As I read one of our local newspapers this morning I discovered this article by Dr. S. Amjad Hussain that was written about a recent murder of a 17 year old girl that was stated to be an "honor killing". Dr. Hussain was trying to get across the message that this is not something supported by the Islamic religion and that in this particular case the girl was not a muslim. His message was this is a barbaric act that is done stemming more from archaic tribal customs as opposed to being something promoted by Islam.
People actually videotaped this 17 year old being stoned to death with their camera phones and it's supposedly out there on the internet. I didn't look for it, I have no desire to see it and like other violent deaths recorded via this method I can't help but wonder what kind of a person would stand there and record this type of a violent death doing nothing to stop it. Even in countries where those who do these honor killings are arrested for murder, using Germany as an example, there is a huge concern about the way some young males are being raised, to the point that several of them commented on the murder of a woman as her somehow deserving it because she lived "like a German whore".
In Pakistan where it is stated a very high number of honor killings happen, a lawyer who witnessed an honor killing happen in his own office when his female client was coming to him seeking a divorce looked at 150 case studies and in only eight did the judges reject the argument that the women were killed for honor. All the others were let off, or given reduced sentences.
This Counter Punch article suggests that the increase of honor killings in Iraq is due in large part to measures enacted by the US, that by Saddam being taken out of power the clerics have gained more power. The irony of our government believing they were making things better when it can be strongly suggested for some it has become worse is not lost on me. Will the day ever come when honor killings are treated as what they really are? "dis-honor killings"? That remains to be seen...
2 comments:
The International Campaign Against Honour Killings has plenty of information about so-called 'honour' crime and petitions etc.
And they call Americans savages. . .
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