'tis exceedingly common amongst traditional Sunni Muslim communities, esp in N W Pakistan, Kashmir and S E Afghanistan. At most the father/brother/husband who meted out the "punishment" gets a slap on the wrist; to be fair, the Pakistani authorities have always found it difficult to enforce civil law over Sharia, as it is so entrenched and the Govt can't risk a confrontation over the implementation of islamic law.

little bit surprising in Istanbul, though, it's a bit more Westernised. Must have been across the Golden Horn in Galata, which is much poorer (and more traditional) than Stambul itself.


Road Rage

Honour killings have been going on for years unfortunately. There are occasional stories of them happening in the UK too.
I'm surprised you haven't heard about the use of acid and petrol that is quite common in some countries such as Pakistan. If a woman refuses to marry whomever her family chooses she may be horribly disfigured or killed.

its not as uncommon as you think in the uk
i have a friend who had to flee the uk to france to escape her parents
the exact details i never found out but it centred around an arranged marriage she didnt want

Edited by - [STEEL on 4/30/2004 8:35:12 AM

If the Father had any Honour at all he would Commit suicide after he killed his own flesh and blood.

that b@stard should be shot, repeatedly

@Taw,

Turkey only recently passed a law banning honor killings. The big surprise being that it was legislated by the current regime which is, for want of a better comparison, Islamic in foundation, compared to the secular ones supported by the military that preceded it. As I recall, the commentary at the time (within the past 6 months) was that it probably needed an Islamist party to pass the legislation in the first place.

And as you noted, there are parts of Turkey that are very "under-developed" where the old ways have not been unseated. At least now, however, there is a law that may be enforced to try to put a stop to it. The effort was spearheaded by a woman Minister in that party (another first and, again, it took an Islamist party to do it credibly, I think).

@Fd,

I've been concerned about the way in which Islamic countries are reported upon because we only get the "bad news" tidbits. And indeed there is lots of it.

this is the same mentality that fuelled the Taleban. It is a poverty driven, parochial, narrow and misguided interpretation of Sharia that actually has more in common with centuries old customs of male dominance and paterfamilias than it does with Islamic law. You got to remember that these people are almost pig ignorant and their education consists of a few broken years in a backwoods madrasseh were all they learn is a few basic passages of the Qu'r'an and that's it, everything else is tribal/clan tradition. This has been going on for donkeys years, Benazir Bhutto tried to stop it and for her pains faced what amounted to an armed revolt.

I heard of a case recently where a teenage girl was working in the fields and her brother saw her smiling at a young man she knew, he told his father and they and the other brothers, and uncles and cousins, stoned her to death. They spent a total of 6 hrs in prison and were released without charge but bound over to keep the peace. Northern Pakistan, as you might imagine.


Road Rage

@Loc: Someone with honour would do anything to help his daughter, you know, die for her and stuff. Not kill her and then commit suicide.

To be shot is too good a death for the father...I'll rather not mention a suitable punishment in here even thought I know about a VERY good one

The other day you told me to choose between you and the world...I chose the world and you walked away not knowing that you are my world
WARNING I have an attitude and I know how to use it

Indy, I don't care the religious back ground, Just hearing of a child hurt or killed makes my Blood Boil. No matter the country, I don't care HOW much other good things happen, they are erased with something like this happening. Barbarians!

Honor, is protecting someone, even to your own life. This is now several hours after reading the artical, and I am still Angry.

sw, tie him between 4 horses and pull. painfull and visual.

FD I was thinking bout sth more painfull and...eh...damaging

The other day you told me to choose between you and the world...I chose the world and you walked away not knowing that you are my world
WARNING I have an attitude and I know how to use it

The monster that did that to his teenage daughter has no place within Islam, the fact that he could even contemplate murdering his flesh and blood is revolting. And the monster that killed his child for not accepting the arranged marraige also has no place in Islam, the same goes for arranged marraiges. It is the 'traditional' fundamentalists that are giving western media the chance to make the majority look back. I don't blame the media though, these scum are giving westerners plenty of reasons not to trust Muslims.

It's an axe, I use it to...hack at people

And that's the problem in the end. The excuse of religion to apply a veneer of righteousness to what otherwise is, in fact, a monstrous barbarity.

Althought don't I condone the killing of girls, at anytime of their lives, I force myself not to pass judgement on other clutures.

I agree, however, with people when they say that this was a horable act and should never of happened.

When England took India over, some of the things they outlawed got them in trouble, others, like the Saute, helped them.

I like to keep a healthy distance of non-interfearance.

Heh, thanks ff, that was emberising

Life: No one gets out alive.



Edited by - RILMS on 4/30/2004 8:27:43 PM