UN,Unicef and Islam

If this doesn’t tell you everything about the United Nations and its sub-agency UNICEF, nothing will. Sent by reader Ari, this is the scoop of Brian C. Ledbetter of Snapped Shot. (Ari saw it on the excellent blog, Dissecting Leftism).

This is the photo UNICEF chose as its 2007 Photo of the Year. Read the caption that appeared with it, below, on the AP wire:

U.S. freelance photographer Stephanie Sinclair poses with her winning photo of the ‘UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007’ competition in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. The photograph shot by U.S. freelance photographer Stephanie Sinclair shows a wedding couple in Afghanistan who could not be more opposite. The groom, Mohammed, looks much older than his 40 years. The bride, Ghulam, is still a child; she just turned 11. Stephanie Sinclair works as a freelance photographer based in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Brian of Snapped Shot writes:

Recall that the agency has tasked itself with–and is held responsible for–the well-being of children around the world. [This is] how UNICEF decides to illustrate this calling.What better way to care for the well-being of children than by celebrating the forced marriage of an 11-year-old girl to a man over 30 years her senior, right? hat tip Debbie Schlussel

Good thing the United Untied Nations still has its priorities in order.

As Ari writes,

Eeuuww! Eeuuww! Eeuuww!

Couldn’t have said it better, myself.

This is how the U.N. “protects” children. And this is also Islam.

UPDATE: The above seems to be a call to attention to raising awareness of a worldwide problem. So have to let the UN off on this one. Upon reading the actual press release   found this update, so keep your cards and letters. Below explains the photo.

Images of Extremes

Eva Luise Köhler honors Stephanie Sinclair for her picture taken in Afghanistan

The American photographer Stephanie Sinclair is the winner of the international photo competition “UNICEF Photo of the Year”. Her photo shows a wedding couple in Afghanistan who could not be more opposite. The groom, Mohammed, looks much older than his 40 years. The bride, Ghulam, is still a child; she just turned 11. “The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007 raises awareness about a worldwide problem. Millions of girls are married while they are still under age. Most of theses child brides are forever denied a self-determined life”, says UNICEF Patroness Eva Luise Köhler at the award ceremony in Berlin. According to UNICEF, there are about 60 million young women worldwide who were married before they came of age, half of them in South Asia.