Friday, January 16, 2009
Is compulsory fingerpainting a violation of human rights?
The Saudis, not known to be the crunchy granola-eaters of the anti-terrorism world, are using art -- of the primary school "look at my pitcher, dad!" variety -- to "rehabilitate" jihadis. It is called "art therapy," and it looks no more brutal than your basic 5th grade art class (which, in my case, was pretty damned brutal, but I am probably an unusual case).
Naturally, I have several reactions.
First, are we sure that this is not humiliating them? I mean, jihadis are famously insecure in their masculinity, what with keeping the ladies down on the farm and beating up on the poor Muslim gays. I would think that if word got out that Ahmed the aspiring suicide bomber was cured of his jihadist ambitions by therapeutic finger-painting his life would not be worth a plug riyal. Is Saudi "art therapy" a diabolically brilliant form of torture that would never be seen as such by Western NGOs and reporters? So it would seem.
Second, we all (including the incoming Obama administration's national security team) ought to hope that the lawfare left does not demand the release of Gitmo's last prisoners into the United States so long as they have completed the appropriate course of art therapy. Wait for some Kos diarist to come up with that idea.
Third, if art therapy works on jihadis, why not other criminals? I think we need a comprehensive program of visual and performing arts in all American prisons. You know, to stimulate the economy.
2 Comments:
By 
RiverRat, at
Fri Jan 16, 10:43:00 PM:
5th Grade Fingerpainting?
When was the Tigerhawk in the 5th grade? Personally I graduated fingerpainting in 1952 in the 1st grade.
Heck, we used to have "basic" education back then...I was learning Algebra in the 5th grade.
Of course that's when American had a decent public education system.
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Sat Jan 17, 12:34:00 AM:
I work with acute psychiatric patients, and we have our share of forensic cases. Let me assure you that there are indeed folks out there who believe interpretive dance will help criminals.
