Dishonourable killings
Shafilea Ahmed. -AFP Photo
Every year hordes of people apply for immigration to US, Canada and USA. Many of them end up leaving their countries for greener pastures but often fail to strike a balance between their native culture and the western culture. The result, quite evidently, is disastrous.
The recent trial of the Pakistani-British couple who allegedly murdered their 17-year-old daughter, Shafilea for their so-called notion of honour has taken the entire world by storm. Ifikhar and Farzana Ahmed, parents of the unfortunate teenager, face life in prison for killing their daughter in 2003 – but the grotesque nature of the crime and the absurd reason for committing such a barbaric act is simply beyond imagination.
We all turn to our parents for unconditional love and support and most of us know that no matter what we do our parents will always be there to look out for us. Unfortunately, that was not the case with Shafilea whose own parents suffocated her to death without even thinking twice as if she was an insect which needed to be squashed for a greater cause.
Every year scores of women are killed on the pretext of saving one’s honour, whereas many are enticed to visit their native countries where they are made to marry unknown and old men against their own will, which in many cases turns out be worse than death.
In United Kingdom alone, 25 women were killed in the name of honour, in the past 10 years. Many of them died because of innocuous reasons that fail to hold any significance in civilised societies.
Shafilea was brutally murdered because of her desire for wearing a pair of jeans, wearing nail colour and talking to boys. Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti, who migrated to Canada with their parents from Afghanistan, were killed by their father because they ‘dated men’, were not doing ‘exceptionally well in school’ and wore ‘inappropriate clothes’. Sumaira Nazir was stabbed 18 times before her throat was slit open by her family for loving the wrong man.
Iftikhar and Farzana Ahmed. -AFP Photo
My only question to such parents and family members is why do they move to western countries when they cannot even let their daughters and sisters wear a pair of jeans? What kind of double lives do they want them to lead? Is wearing western clothes, loving a man or not covering one’s head enough for receiving a death sentence?
What is most ironical is that with a large percentage of Asian living in Great Britain, the country does not have a well-formulated law on forced marriage, which remains one of the most important factors behind honour crimes.
The Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO) — a law which was introduced in 2008 — can be obtained by anyone who thinks that he/she can be forced to marry someone by their families. However, the order is more of a civil nature and the breach of the same does not have severe consequences which makes it highly nebulous and gives out a dangerous message to people who believe that living by the principles laid by the society is the only honourable way to live.
Although Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged his support for the cause and has reiterated that forced marriages will become a criminal offence, however, it is still unconfirmed how many years the formulation of this law will take and until then how many women will suffer in United Kingdom.
Why are we so obsessed with our false notion of honour? If marrying by choice is a heinous crime then why have all the religions approved of this act? Are parents allowed to abuse and kill their children if they act against their orders or instructions?
No religion or scripture has given parents any right to impose their rules on children and murder them if they disobey their commands. It is time to stop thinking about daughters as mere sheep and cattle who can be manoeuvred according to the will of the shepherd — clearly parents in this case.
We must collectively raise our voice to snub out the evil of honour killing because it affects all of us. Every honour killing is an open question mark to the society that hails such practices and people who propagate such ideologies. Every crime tarnishes our faith and all that our society stands for.
It is time to think and let live before we collapse as a race.
The writer is a Reporter at Dawn.com
Pakistani mindset is such that its citizens are unable to adjust anywhere in the world except Saudi Arabia & Afghanistan.Better stick to your own country & stew in your Islamic stew.
its high time to think about women empowerment seriously . we have entered 21 st century and still we are stuck on these mere issues which educated societies have solved decades ago. why should a women be dependent upon a man.
why in india, pakistan, bangladesh, an unmarried women or a liberal women considered as a 'dishonour'. we as a society need to come out of this narrow minded approach to religion.
I think it would be informative if Faiza interviewed the victim's parents to get their perspective, first hand, and then publish it here on DAWN.
ISLAM IS FOR ALL TIMES GOD WILLING
THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM – REMEMBER THIS ACT WAS COMMITTED BY AN UNEDUCATED TAXI DRIVER FROM PAKISTAN
BYE
I don't think the writer was "blaming Islam" in any way as some posters are complaining. She is right in saying that we should raise our voices against such crimes and she is right to be appalled at parents who kill their daughters for honor.
I however, do disagree with her about the general immigrant population in west being that way. Also the term "multiculturalism" is being used in the wrong context here. Multiculturalism exists in the west because immigrant population promotes their culture via their generations and off springs that's how Canada, US, England are culturally diverse. There is nothing wrong with embedding your cultural roots in your children. That's what parents do. However, going on to kill them if they don't quite follow their cultural norms is extreme and an act of parents who are not thinking right. Its not fair to criticize the immigrant population as a whole, however, since they are the reason why their is multiculturalism in the first place.
Secondly I would like to point out that Islam is not a "culture" its a Religion or a Deen. We confuse culture with Islam. Arab nations are culturally completely different from Subcontinent yet follow the same religion.
It is important to understand that such an act of killing for honor is not something which is influenced in anyway by the religion Islam but it is influenced by the "culture" of Subcontinent. Similar acts occur in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India etc. but are heavily influenced by cultural misconceptions and self made norms which violate basic human rights and Islam itself. These mindsets are cruel, ignorant, and most of all ignorant.
Islam forbids killing of an innocent and designates it one of the most heinous crimes against all humanity as "Gunnah-e-Qabeera". Islam clearly states that killing of one innocent (man or woman) is like killing the entire humanity.
Therefore, its important that we don't mix up culture and Islam but all Muslims must understand that Islam always takes precedence over culture and should be the binding law and norm especially when social norms are in a direct conflict with Islam.
Islam=Peace. Enough Said.
Well written article, and I very much agree that there should be vehement protests at such barbaric acts….
However, we must understand the following:
1. This murder will remain condemn-able and punishable by law; even if it was committed in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan or elsewhere. The law, religion and general society does not condone any such acts.
2. Ethically too, the murder would have been just as ghastly even if it was committed on the eastern soils.
3. Islam, makes education compulsory for all, both men and women.
4. The rights of women in Islam: Rights to inheritance, property, business, annulment of marriage, girls/ woman's consent to marriage, right to vote, right to criticize the ruler, right to become learned scholars and many other rights were THE RIGHTS ; FIRST EVER GIVEN TO WOMEN IN RECORDED HISTORY.
5. If you are to take to court any one other than those parents: It should not be Islam, but THOSE MUSLIMS WHO REFUSE TO LEARN WHAT IS THE CODE OF ISLAM ( that includes many more than such barbaric people) LEADING TO An ERRONEOUS PORTRAYAL as well as those who confidently portray Islam negatively either due to their ignorance or due to malice (again based on ignorance of Islam) ! …..fantasticworld-1.blogpost.com
In my openion our religous leders hv to guide muslim leaving in north America both point of view Dein and duniya in place of telling people he zanateee and other are dozeki I hv degree in Islamic study form A Azhar university during my four years in university no one ever told me zanatee a and who gave them the right ffatwa zanatee or dozekee. when some go to them they will give opinion in place of guide the acording to Quran And Sunna . Give the Canda and ur good other wise ue dozeekee.Allah says in Quaran their no compulson in Deian. .
well, its really felt sad when i came across to this news. First of all, May her soul rest in eternal peace (Ameen). I was shocked to know that parents killed their child and take it as a pride or honor for themselves because of their so call mentality that freedom of choice is threat to their Muslim identity and it against the teachings of Islam. No religion in world taught to it followers to do such a crime act of killing nor it allows. How can parents do such a act of killing to their own daughter? I think one should understand the difference between culture and religion. do not impose culture over religion and nor religion over culture and there is a need to educate those parents especially who have some sort of stiff thinking about their religion and its beliefs.
The big issue is …. for the most part …. Islam rejects western lifestyle and standards … so why do muslims wish to live in western societies whose values they reject????????????? The answer lies in money … yet Islam makes it very clear that Allah prefers poor people. Why would any devout muslim want to live in, what they see, as" a decadent west"?
Killing has never honourable or was it ever?It is indoctrination of certain values which nobodycan go against. let us be honest and frank Islam strictly prohibits certain social activities which are not mind inother cultures or relegion. It is the reason for these dishonourable actionsIt may takelong time but solution is educating people to bring changein our thinking,We have to educate ourselvs,the mulla yhe school teacher the tribal leader,thepanchait choudhary and through them general public at large.
When the news of the sentencing of Shafilea Ahmed parent was televised on Sky News it used the term “Shafilea parents who come from rural Pakistan. It is now clear perception in the UK media and general public that some parts of Pakistan have these traditions that they kill their children on the name of honour. However unfortunately it applies only to the females and not males part of the family. Today one Asian Radio station in the UK “Qasmat Radio” was discussing this issue where it was highlighted that Shafilea’s father Mr. Iftikhar first married a Danish lady and had a child from this marriage, and abandoned her to marry Ferzana. Did he do an honourable act?
All these incidents are bringing shame to our religious values and to the Pakistani nation. Therefore Pakistani media should highlight such incidents within Pakistan and open up a debate on the evils values of our society within Pakistan which we are hiding under the carpet, now it is open on all the world media bringing a challenge to Pakistani civil society to play your part to stop such future incidents.
@ Say the truth … I agree that most muslims are quite reasonable and would never kill their daughters in the name of false honour… however, the converse must be equally applied … it seems that no-one else other than muslims do this, therefore westerners tend to correlate one with the other. For some strange reason, muslim society does not seem to attach any honour / dishonour to the behaviour of males … so.. when a man behaves badly and rapes a woman … they find a way to make it the woman's fault, because they are not willing to attribut any dishonour to the male where it belongs.
You need to study Islam and check status of Women in Islam. Women have more right's than Men in Islam. If I tell you about women rights my two lines will not convenience you put some effort and pick up a copy of Quran and Read Surah Nisah English translation and you will find the truth. America Nuked Japan should we blame American absolutely not same applies to Muslim. Any Muslim with the basic understanding of Islam would never abuse a Women but actually give all the Love and care that all Women deserve.
We don't have to look that far, Faiza ..honor killings, forced marriages and many other in-human practices are happening right under our noses here in Pakistan. Who should take the blame for that? You and I .. we are quick to criticize in newspapers but do not walk our legs to educate people, to eradicate such practices. If you want to bring about a change in our 'culture' then be a part of an NGO; they are many working on these issues.
Too often… the concept of culture & religion blur. Just look at Saudi for example. Islam forbids unrelated men & women from being alone together in seclusion, however Saudi added their own extra bits to this, to say thre should be no mixing of genders, and passed this off as religion. The uneducated do not understand Islam and accept what they are told.
@saythetruth
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I have 2 daughters born and raised in the US. We as a family became better Muslims than what we were in Pakistan. I graduated with a doctorate in virology and throughout got full respect from my non-Muslim colleagues, neighbors and strangers.
We left the US for family reasons (a month after 9/11) but a couple of years back, we sent our daughters, in their early twenties, back to the US to study in college .. ALONE and WITHOUT a second thought. I can speak for the US that it has such immense and diverse opportunities, and openly accommodates any and all cultures. The living proof of this is that my daughters have the opportunity to attend an ALL women college without us worrying about their well-being. By choice, they wear head scarves, loose-long shirts and jeans, live in dorms and no one cares. Nonetheless, they are knowledgeable to handle any FAQs that people may have. The faith-based, unbiased foundation that God provided in the US, in the form of US keeps our daughters sailing on calm waters, alhamdulillah.
One can find a million reasons/excuses to somehow make Islam the scapegoat here but that would be out of ignorance/mischief .. Islam has nothing to do with what these parents did to their jewel. Heart-rending!
Many clueless Pakistanis are following west blindly and in the process butcher their religion. Ignorance towards their own religion earns them a degree in Islam bashing. I am glad you are raising your daughters well I am doing the same no problem all of my daughters wear Haijab, good grades all the way, working toward Quran Memorization with Tafseer, no contradiction in their life, no identity crisis. As I said before parenting is full time job you don't take your job seriously you suffer the consequences. In the west you don't get a second chance. Unless the purpose of every Muslim living in the west is to give Dawah to the non Muslims it is not worth living and I know many Muslims who are doing this effort and May Allah help us all.
It's terrible. How can parents kill their own daughter. I heard about this case when i was in England. I am deeply shocked. May Allah bless Shafila with peace and tranquility in her grave.