There were two petitions concerning a native community (the Newars) in Nepal recently. Apparently there is a religious tradition of selecting a Buddhist girl or girls of childhood age to represent the Hindu goddess Taleju. This ritual is used to unite the Buddhist and Hindu community. However, one petition from the Nepalese supreme court is calling this a violation of human rights as the girls are required to abdicate, or forego their civil liberties, until they hit puberty. They are also deprived of contact with their natural family and formal education. The other petition is supporting it, saying to deny it would be to deny the Newars their right to religious freedom. Former "Kumaris" (girls who are selected as goddesses) report no ill will towards the experience, other than a slight regret at the lack of formal education and some difficulty in the transition.
2007-01-02
16:23:47
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2 answers
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asked by
JudasHero
5
in
Law & Ethics