Amina Said (L), 18, and her sister Sarah, 17, were shot dead by their father Yaser at their home in Irving, Texas, in January 2008. Said was upset by his daughters' "Western ways" and was assisted in the killing by his wife, the girls' mother. The victims of honor killings are largely teenage daughters or young women. Unlike ordinary domestic violence, honor killings often involve multiple family members as perpetrators.Another example:
On February 12, 2009, Muzzammil Hassan informed police that he had beheaded his wife. Hassan had emigrated to the United States 30 years ago and, after a successful banking career, had founded Bridges TV, a Muslim-interest network which aims, according to its website, "to foster a greater understanding among many cultures and diverse populations." Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III told The Buffalo News that "this is the worst form of domestic violence possible," and Khalid Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, told the New York Post that Islam forbids such domestic violence. While Muslim advocacy organizations argue that honor killings are a misnomer stigmatizing Muslims for what is simply domestic violence, a problem that has nothing to do with religion, Phyllis Chesler, who just completed a study of more than 50 instances of North American honor killings, says the evidence suggest otherwise. — The Editors
Many Muslim Middle Easterns men are living in the West, working with the West, selling Western goods and services. Yet, they don't allow their wives, sisters or daughters to acquire a Westernized mentality because it's religiously forbidden "HARAM". If they disobey, they will be domestically violated and killed in the ugliest of ways.
Most of Muslims domestic violence occurring in the West are justified by the convicts as honor killings. Middle Easterns and Muslims live in the West, in my opinions, have to adjust to the surrounding and adapt with the environment they are living in. Without forgetting their heretige and cultural background. When a girl is claimed to behave in a "Western" way, she gets killed in the worst of ways, after a plan done and approved by few family members.
Domestic violence is a serious crime in the West, whereas in the Middle East, it's considered family issues and honor protection. They also say that Islam can't accept a Muslim girl/woman doshonoring the family and not following extreme religion, granting them the right to take her life away. Is this fair? Islam is known as the religion of forgiveness and second chances, yet, they abuse this image. And what disappoints Middle Easterns, especially Muslims, is that people who murder in the name of Islam destroy the sanctity and the good customs of Islam. Making it almost impossible for the world to understand it or to even hear about Islam.
Honor Killing is an extreme form of domestic violence. I will list reasons why Honor killings are more brutal than domestic violence:
- A Muslim man killing another Muslim woman, same religion and same background.
- A man killing his sister, wife or daughter. And in rare cases girlfriend or fiance. 90% of the victims are between the ages of 15-25.
- Carefully planned. Prior death threats are used by means of control.
- Many family complications, a father, brother, sister, mother, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandfather or a grandmother can kill the victim. If the girl escapes, extended family members are granted to search for her and kill her.
- The reason is invalid for murdering the girl. Reasons can be "dishonoring" the family, os sometimes adopt some "Western" behaviour.
- The killing are carried out with barbaric ferocity and torture before the death. It can be rape, burned alive, stoned, choked to death, drowned, cut throat, dicapitated, suffocated slowly... etc.
- The extended family and community valorize the honor killing. They do not condemn the perpetrators in the name of Islam. Mainly, honor killings are seen as normative.
- The murderer/s do not show remorse. Instead, they experience themselves as "victims," defending themselves from the girl's actions and trying to restore their lost family honor.
I am proud and glad of Middle Eastern countries for the recent (almost 5 years ago) movement to protecting females from honor killings by taking extreme measures and imposing extreme laws on convicts of honor killings. Eventhough, till now, we hear about an honor kill every now and then.
I want everyone to read this incredible article that inspired me to attract your attention to the subject. CLICK HERE
