Wives of terrorists cutting the knot: 7-9-18

If you were a woman in Iraq married to a man who joined the ISIS terrorist organization, what would you do?

While you're thinking about that, know that what quite a few such women are doing is divorcing their terrorist husbands, NBC News reports here.

That seems like a pretty good choice, though it's complicated.

The story notes that "Deputy Justice Minister Hussein Jassem said that there has been 'a huge increase' in requests for divorce in the last three months across Iraq — with the vast majority filed by women. While the government has not tracked the number of ISIS-related divorces, there has been a notable uptick in applications in Sunni Muslim regions such as Anbar and Nineveh where the group was strong, Jassem added."

Every religion, including Islam, sets guidelines for divorce, and no religion takes divorce lightly. Marriage vows are understood to be made -- as Christian liturgy has it -- "before God and these witnesses." So divorce is a serious step, despite the model that some Hollywood stars and the current president set.

As the NBC story reports, "While some conservative Sunni Muslim communities, including those where the women in this story live, are not in favor of divorce, it is accepted by many in Iraq and is not considered a sin under Islam. Both men and women can apply for divorce through the courts."

The woman featured in the NBC story, however, put her reason for seeking a divorce really well: "Being the wife of a terrorist is not honoring me or my family and it is not going to honor my kids."

The world needs more such wise women.

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THE VALUE OF EVERY SINGLE LIFE

Have you thought about why stories like the attempted rescue of the Thai soccer boys so engages us, given that some 55 million people die every year? I like to think it has something to do with the religious idea that each person is precious is God's sight, each of inestimable value. So, as Jewish (and other) sources say, if you save one life it's as if you've saved the whole world. That's why, I think, we care about the kids in the Thai tunnel. And it's why, years ago, we cared about Baby Jessica.