This House Would Ban The Shi'ite Practice of Self-Torture On Ashura!

Shalom Alecium! I thank my opponent for accepting, and wish him/her the best of luck! I shall be arguing for the banning of the Shi'ite practice of matam or self-torture on Ashura. Please note that there are troubling, sensitive photos ahead. If you are easily offended by violence please do not read this debate. Introduction: While there does exist a freedom of religion, when religion seeks to destroy the ultimate welfare of the state, or harm its citizens then it is necessary to intervene. I should note that this debate will be argued from a principle perspective, not a practical one. As the Proposition I have the right to take this debate as attacking the principle and so I shall argue that the practice of matam ought not to be. Allow me to start by defining some terms: 1. Shi'ite practice: the practice of matam is primarily done by Shia Muslims, a minority of the Muslim population. 2. Self-Torture: causing self-harm to the body, or to other bodies in mourning3. Ashura: the 10 of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. I accept the general burden of proof, however my opponent must show why my case would not stand. A1: The Duty of the State to Intervene:"Above all else, the duty of the state is to provide objective justice to all its citizens, included in this justice is the protection of the welfare of all citizens..." Thomas Jefforson The government (and here I mean a theoretical government, none specific) has a duty to protect the rights of its people. However it also has the duty to ensure the welfare, and safety of its citizens. Just as the British banned the practice of satti or the Hindu belief that women ought to burn themselves alive after their husband dies, just so any just government would ban matam. Every year around 10, 000 people die, or get serious injury in this practice.[1] Often these people cannot afford medical bills, and many more die from infections, or improper treatment. The delusion of these people is great, they believe they are doing a religious act when in fact they are engaging in self harm. It is common to practice cutting the back, the head. Even young children aged 3 years old are given one cut on the top of their head, which leads to the death of 600 children die during this practice. As you can see the child is crying. Without his permission his parents are torturing him like this. This is also happening in the United States of America. Even there the argument that parents have a religious right over their children wins over.[2] This is not right in the least, and we cannnot stand for this. A2: It Is Unnecessary: The practice of matam was initiated by Hadhrat Zainab binte Ali. However she never preformed such brutal acts. The reason that she did cry in public was because after Hadhrat Hussain was martyred people did not know thhe truth, by public shows of emotion she hoped to voice the truth.[3]Today the internet, and time has made all aware of the great tragedy of Karbala. Shi'ites and Sunnis, and even Wahabis mourn Hadhrat Hussain and the truth of Ikramah is now known throughout the world. It is now unncessary for this protest to continue. After all the reason for this is now no longer needed. To be honest I wanted to write more, but just by reading about this it has made me feel sick. I have provided two arguments, I await my opponents rebuttals. [1]Reliving Karbala by Akbar Hyder [2]http://muharram2011live.wordpress.com...[3]http://en.wikipedia.org...