded by militants wearing Islamic State uniforms. Several people screamed in horror; we were scared for our lives. I’ve never felt so helpless in my 14 years. They had blocked our path to safety, and there was nothing we could do.

The militants divided us by gender and age: One for young and capable men, another for girls and young women, and a third for older men and women. The jihadists stole cash and jewelry from this last group, and left them alone at the oasis. Then they placed the girls and women in trucks. As they drove us away, we heard gunshots. Later we learned that they were killing the young men, including my 19-year old brother, who had married just six months ago.

That afternoon, they brought us to an empty school in Baaj, a little town west of Mosul near the Syrian border. We met many other Yazidi women who were captured by Islamic State. Their fathers, brothers and husbands had also been killed, they told us. Then Islamic State fighters entered. One of them recited the words to the shahada, the Muslim creed – “I testify that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet” – and said that if we repeated them, we would become Muslims. But we refused. They were furious. They insulted us a lot and cursed us and our beliefs.

A couple of days later, we were taken to a large hall full of a few dozen more Yazidi girls and women in Mosul, where Islamic State has its Iraqi headquarters. Some of the fighters were my age. They told us we were pagans and confined us for 20 days inside the building, where we slept on the floor and ate only once per day. Every now and then, an Islamic State man would come in and tell us to convert, but each time we refused. As faithful Yazidis, we would not abandon our religion. We wept a lot and mourned the losses suffered by our community.

One day, our guards separated the married from unmarried women. My good childhood friend Shayma and I were given as a gift to two Islamic State members from the south, near Baghdad. They wanted to make us their wives or concubines. Shayma was awarded to Abu Hussein, who was a cleric. I was given to an overweight, dark-bearded man about 50 years old who seemed to have some high rank. He went by the nickname Abu Ahmed. They drove us down to their home in Fallujah. On the road, we saw many Islamic State fighters and remnants of their battles.

Abu Ahmed, Abu Hussein and an aide lived in a Fallujah house that looked like a palace. Abu Ahmed kept telling me to convert, which I ignored. He tried to rape me several times, but I did not allow him to touch me in any sexual way. Instead, he cursed me and beat me every day, punching and kicking me. He fed me only one meal per day. Shayma and I began to discuss killing ourselves.

We were given mobile phones and instructed to call our families. Their journey had been almost as hard as ours: They’d made it to Mount Sinjar, where ISIS surrounded them and tried to starve them to death. After five days under siege, Kurdish rescue forces evacuated them to Syria and then brought them back to northern Iraq. If they traveled to Mosul and converted to Islam, our captors had us tell them, we would be released. Understandably, they did not trust ISIS, so they did not make the trip.

On our sixth day in Fallujah, Abu Ahmed and the aide left for business in Mosul. Abu Hussein, Shayma’s captor, stayed behind. Around sunset the next evening, he went to the mosque for prayers, leaving us alone in the house. Using our cellphones, we had contacted Mahmoud, a Sunni friend of Shayma’s cousin, who lived in Fallujah, for help. It was too dangerous for him to rescue us from the house, so Shayma and I used kitchen knives and meat cleavers to break the locks of two doors to get out. Wearing traditional long black abayas that we found in the house, we walked for 15 minutes through town, which was quiet for evening prayers. Then Mahmoud came and picked us up on the street and took us to his home.

That night, Mahmoud fed us and gave us a place to sleep. The next morning, he recruited a cab driver to take us all on the two-hour ride to Baghdad. The driver said he was afraid of Islamic State but offered to help us for God’s sake. We dressed like local women and covered our faces with a niqab, leaving only our eyes visible. Mahmoud gave us fake student IDs in case we were stopped at checkpoints.

Islamic State militants shot Narin’s brother and still hold her sister-in-law captive. (Hassan Haji for the Washington Post)

I had never felt so much anxiety. At each checkpoint, I was sure we’d be discovered. At one – I cannot recall if it was controlled by Islamic State or Iraqi forces – Mahmoud bribed the guards to let us through. We had contacted Yazidi and Muslim Kurdish family friends to help us in Baghdad, and I cannot describe the dizzy sense of relief I felt when we arrived at their house.

In Baghdad, the family friends gave us another pair of fake ID cards that enabled us to board a flight to Irbil, the capital of Kurdistan in the north. I still couldn’t believe we were free until our plane touched the ground. After staying in Irbil overnight at the house of a Yazidi member of the Iraqi parliament, Vian Dakhil, we traveled north to Shekhan, to the residence of Baba Sheikh, the spiritual leader of the world’s Yazidis.

After so much fear for so many days, hugging my dad again was the best moment of my life. He said he had cried for me every day since I disappeared. That evening, we went to Khanke, where my mother was staying with her relatives. We hugged and kept crying until then I fainted. My month-long ordeal was over, and I felt reborn.

But there more bad news to come. That’s when I learned that Islamic State had shot my brother at the oasis. My sister-in-law, a very beautiful woman, is still captive somewhere in Mosul. Now I am trying to come to terms with what happened. I can never again set foot in our little village, even if it’s freed from Islamic State, because the memory of my brother who died nearby would haunt me too much. I still have nightmares and swoon several times a day – when I remember what I saw or imagine what would have happened if Shayma and I hadn’t escaped.

What can I do? I want to leave this country altogether. This country is no place for me anymore. I want to go to a place where I might be able to start over, if that is even possible.

*****

Readers: These young girls were lucky they were able to escape. Many girls and women are not so lucky. I don’t know what the answer is nor what actions are needed to take out and destroy this disease, ISIS, but I trust Obama and his advisors will do what is necessary to protect the U.S.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch his address last night or would like to read the transcript, click here. 

With respect to Roger Goodell, after reading the writes from the Huff Po, I have no doubt that he saw that second video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiance.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that an unnamed law enforcement official sent an NFL executive the video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in April, months before it was released by TMZ. The report contradicts the claims of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that no one in the league office had seen the footage before it became public on Monday.

In my opinion he’s just protecting his own interest. Ray Rice is a big ticket for him…so it all comes down to money. Once again money means more than anything. So what if a woman gets knocked out cold by her so-called loving man. If men will take down a country for money and racism (That’s a nod to you Henry and Wendy) a mere woman is expendable. As usual, sickening.

HOPEfully it will all be revealed soon, but as Chris Hayes mentioned on MSNBC, they’ll try to blame it on some guy in the NFL mailroom who didn’t deliver the video.

Goodell should be fired.

Keith Olbermann said it well:

“You have already forfeited your privilege of resigning because to restore just the slightest credibility to the den of liars, CYA specialists and investigators whose job it is to bury whatever they actually find, the owners and the NFL need to publicly and loudly fire you,” Olbermann said.

Debra: I think about that all the time. Not only with Obama but just about any other OTW, that is held back or limited because of racism. We are such a beautiful diverse country that we could be the leaders in so much more if we just nourished the incredible assortment of brain power that resides in the U.S.

It’s really too bad and so sad that the color of one’s skin gets in the way of being truly a great country. Because if we were truly the greatest country in the world, we would love and cultivate the diversity, and be an inspiration to the rest of the world.

I ignorantly thought that Obama, a black man, becoming president, and doing all that I knew he was capable of accomplishing, would break down racism. Was I wrong. Obama becoming president inflamed racism to rear its ugly head. It is more strong than ever before. Or perhaps I should say, if we ever doubted racism was prevalent in this country, what we have been experiencing in politics and the murder of young black boys, etc., should erase that doubt.

As much as I loathe and am thoroughly disgusted by the racism I witness here and in the world, just because we may not have noticed as much racism before Obama became president, does not mean it did not exist or was as rampant as it is. Ask any black person.

In a way, as much as I am sickened by it, the blatant acts of racism that were always there, just not so obvious as they are now, perhaps needs to be exposed and revealed to the world so that we can be sickened and shocked enough to do something. It is a rough way to bring about change but it may be the only way.

Anything else to add…blog me. 

Peace & Love

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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