I Do Not Understand

A Somali woman was stoned to death today. She was 20 and recently gave birth. Her baby was stillborn. I do not understand.

I do not understand why she had to die. I do not understand why the father of her baby was given 100 lashes, and she was murdered. I do not understand why we don't know her name.

Every minute of every day a woman dies somewhere in the world because of a pregnancy related cause. Causes can include sepsis, hemorrhaging, obstructed labor, and eclampsia. I do not understand why I have to add stoning to the list of pregnancy related deaths.

I know how to gather supplies for birthing kits and work with local villages to arrange skilled birthing attendant training. I know how to encourage people of faith to learn more about what they can do to increase maternal health globally. How do we increase maternal health by decreasing stoning?
S

photo courtesy of Gavatron's flikr photo stream

Sisters

Eloquent, waxy words for the academy are what I need to be writing. I have explanations regarding Plato's influence on Christianity and the importance of losing dualistic thinking. But all I want to say is this,
In the beginning, God said, "Let us make humankind in our image."

The reasons to increase maternal health are plentiful. Even still, I continue to herald one. The woman giving birth in Tanzania is my sister.
S