Four Muslim men were hanged in Pakistan on Thursday for gang-raping a teenage Christian girl at gunpoint in the city of Faisalabad in 1999.
The men were convicted by an anti-terrorism court. Their guilty verdicts were upheld by higher courts, and clemency appeals were turned down.

"The men were hanged at 0430," said a prison official in Faisalabad.

Christians form a small minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan, which has a population of about 150m people.

The bodies of the men were handed over to their relatives later on Thursday.

Their appeals to higher courts - including a Sharia (Islamic) court all failed. A final plea for clemency was rejected by President Musharraf.

Stigma

Correspondents say that in general Muslims and Christian live peacefully together in Pakistan, and that there are few incidents of sectarian violence in comparison to the number of attacks against women.

But many rapists escape punishment, correspondents say, because of the reluctance of victims or family members to come forward and because of the stigma associated with such attacks.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded 207 cases of gang-rape in Pakistan during 2005.

Global human rights group Amnesty International says 241 people were sentenced to death in Pakistan during 2005, and 32 people were executed.
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I like Pakistan's idea of rape punishment; I think all countries could learn from this practice.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!

although I dont agree with sharia law, its just undemocratic, I think rapists should be hanged, and for pheado-rapists it should be worse. perhaps have their tongue cut out and shoved into a coffin full of scarabs. (like back in the day in egypt, for the highest punishment in the lands)

unfortunatly you can only be hanged in england if you betray the country and queen, I think the last hanging was in 1980's.

Hanging? Pshhh, in India, you get shot in your cell by the guard

indeed, all countries should follow this way, not throw em in jail and waste our tax dollars -.-

What a waste. A hanging in public gives a lesson to everybody else. A 'closet' death doesn't really have the same effect.

not really, think about what you just said this means that EVERYONE in jail regardless of what they have done will need to be killed??? yeah right

Well, some crimes are forgivable..
Have you ever heard someone who was placed in jail for the smoking of marijuana say, "Gee, I'm glad they caught me. That marijuana was going to destroy my life and make me kill a bunch of people. Phew."

Of course, everything is circumstantial.

To quote Bill Hicks

Marijuana is still accessable in jail, i know do you know how many people say 'i'm sorry' with their fingers crossed behind their backs????

Yeah... but it sure is stinky after you smuggle it in

not really they have their ways

Hanging also gives the form of martyrdom...Have you ever seen criminals before a hanging? It attracts crowds that favor them and they act like Jesus on the cross...

To me, just pulling the trigger is a better way.

I have seen videos and pictures of hangings from the ME before, they aren't really made heros at all. It's pretty nice to see a rapist or killer hanging from a piece of rope, even better if they whipped the hell out of them first. It really hits the crowd of what will happen if you do those actions.

What do you think martyrdom is? Many people see them as Martyrs...Personally, pulling the trigger in the dark cell is better...just publicize it

Thank you, very much.
Dear God, yes, another Hicks fan.

i have to agree with Frogfish on this one Kratos, what if some of those 'rapists and murderers' where innocent. you would recant on what you just said. yes alot are seen as matyrs exspecially from their families and friends, only the victims families don't

Frogfish supports killing them with a gun and in their cell. I support killing them in public by hanging. Either way the sicko is going to die.

If they were innocent, I guess it's sad but it's not going to change my thoughts on the death penalty. I think I'll always be pro-death penalty. Though I let my emotions get the best of me for inflicting pain and such (my perfect world, you know ) I believe that the death should be quick only for the reason of democracy. Though, I won't make a fuss if they do suffer.

i aint giving em my tax dollars to keep pedophiles and rapists and child molesters alive in jail, i dont want them alive so why should i pay for them to be alive? we need a good PM that will make it death penalty across canada for those sickos ;/