This is a story that keeps getting worse the longer it goes.

Hena Akhter, 14, lived in what is described as the rural community of Shariatpur, Bangladesh, a city of 42,200 people. She was the youngest daughter in her family, who lived in a tin-and-wood shack.

One day, as she walked toward the community toilet, she was beaten and raped by her much older cousin, Mahbub Khan. Khan was caught in the act by his own wife, who responded to the girl’s screams. The wife beat Hena further and demanded justice be done.

And so the local imam responded by finding the girl guilty of adultery. Khan was sentenced to 201 lashes with a whip (as her lover), but purportedly received only a few. Hena was sentenced to 101 lashes, and all were delivered even though she collapsed after the first powerful strike while her distraught parents watched.

Hena was taken to a hosipital, where she lingered in agony for a week before dying.

Although this punishment was in accordance with and authorized under Šarīʿa, the country of Bangladesh long ago outlawed fatwa-like punishments under Šarīʿa. As you would expect, and demand, the government is asking how they can best respond to this hideous travesty of justice. Human rights groups are astonished with the slow investigation, although recently Khan and others were arrested and charged with murder…after the story got out, of course.

The Czar sees something deeper. How could this have happened at all? The Bangladeshi government insists it has outlawed Šarīʿa, but clearly it was well underway with a wink and a nod. Had Hena survived, would there be any investigation at all? The Czar does not understand the worldwide tolerance for this sort of multiculturalism. “In these more rural communities,” some Bangladeshi government spokesgoon is saying right now, “these sorts of practices are hard to eliminate, due to the lack of education and government enforcement.” Well, dumbass, there is your problem. But perhaps, like so many governments around the world, you do not enforce your ban because, deep down, maybe you don’t really want to. The inhuman barbarity of Šarīʿa fatwas is cheaper at and easier for keeping the peace most days—as opposed to setting up a real judicial system with educated attorneys, non-corrupt officials, and unapologetic enforcement.

And so an uproar will resound over Hena Akhter’s butchering. Outrage, shock, and cries for correction. And then, in a few weeks, things will go quiet. And nothing will be done until another Hena Akhter is killed, and the process repeats as it is supposed to. Because that sort of crime and punishment doesn’t require your corrupt asses to do anything but be horrified every couple of years.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.