Islam Under Scrutiny by Ex-Muslims

“Honor Killing” is Absolutely Islamic!

Honor killings, which occur with shocking regularity in certain parts of the Middle East and South Asia, target women whose actions – actual or suspected – violate the honor of their family, an honor which is thought to depend on the sexual purity of its female members. Victims are always being killed/slaughtered mercilessly by her own family members. Honor killing is a manifestation of global phenomenon in general and Muslim nations in particular. Since this terrible inhumane practice does exists only among the Muslims of the world—very often civilized people do blame Islam as the precursor of this dreadful act. Most others do not agree with this notion at all; and they try to put the blame on the tribal/cultural practice, and do not consider Islam is anyway responsible for it. In this essay I shall analyze the real issues, cause and origin, and pattern of this heinous act amongst the Muslims of the world to postulate if there is any link, or incitements that originates from the very core of Islam.

What is honor killing?

Honor killing is the bone chilling horrific cruelty committed by the family members—father, mother, brothers, brother-in-laws, even in some cases own sisters also. In this terrible episode the victim is always the daughter/sister or other blood related young women who get killed. Perpetrators are always the family members stated above. Family honor is one of the core values of Arab society. Anything from speaking with an unrelated man, to rumored pre-marital loss of virginity, to an extra-marital affair, refuses forced marriages; marry according to their will; or even women and girls who have been raped—can stain or destroy the family honor. Therefore, family members (parents, brothers, or sisters) kill the victim in order to remove the stain or maintain, and protect the honor of the family. Killers are given light sentences, sometimes with little or no jail time at all. The killers mainly defend their act of murder by referring to the Koran and Islam. Family guardian will say that they are merely following the directives set down in their Islamic ethical beliefs.
 

 
Honor killing is committed by the family members - father, mother, brothers, brother-in-laws and even in some cases sisters

These barbaric killings occur only to save the honor of the family, and not for any animosity or for wealth or gold. In 100% of cases—the killers have no animosity, rather they love the girl as their own daughter or sister, but they kill the girl anyway upon their ethical compulsion to save their family honor, or to erase family stigmas. The victims cry, beg for their life but the family members become merciless (out of their ethical prejudices and also religious burden of fear) and kill the victim. After killing family members usually mourn and cry for the victim (usually loving daughter or sister) but feel solace that they have done the right thing to save their family honor.
And this kind of cruel killings to save family honor had happened, still happening, and will remain to happen—only to a Muslim family. Honor killings happen only to some designated Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, the Gaza strip and the West Bank (Palestine), Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Somalia, Turkey, Iran and some other south and central Asian countries. Bangladesh though a Muslim majority country—regular pattern of honor killings never happened as of today. But it is not unknown or impossible to record some stray incidences in Bangladeshi rural Muslim family (only) in which girl was poisoned by family members, or asked to commit suicide after being impregnated by unwed sexual intercourse. However, this same kind of case history was never heard, or recorded in the non-Muslim family of Bangladesh.
Honor killing is different from other killings


Honor killing should never be confused with wife beating, or wife killings by husbands or other relatives.
 
Honor killing should never be confused with wife beating, or wife killings by husbands or other relatives. Since pre-historic ancient time people assassinated, killed, or poisoned their wives or husbands, or other family members for either adultery, love affairs (Poro-keya prem) with other man besides her husband, or for property disputes—and these are simple homicide in English terminology. They are never called honor killing. This kind of homicides did occur, still occurs, and will occur in any nations, or race throughout the human history and these are not any race, or religion related happenings by any standard. Honor killings also should never be confused, or mixed up with killings for dowry, acid throwing by unsuccessful/disappointed love stalkers (as frequently happened in the Indian sub-continent), or any other violence against women. These are simply not honor killings, which is the topic of this essay.


Some sample cases of horrific honor killing:
  • Case-1: " Two months ago, when she tried to run away yet again, Kina (father of the girl) grabbed a kitchen knife and an ax and stabbed and beat the girl [his daughter] until she lay dead in the blood-smeared bathroom of the family's Istanbul apartment. He then commanded one of his daughters-in-law to clean up the mess. When his two sons came home from work 14 hours later, he ordered them to dispose of the 5-foot-3 corpse, which had been wrapped in a carpet and a blanket. The girl's head had been so mutilated, police said, it was held together by a knotted cloth."
     
  • Case-2: "Kifaya Husayn, a 16-year-old Jordanian girl, was lashed to a chair by her 32-year-old brother. He gave her a drink of water and told her to recite an Islamic prayer. Then he slashed her throat. Immediately afterward, he ran out into the street, waving the bloody knife and crying, 'I have killed my sister to cleanse my honor.' Kifaya's crime? She was raped by another brother, a 21-year-old man. Her judge and jury? Her own uncles, who convinced her eldest brother that Kifaya was too much of a disgrace to the family's honor to be allowed to live. The murderer was sentenced to fifteen years, but the sentence was subsequently reduced to seven and a half years, an extremely severe penalty by Jordanian standards."
     
  • Case-3: “A 25-year-old Palestinian who hanged his sister with a rope: "I did not kill her, but rather helped her to commit suicide and to carry out the death penalty she sentenced herself to. I did it to wash with her blood the family honor that was violated because of her and in response to the will of society that would not have had any mercy on me if I didn't . . . Society taught us from childhood that blood is the only solution to wash the honor."
     
  • Case-4: "Samia Sarwar, 29, mother of two boys aged 4 and 8, was shot dead today in lawyer Hina Jillani's office by a bearded man accompanying her mother and uncle. `He's my helper, I can't walk,' said the mother, when Hina told the two men to get out. As the mother went to sit down in front of Hina's desk, and Saima stood up from her chair, the bearded man whipped out a pistol from his waistcoat and shot Saima in the head, killing her instantly."
     


    When Samia Sarwar sought a divorce from her violent husband she was gunned down in the office of her lawyer Hina Jilani. The killer was taken there by her own mother.
     
    Case-5: ABU QASH, Palestine: Amira Abu Hanhan Qaoud (mother of 9 children) killed her daughter ‘Rofayda Qaoud’ who had been raped by her brothers and was impregnated. Armed with a plastic bag, razor and wooden stick, Qaoud entered her sleeping daughter's room last Jan. 27, 2003. "Tonight you die, Rofayda," she told the girl, before wrapping the bag tightly around her head. Next, Qaoud sliced Rofayda's wrists, ignoring her muffled pleas of "No, mother, no!" After her daughter went limp, Qaoud struck her in the head with the stick. The 43-year-old mother of nine said. "I had to protect my children. This is the only way I could protect my family's honor."

      Case-6: A 23 year old Rania Arafat, whose plight was broadcast live on national TV in Jordan. Rania was promised to her cousin as a very young child. Rania repeatedly told that she doesn't love him and she is in love with someone else. She pled with her family to allow her to marry her lover, instead. She ran away twice, including two weeks before her forced marriage. She wrote to her mother and pled for forgiveness and understanding. Her parents promised that she would not be harmed and she could return home. On August 19, 1997, Rania returned home. The same night, her younger brother, Rami, shot her five times in the head and chest, killing her immediately. Her youngest brother was chosen to commit the murder not only to allow his defense to find protection under the laws protecting so-called honour crimes, but also because he was a juvenile. Rami served six months in jail for his crime.
     
  • Case-7: Amal, another Arab woman and victim of honour killing was run away because she insisted on her independence. Her family said that they were ashamed because of that and the gossip of neighbors. One night, when she returned home and went sleep, her brother accompanied by Amal's father, strangled her. He said: "I strangled her. She didn't fight back. I recited the "Holly Koran" as she was dying… it took a few minutes and she was dead." He and his father both given light sentences.

     


    Every two weeks a young woman is killed in Jordan alone in the name of family honour

    Case-8: Death of Aqsa Pervez: A reflection on Canadian Muslim-Pakistanis-Honor killing in Canada!, December 16, 2007
    A young Mississauga teenager (16-year old) Aqsa Pervez, was killed by her father last week who later called the police and confessed. Mohammad Pervez is now in police custody and his case hearings have begun. The young girl was killed by strangulation for her refusal to wear the hijab.
     
  • Case- 9: Texas manhunt on for father of slain his two girls (January 3, 2008)
    Texas authorities continued a manhunt today for an Egyptian-born taxi driver accused of murdering his two teenage daughters. Yaser Abdel Said, 50, was wanted on a warrant for capital murder after police say he shot the girls Tuesday and left them to die in his taxi, which was found parked in front a hotel in Las Colinas, a suburb north of Dallas. Police said Mr. Said should be considered armed and dangerous.

    Friends of Amina Yaser Said, 18, and Sarah Yaser Said, 17, described the girls to the Dallas Morning News as "extremely smart — like geniuses," saying the slain sisters had been enrolled in advanced placement classes and were active in soccer and tennis at suburban Lewisville High School. Family and friends told reporters that the girls' Westernized lifestyle caused conflict with their Muslim father, who immigrated from Egypt in the 1980s.

    "He was really strict about guy relationships and talking to guys, as well as the things she wears," Kathleen Wong, a friend of the girls, told KTVT-TV, the Dallas CBS affiliate. Two boys who said they had been dating the sisters told KXAS-TV in Dallas that Mr. Said was upset that his daughters were involved with non-Muslims.

    "She just wanted a normal life, like any American girl wanted," one of the boys told the NBC affiliate station, adding that Sarah "was always kind, gentle, always cheerful, always had a smile on her face."
     

    Amina and Sarah Said are dead but .... family honour intact

    Honor killing is a cultural/tribal phenomenon!!!

    Most Muslim apologists and also some gullible westerners want to argue that the ‘so called “honor killing” is not Islamic and it’s a tribal/cultural vice.’ This statement is utterly untrue and only a wish full covers up. It’s true that in pre-Islamic Arab culture this heinous honor killing of women did exist; likewise, many other uncivilized practices like stoning, flogging, beheading, slavery etc also existed in the pre-Islamic Arab society. But Islam did incorporate entirely most of these inhumane/uncivilized practices of pagan society, which they now call them Allah’s laws.

    Had it been the tribal/cultural practice, ‘honor killing’ would exist amongst the Arabs only. But honor killing does happen amongst the non-Arab Muslims also. Also Arabs belonged to all religions (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Bhai etc.) would practice honor killing with equal prevalence. Fact of the matter is—no Arab Christians, Jews or Bahai etc do practice this uncivilized act at all. Only Arab Muslims do practice this heinous act with a regular pattern.

    Honor killing does happen only amongst the Muslims and these honor killings get support and encouragement from the ethical teachings of religion Islam. In 1986 this kind of honor killing did happen in the United States of America in an Arab Muslim family. In 2003 honor killing happened in Sweden again in a Muslim family. However, some very rare, sporadic case of such killing might have happened in other society or people of other religion. But they are no where near to compare with the regular pattern, or routine feature of honor killings which do happen in the Muslim nations that I have mentioned. It has been reported that in Pakistan and in Jordan several hundreds of “honor killings” do happen every year. Perhaps, it will be more plausible to name this so called ‘honor’ as the “Islamic honor”, which Muslims stupendously try to save by killing their love one!


    Dictums of Quran and Hadiths which may dictate/incite honor killing:

    Quran- 4:15 “If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the evidence of four (reliable) witness from amongst you against them; if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them. Or God ordain for them some (other) way.”

    Quran-24:2 “The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication—flog each of them with hundred stripes: Let no compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by God, if ye believe in God and the last day.”

    Quran-17:32 “ Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).

    Quran-33:33 “stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display.”

    Now some sahih hadiths:

    Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 63, Number 196:
    Narrated Abu Huraira: A man from Bani Aslam came to Allah's Apostle while he was in the mosque and called (the Prophet ) saying, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." On that the Prophet turned his face from him to the other side, whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet had turned his face, and repeated his statement. The Prophet turned his face (from him) to the other side again. The man moved again (and repeated his statement) for the fourth time. So when the man had given witness four times against himself, the Prophet called him and said, "Are you insane?" He replied, "No." The Prophet then said (to his companions), "Go and stone him to death." The man was a married one. Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari said: I was one of those who stoned him. We stoned him at the Musalla ('Id praying place) in Medina. When the stones hit him with their sharp edges, he fled, but we caught him at Al-Harra and stoned him till he died.
    (See also Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 63, Number 195.)


    Sahi Bukhari: 8:6814:
    Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari: “A man from the tribe of Bani Aslam came to Allah’s Messenger [Muhammad] and informed him that he had committed illegal sexual intercourse; and he bore witness four times against himself. Allah’s Messenger ordered him to be stoned to death as he was a married person.”

    Sahi Muslim No. 4206:
    “A woman came to the prophet and asked for purification by seeking punishment. He told her to go away and seek God’s forgiveness. She persisted four times and admitted she was pregnant. He told her to wait until she had given birth. Then he said that the Muslim community should wait until she had weaned her child. When the day arrived for the child to take solid food, Muhammad handed the child over to the community. And when he had given command over her and she was put in a hole up to her breast, he ordered the people to stone her. Khalid b. al-Walid came forward with a stone which he threw at her head, and when the blood spurted on her face he cursed her.”

    Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol 2. pg 1009; and Sahih Muslim Vol 2. pg 65:
    Hadhrat Abdullah ibne Abbaas (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates the lecture that Hadhrat Umar (Radiallaahu Anhu) delivered whilst sitting on the pulpit of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam). Hadhrat Umar (Radiallahu Anhu) said, "Verily, Allah sent Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) with the truth, and revealed the Quran upon him. The verse regarding the stoning of the adulterer/ess was from amongst the verse revealed (in the Quraan). We read it, secured it and understood it. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) stoned and we stoned after him. I fear that with the passage of time a person might say, ‘We do not find mention of stoning in the Book of Allah and thereby go astray by leaving out an obligation revealed by Allah. Verily, the stoning of a adulterer/ress is found in the Quraan and is the truth, if the witnesses are met or there is a pregnancy or confession."

    Al-Bukhari:
    The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever guarantees me that he will guard his chastity, I will guarantee him Paradise”.

    Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nisa’i and others:
    Abu Hurayrah reports that the Messenger of Allah said, “No one commits adultery while still remaining a believer, for faith is more precious unto Allah than such an evil act!” In another version, it is stated, “When a person commits adultery he casts away from his neck the bond that ties him to Islam; if, however, he repents, Allah will accept his repentance”.

    Al-Bayhaqi:
    The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O mankind! Beware of fornication/adultery for it entails six dire consequences: three of them relating to this world and three to the next world. As for the three that are related to this world, they are the following: it removes the glow of one’s face, brings poverty, and reduces the life-span. As for its dire consequences in the next world they are: it brings down the wrath of Allah upon the person, subjects him to terrible reckoning, and finally casts him in hell-fire.”
     
    Strangled: Banaz Mahmood
    Banaz Mahmood's executioners - her father and her uncle


    The above Quranic verses and authentic sahih hadiths clearly demonstrate beyond doubt that Prophet Muhammad, under Allah’s direction, stoned adulterers to death and flogged fornicators. Allah’s decree/choice of death for fornicators (Quran: 4:15) and flogging adulteress 100 times with no mercy (Quran: 24:2, which also could lead to certain death) has clearly sanctioned/dictated dreadful punishment for sexual intercourse outside marriage. It is from these scriptural divine spirits Iranian fundamentalist Islamic government practices stoning and flogging adulterers even today. The Iranian Supreme Court sanctioned that an adulteress should be buried up to her chest and stoned to death. Mullahs of Iran know the hadiths quite well. This august body is closely following Allah’s prophet. It is also quite prudent to consider that Muslim parents those who are practicing honor killing are directly motivated, or influenced by the above scriptural and historical (Hadiths) support; hence they are able to commit heinous crime called ‘honor killing’ with (almost) impunity, exultantly and with ample satisfaction that they are following the strict Islamic ethical code to guard chastity, as the holy Prophet repeatedly cautioned Muslims so seriously to guard their women’s chastity.

    Islamic ethics for adultery:

    The Arabic word ‘Zina’ means all extramarital sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. According to Islam “Zina” constituted social suicide—an entire society commits suicide over time if it allows fornication and adultery to go unpunished in the Islamic style. As per Islamic justice—unmarried fornicators receive a hundred stripes, but married adulterers must die by stoning, as described in the sahih hadiths.

    Opinion of some famous Islamists about Zina

    The Saudi Ambassador to London, Ghazi al-Qusaibi, says that stoning may seem irrational to the western mind, but it is "at the core of the Islamic faith." An intellectual, the Saudi ambassador to London asserted that stoning adulterers to death is a legitimate punishment for society. He also says that Westerners should respect Muslin culture on this matter.

    Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
    “Adultery in Islam is one of the most heinous and deadliest of sins. Its enormity can be gauged from the fact that it has often been conjoined in the Qur’an with the gravest of all sins: shirk or associating partners with Allah.”

    Hani Ramadan head of the Islamic Center in Geneva (Hani Ramadan is the elder brother of famed Swiss Muslim intellectual Tarek Ramadan, who are both the grandsons of Hassan Al-Banna, the founder of Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.) stated,
    “Islam has taken a firm and decisive stance against Zina (fornication or adultery). Allah, the Almighty, commands in explicit and unequivocal words: “And come not near unto adultery. Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way.” (Al-Isra’: 32).”

    Mufti Muhammad Aashiq Illahi Muhajir Madani (Illuminating Discourses on the Noble Qur’an, Karachi, Pakistan, Zam Zam, 2003) also follows this tactic of describing society that does not undergo Islamic punishments for the two sexual crimes. Families fall into ruin, which means society also is ruined. Sexual sins also cause widespread disease (vol. 6, pp. 360-66).

    Al Skudsi bin Hookah , (roving reporter and foreign correspondent for The Gaza Gajeera.):
    “I am very unhappy. Our way of life is under attack. And we are not fighting back. Deep down, we know that when a woman has disgraced her family, nothing will restore honor except by killing her. This is understood in Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, the Gaza strip and the West Bank. So why are we Arabs telling the Western press that honor killing is cultural, that it is not really part of Islam? Our way of life is based on maintaining our honor. And make no mistake about it: a woman does tarnish her family's honor by engaging in pre-marital sex, or by getting herself raped, when she seeks divorce and when she marries against her family's wishes. And keeping our women pure is a big part of our honor. So there's no point saying honor killing isn't really part of our religion. Honor and Islam are inextricably bound; they are what give our life meaning. A strong religion demands we choose to maintain our honor.”

    Bassam al-Hadid, (A Jordanian with an American doctorate who spent 12 years as a hospital administrator in the United States): “I would do what I have to do,” said, when asked whether he would kill a daughter who had sex outside marriage."

    Status of Women in Muslim society:

    According to Islamic tradition the woman is an object owned by the man who assumes responsibility for her behavior and her life. The social and religious traditions lead to the isolation of the woman in her home. She is required to cover her entire body in order to maintain the honor of the man. In Qur’an, prophetic tradition and law, one finds a very strong presumption of women’s chastity along with numerous safeguards to prevent any imputation of un-chastity A Muslim feminist sexual ethics must help create the conditions for the Qur’anic and traditional values of modesty and chastity to be lived by Muslim women and men in ways that are faithfully chosen and equitably maintained.


    Social Status of Women in Muslim Society
     
    A woman who is either raped or commits adultery becomes the source of shame to her family. People will not marry her because she has been spoiled; she and her family becomes the object of gossip of everyone in the society; hence the entire family can lose prestige. No one would give a daughter to the brothers of that girl in marriage and no one would marry her sisters. The family and even the extended family are maligned and become outcasts. This can only stop if the family cleanses that stain with blood. The woman thus defiled must be killed even if she is a victim of rape.


    Role of Misogynistic attitude in Islam:

    Islam is dreadfully anti-women. This statement can be proven with 100% guarantee by the well known and established fact that—women folks in every Muslim country in general, and in every Islamic paradise (country where Islamic Shariaat is enforced) in particular, are severely subjugated, oppressed, and considered less than second class citizen. Women in Islam are considered half human and in the Quran women have half the rights of men, sister has half the rights of brother, and women are considered deficient in intelligence.

    Practically and Literally Islam consider women as the sources of great shame. Prophet Muhammad said women are awrah which can be translated as object of shame. What is awrah? The Encyclopedia of Islam defines 'awrah’as pudendum, which is the external genitals, especially of the female. The word Pudendum derives from the Latin pudor which means sense of shame and modesty. Therefore, awrah signify an object of shame that needs to be covered.

    Interestingly, in the Indian sub-continent (Bangladesh-India-Pakistan)—women have another alternative name calling, in spite of having their usual name for the English word woman in the respective language. And this famous name calling is “Auraat” and common in all the three countries of the Indian sub-continent. Obviously this common word “Auraat” for women came from the Arabic word Awrah. This common word “Auraat” is usually used as the synonym for woman with empathy, hatred, mercy and shame.

    According to the following Hadiths, women not only have ten 'awrah, but the woman herself is perceived as 'awrah: "The woman is 'awrah. When she goes outside (the house), the devil welcomes her" (Ihy'a 'Uloum ed-Din by Ghazali, Dar al-Kotob al-'Elmeyah, Beirut , Vol II, Kitab Adab al-Nikah, p. 65. Reported by Tirmizi as a true and good Ahadith).

    Hazrat Ali (rightly guided Caliph) reported the Prophet saying:
    “Women have ten ('awrah). When she gets married, the husband covers one, and when she dies the grave covers the ten." ( Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 22, Hadith No. 858. See also Ihy'a).

    In most fanatical Islamic nations when a woman loses her awrah by e.g. through rape, she becomes the object of shame for her entire family, and also for the society. Only way to remove that shame and restore the honor is to remove that defiled woman. It is practiced in most Islamic countries with a regular pattern. The more religious is a country, the more is widespread the honor killing. As for example, Pakistan a Muslim majority nation did not have practice of honor killing until the fanatic and despotic Military dictator General Ziaul Hoq came to power. This despotic ruler by his decade long dictatorship turned Pakistan into an Islamic Sharia country. Along with intense acceleration of making Pakistan into a hub of Talibans, and Islamic terrorist’s country, citizens of Pakistan also started vigorous practicing of honor killing on a regular basis.


    Conclusion:

    Judging everything I have described in this essay, one can very genuinely lead to the conclusion that ‘honor killing’ is indeed the vice of Islam. Islam has much to do with honor killing practices which only do exist amongst the Muslims of the world. Had it been un-Islamic practice, we would have seen some Muslim nations prohibiting such cruel practice by Sharia law. We have not seen any Muslim country did enact any such law to curve honor killing. We have seen innumerable cases of fatwas by Mullahs to prohibit alcohol drinking, pork eating or listening western music; but never ever heard any such fatwa against honor killing. Rather, honor killing has silent support from the devout Islamists of all kinds. Islamists condone honor killing silently! No wonder that the Al Skudsi bin Hookah (reported of Gazagejeera) so passionately said: “So there's no point saying honor killing isn't really part of our religion. Honor and Islam are inextricably bound; they are what give our life meaning. A strong religion demands we choose to maintain our honor.”

    One may argue that Quran does not say clearly about honor killing! Fact is there are plenty of things Muslims practice that are also not mentioned in the Quran. Stoning death also not available in the Quran. Yet Iranian Islamic government does practice stoning death by the decree of Islamic court. Afghan Taliban government did routinely practice stoning and flogging of adulterers. Most importantly, Quran did not create any scriptural instruction to ban the so called Arab tribal practice of “honor killing” either! Besides, if the honor killing was simply a tribal practice—then it would have been prevailed amongst the Arabs of all religions. There is no evidence to support that a Christian or Jewish family of Jordan or Palestine did practice honor killing.

    Muslims who are stunningly devout and laden with Islamic superstitious beliefs do commit crime of Honor killing to fulfill their obligation of preserving Islamic ethics, and women chastity. The more a country gets fanatically religious the more frequent are honor killings (Pakistan is a perfect example). Islam has incorporated many pre-Islamic practices of Arab pagans (stoning deaths, flogging the fornicators, slavery, war booty, beheading the criminals, cutting hands and foots of thieves, many rituals of animal sacrifice, annual pilgrimage to Mecca etc.) and readily called them Islamic or Allah’s laws. Honor killing is one such pre-Islamic practice of Arab pagans which has been practicing by some devout Muslim families of many good Islamic nations of the world.

    Because of the fact that the “honor killings” do have silent support from Islam, the killers are given light sentences, sometimes with little or no jail time at all. The killers are primarily influenced by Islamic ethics, and mainly defend their act of murder by referring to the Koran and Islam. They usually justify their evil deeds by the directives set down in the Islamic ethical beliefs and principles. Koran is very strict and belligerent regarding how to control women's sexuality, and Islamic Law; Sharia, rules harsh punishments including lashing and stoning to death for women's voluntary sexual activities. And it is because of these Islamic elements of support, no Islamic government dares to enact any criminal law to ban this barbaric slaughtering of innocent family girls. Even then some Islamists will still say that “honor killing” has nothing to do with Islam; just the way they say “Islamic terrorism” has nothing to do with the so called peaceful Islam. Their hypocritical denial is utter nonsense and stupendously deceptive. I urge those Islamists to tell us why this “honor killing” never happens among the non-Muslim Arab families? They must also tell us—why no Arab and non-Arab Muslim government dare to make any strict law to ban honor killings in their land?

    Denying the truth is tantamount to committing this heinous crime to humanity, and denying will never solve this chronic problem of Islamic nations. Only way honor killing can be stopped is to admit the truth (real cause), and stop controlling public lives by the draconian laws (Sharia) of Islam. Let there be a strict separation of ‘Mosque and State’ in every Muslim majority nation of the world. Honor killing will definitely cease to exist.
    References:

    1. Honor killing-maintaining family honor: by Al Skudsi bin Hookah, roving reporter and foreign correspondent for The Gaza Gajeera. Jan 20, 2003

    2. The Seattle Times: 'Honor killing' shakes up Sweden after man slays daughter who wouldn't wed: By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times Link.

    3. Culture of death? Palestinian girl's murder highlights growing number of 'honor killings’. Link

    4. Honor Killing: By Ali Sina Link

    5. The Holy Qur’an, Translated by A. Yousuf Ali, Published by Amana Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, 1983

    6. Buchari Sharif, Bengali Translation by Maulana Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, Sulemani Printers and Publishers, Dhaka, Second edition-1999.

    7. "Crimes of Honour" Women's Tragedy under Islam & Tribal Customs By Azam Kamiguian.

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    Syed Kamran Mirza is the author of Roots of Terrorism in Islam. He has also contributed in Beyond Jihad — Critical Voices from Inside Islam and Leaving Islam — Apostates Speaks Out. He can be contacted at mirza.syed@gmail.com.


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    Comment:

    Comments Notes: Keep comments short. Our system cannot separate paragraphs. Comments must be relevant to the topic of the article. We did not regulate the comments but if irrelevant comments, materials, adds of other websites etc. are being uploaded, we will have to regulate the comments and even ban the IP addresses of such nuisance posters.


    Name: tsekos
    Date: Wednesday January 16, 2008
    Time: 02:54:37 -0700

    Comment

    I want to make a little correction to this article... Honor Killing is not something that happens only among muslim people, in spite of the fact that( in modern times) it happens mainly among muslims... There are conservative christian countries, like Armenia for example, where honor killings happen as well. In my country, Greece, which is also christian, 70-80 years ago we had honour killings as well and the law gave LIGHTER punishment to a murderer, if this murdered had murdered a ""traitorous"" female of his family.. Also I think that among Hindus honour killings are practised. For example I had seen a documentary on TV about a young couple who were murdered by the bride's family because the groom belonged to the lower caste and had married the higher caste girl without the permission of her family.


    Name: Godot
    Date: Wednesday January 16, 2008
    Time: 09:05:51 -0700

    Comment

    I agree with tsekos. I left Islam myself and I am proactive in my pursuit to expose Islam and show its dark side but I would never exaggerate and become over-biased just to prove my point, it's counter-productive. Be subjective and fair...it pays!


    Name: Bluesky
    Date: Wednesday January 16, 2008
    Time: 09:14:34 -0700

    Comment

    Honour killing is also very much rampant among different sections of Indians, especially among so called 'upper caste' people. If their son or daughters marry someone outside their society, particularly a with a 'lower caste' or rival caste, then most cases both the girl and boy are murdered by either one family or both families together. It Honour killing also takes place if the marriage takes place between a hindu and muslim. But nothing to beat the frequency of such killing among Islamists!


    Name: Fadi
    Date: Wednesday January 16, 2008
    Time: 12:54:34 -0700

    Comment

    Agree with tsekos, Godot and Bluesky because this phenomena happens to a different degree among some Christian communities in the Middle East. It has to do more with the socio-economic status and educational level than with the mere religion. Do you remember the recent incedent that took place in Northern Iraq? The girl was slaughtered because she ran away with her Muslim lover (hint: she and her family were NOT Muslims).


    Name: kenxf
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 00:07:44 -0700

    Comment

    This article has several flaws. For one in Islam a girl is not killed if she does not agree with an arranged marriage. As a matter of fact in order for a girl to be married in Islam she must says out loud that she agrees to the wedding three times. Secondly yes heinious acts occur in the name on honor but they have absoloutley nothing to do with the relgion itself. Nowhere in the quran does it say that honor killings are allowed.


    Name: kak
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 02:14:30 -0700

    Comment

    In some of these stories, the brothers of the girl raped her. Why aren't these brothers held accountable for their raping and killed, too, since they were responsible for sullying the family honor? It is very grossly unfair to let men and boys behave this way and punish the women and girls for the men's and boys' evil deeds. Men and boys are stronger than women and girls and easily take control so that the women and girls can't fight back. Women and girls do not want nor ask to be raped!


    Name: vbv
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 03:37:45 -0700

    Comment

    Nothing is shocking in islam. Fathers raping and killing their daughters , brothers raping their sisters and murdering them ,uncles raping their nieces and murdering them,etc all in the name of "honour" of their "family"/"clan"! That is islam for you - the perfect example of their 'phoney prophet' and lousy book! That's why their Paradise is also male-oriented with sheer lechery with "Virgins"(hurs)for eternity with with their dicks permanently standing,while their women arev just consigned to Hell. With this kind of creed you can hardly expect any spirituality and reason!


    Name: wake up please
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 07:21:28 -0700

    Comment

    the article is absolutely right. because honour killing is the very normal aftermath of the low humiliated status of women in any society. if the quraan order husband for beating wives for any kind of disobedience (any kind), what do u think the punishment for breaching the only and most precious thing women are created for i.e. honour. which is sooo fragile to the extent that she can,t walk without full covering. not wearing hejab, talking or shaking hand with men are questionable matters in terms of honour. if the phenomenon of honour killing is present in other societies than muslim ones, this will pose a next question, are they civilised? then does god himself order such attitude towards women?


    Name: Fadi
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 08:44:06 -0700

    Comment

    to "wake up please": Waking up alone is not enough. You need to GROW UP now. Please read slowly and understand what people are saying. Don't let your islamophobia blinds you. Islam is bad, I agree, but exposing Islam erroneously is not a good thing!


    Name:
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 10:55:22 -0700

    Comment

    Dear Fadi, you said it is something to do with socio-economic status and educational level than with the mere religion. Do you think islam is separated or have nothing to do with these things. I came from a widely and maximally islamised society, where even good morning must be said a la islamic way, otherwise you are kafir. islam freezes such low socio-economic level or let us say lower any already civilised level like what happened in my country which was one day a leading civilised country. concerning the educational level, do u think islam make room for real education, where high educational instituions staff have nothing to discuss other than how judgment day will look like and how the bold snake will judge us in the grave. you say honour killing is not only in islam. it is true because islam is not the only bad thing in the world, yet it is still bad.


    Name: GODZILLA
    Date: Thursday January 17, 2008
    Time: 23:18:41 -0700

    Comment

    WE ARE COMEING TO KILL ALL OF YOU MUSLIM PIGS FROM THE USA TIME TO PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES YOUR PROPHET MUHAMMAD DIE OF AIDS WHY HE WAS HIV+


    Name: Fadi
    Date: Friday January 18, 2008
    Time: 09:14:51 -0700

    Comment

    to GODZILLA: I don't normally comment on people's contributions on this site if they are of this very low level but yours is special. I would like to give you an advice here...You were not even funny. Get a life! go google for one.


    Name: Tonto
    Date: Friday January 18, 2008
    Time: 12:19:03 -0700

    Comment

    Many years ago, when I was a child, I heard a story of an "Honor killing" on the Apache Reservation. An Apache girl had been raped. Her brother and two uncles caught the man and took him to the desert. The rapist was never seen again, but it has been said that it took 5 days for him to die. No dishonor was ascribed to the girl, and much honor was given to her brother and uncles. They were never charged. That's the way it should be done, in my humble opinion.


    Name: Godot
    Date: Friday January 18, 2008
    Time: 12:36:52 -0700

    Comment

    Thank you Tonto for your comment which proves my point. As an ex-Muslim who strives to expose Islam I will never try to exaggerate and misinform others. Islam has already many bad practices that we have to focus. We don't need to invent more out of our hatred.


    Name: never muslim
    Date: Friday January 18, 2008
    Time: 19:29:57 -0700

    Comment

    to Godot, tonto doesn,t mean to prove your point. he mean to show how more civilised cultures handle what is called honour killing situation.


    Name: Philip Saenz
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 01:11:34 -0700

    Comment

    The more I read of the miserable pedophile, pile of dog poop, Muhammad the more I wish that evil, evil man had never been born. That jerk, also pile of pig poop, Muhammad brought more hatred, ruin, death and destruction of human beings than any tyrant that has ever existed. Nero, Adolf Hitler, or Mao Tse-tung were amateurs compared to the child molester Muhammad. Muhammad's evil Qur'an has inspired his evil Muslim followers to murder hundreds of millions of people. The evil Qur'an has inpired Muslim sex fiends to mutilate sexual organs, with dull knives and sometimes with a piece of glass, of hundreds of millions of little girls. Thanks to that pile of dog poop Muhammad, countless women have been stoned to death. Women have been raped, and relegated to second and third class status under the wicked Muslim umbrella. Stinky Muhammad, and Muhammad did stink like a camel, taught that women are deficient in intelligence, and that they could be beaten at the whim of their husbands. Honor killings by the thousands have been committed by evil Muslims, sometimes for minor infractions, and the victims are always women. Isn't it sad that a beautiful Muslim daughter can be murdered simply because she dresses in Western clothes, or because she talked to a so-called infidel? Muslims are the greatest liars in the world. After murdering "infidels" by the millions, they expound at every moment that their religion is the Religion of Peace. Weird,long beared, sex craved, old Muslim men, actually androids, force nine year old little kiddies to "marry" them against the will of these little girls. These depraved Muslim animals argue that since their pile of dog poop Muhammad raped Aisha when she was nine, they too have the right to rape nine year old little girls. There is no end to the depravity of the evil Muslim men because of Muhammad's evil philosophy called Islam. This evil philosophy, Islam, that has brought mayhem, death and destruction for 1,400 years must be destroyed so that millions may have a fruitful life. Friends, it's time to dump especially the Qur'an into the trash, or to flush it down the toilet. And it's time that evil Muslims set aside their unbridled sexual passions and hatred, especially hatred of women, and hatred of so-called infidels. Why can't you evil Muslims contain your sexual drives? It seems that all you think about is sex and killing especially the so-called infidels. Forget those damn 72 virgins and 28 prepubecent boys. THEY DON'T EXIST!! HOW CAN YOU BE SO DAMN STUPID? What did you say Muslim boy? You said that I "insulted Muhammad"? Look, Muslim boy, the false prophet Muhammad has done more than insult decent human beings. Hammy Boy's lies in the Qur'an has resulted in hundred of millions of human beings being tortured, and hundreds of millions of premature human deaths. The world would have been better off if that pile of pig's poop, Hammy Boy, had been flushed down the toilet on the day of his birth.


    Name: Larry B.
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 10:28:35 -0700

    Comment

    Islam is ignorance of the highest order. muhammed thier prophet is a MAN, a criminal by any definition of the worst kind. muslims follow an evil MANS ideology, not a sound religion. To expose this sham of a religion will take the free worlds press to continually highlight the evil excesses of this religion of hate. The news in the U.S. is owned by a FEW. It is time to question what monies influence our free press. Is is arab ( oil) money. These sites educate only afew, it is the mainstream press that must take up this challenge to educate the numbed masses in the free world.


    Name: Larry B.
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 10:43:04 -0700

    Comment

    To Philip Seenz, I felt your anger and frustration, and I advise you to move beyond that. The free world is looking for a leader who will motivate to directly challenge islam and its ungodly evil. Till then the quran should be banned as hate speech in all of the free worlds remaining democracies. If a stele of the Ten Commandements can be removed out of a court in America, then this evil work of hate (the quran), must be banned. It is hate speech of the vilest order that incites ignorant people to do horrendous acts of violence against innocent people. Freedom of religion is not freedom of responsibility. It is time for the world to confront this nonsence religion, and contain it or erradicate it.


    Name: Philip Saenz
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 10:44:42 -0700

    Comment

    Dear Kak, you wish to know why brothers who rape their sisters aren't held accountable. First of all, remember that Islam is a false and a very cruel religion. Islam teaches that women are second or third class in status. Muslim men of course are above women in everything, including intelligence. This is, of course, according to that donkey's ass Muhammad. Women to Muslim men are chattel. That means that women are to be used in any way that evil Muslim men see fit. All of this has happened, of course, because the android Muhammad taught that women are of lesser value. But don't you find it strange that stupid Muslim men are given life by their mothers, and instantly they are "greater" than their mothers on the day of their birth? Even a pile of dog poop gives greater glory to women than an evil Muslim man. At least, dog poop can't harm women, but look out when a "superior" Muslim man is on the scene.


    Name: ma hyde
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 15:54:40 -0700

    Comment

    Where are "womens rights" activists? This is clearly more important than possible wage differences for women! Also why does the press omit evidence of "honor killings"?


    Name: clarence paul puckett
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 22:55:56 -0700

    Comment

    These stories are few in number, but shows the madness and horror committed in the name of god[their god, the devil] my god is a god of forgiveness and love and repairs broken lives, not destroys them.All human beings make mistakes in their daily lives[sins]none of us are clean in god's eyes without Jesus living in us,but to commit murder for what they call family honor, that is the greater sin. Jesus forgave the prostitutes and at one time he said : he that is without sin cast the first stone, all walked away, he spoke with authority and conviction. Islam is a demonic religion !


    Name: clarence paul puckett
    Date: Saturday January 19, 2008
    Time: 23:07:57 -0700

    Comment

    To murder your own daughter because of rape by anyone is about as heinous as you can get, honor killing in allah's name, my God jehovah[jesus] is a god of forgiveness and deliverence and the beauty of his forgiveness is he forgets our sins and transgressions, the rapist is the one who ought to be punished, not the victim.


    Name: Culturist
    Date: Sunday January 20, 2008
    Time: 13:49:58 -0700

    Comment

    Multiculturalism tells us to celebrate all cultures. Culturism denounces some cultures and cultural practices existence in the West. Denouncing honor killings and giving women rights must be taught as a valuable marker of the west. Schools must teach this if we are to discourage honor killings amongst the youth. Multiculturalism holds that the West has no core culture; we are a random assemblage of different cultures. This justifies not discriminating on cultural basis when we make immigration policy. Culturism recognizes diversity and our having a core culture. Not letting people in from countries that have honor killing would help to stem this problem in the West. People might say this is racist. Race and culture are different. Were this comment about race it would be stupid and dangerous. Honor Killings are a cultural phenomenon not a racial phenomenon. Culturism is a legitimate policy basis. To ignore culture is stupid and dangerous. www.culturism.us


    Name: murtad_kaffir@yahoo.com
    Date: Sunday January 20, 2008
    Time: 15:27:15 -0700

    Comment

    Well-done, excellent work. I wish every westerner will read this factual arcticle.


    Name:
    Date: Monday January 21, 2008
    Time: 08:43:54 -0700

    Comment

    Is it fair to call the murder of Adina and Sara Said an honor killing, considering the fact that their father had molested and in one case raped one of them? That guy was just a lunatic who happened to be Muslim.


    Name:
    Date: Monday January 21, 2008
    Time: 14:25:33 -0700

    Comment

    It seems to me that this "religion" cultivates cowardly "men". I subscribe to no religion but I do subscribe to honor. In my family, the man protects the women and the dishonor is brought to our family by him failing in that task. These rightous men should be killing themselves over these shameful actions.


    Name: Ken Miller
    Date: Tuesday January 22, 2008
    Time: 08:41:32 -0700

    Comment

    "Absolutely" Islamic...it sounds like and ad for vodka.


    Name: Harminder
    Date: Friday January 25, 2008
    Time: 04:57:22 -0700

    Comment

    Any God Fearing Human will forgive , no matter what the provocation or "sin". Stoning to death is Cruel, Animalistic, Barbaric.


    Name: you islamic men that are doing the killings
    Date: Friday January 25, 2008
    Time: 21:59:13 -0700

    Comment

    is that all you pigs can do is killing women try that in the USA you pigs


    Name: omar
    Date: Saturday January 26, 2008
    Time: 07:23:22 -0700

    Comment

    sounds like culture of certain people at certain locations, we are muslim here & never heard about such thing. I notice country which treat their women badly is never peaceful.


    Name: misinformed
    Date: Saturday January 26, 2008
    Time: 08:37:54 -0700

    Comment

    sorry to see that we all misinformed by this article. its about their local custom, not religion. i am muslim in a muslim majority country, never vheard such a thing. we settle in court, like everybody do. what is men ego compared to life. if not from these women vagina we shall not see this world. custom is not equal to religion. most country where men treat women badly is never peaceful.


    Name: speak truth
    Date: Friday February 01, 2008
    Time: 19:16:09 -0700

    Comment

    This is one of the most misinformed, twisted articles I have read in a long time. And you idiots all believe it part and parcel, without doing any of your own investigation. Did the author/idiot who wrote this actually read the verses in context? OF COURSE NOT!!! Reading them in context would totally destroy the entire argument. Did the author/idiot tell you how the punishment must come from a specific Islamic court, in which a woman who is accused of adultery can actually testify 4 times that she is innocent and she is exonerated? OF COURSE NOT!!! Did the author/idiot highlight that men and women are punished equally under Islamic law, and Islam does not allow men to randomly kill women who commit zina? OF COURSE NOT!!! Did the author/idiot highlight that those hadith posted actually show how the Prophet, by turning away, was encouraging the adulterer to seek forgiveness to avoid punishment? OF COURSE NOT!!! Did you notice that one of those "famous Islamist scholars" the author/idiot posted was only a journalist? OF COURSE NOT!!! No wonder everyone looks down on Americans. If the intellectual deficiency shown here is typical of all Americans, God help this country for we are doomed. Please, please, please think for yourselves. Please, please, please actually research the lies and misinformation this author/idiot posts. Maybe that's asking too much. But so much of what is posted here focuses SOLELY on cultural aspects and only a minor part is actually textually based BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING IN THE QUR'AN OR HADITH THAT JUSTIFIES HOW HONOR KILLINGS ARE DONE TODAY!


    Name: mysterious1220
    Date: Wednesday February 06, 2008
    Time: 22:32:07 -0700

    Comment

    To be honest i have been really shocked to find such a website n the shocking thing was the 'fact' that its run by, how u call it, EX-MUSLIMS! Its up to u whether u want to change ur religion but spreading the wrong information, in my opinion, is wrong. Honour killings have nothing to do with Islam, its just 'traditions' or ways of people. Islam, the word itself means PEACE. If there were terrorist attacks by muslims, it is all blamed on Islam. But how come when there are terrorist attacks by 'members'of any other religion it is 'just because of...' n some other reason n NOT the religion. Suppose honour killings, if a husband hits his wife n is a muslim, then its Islam to blame; but if any other non-muslim does the same thing its because he had some grudge against her. Just think...its ppl's mentality to blame, not religion!!!


    Name: panhandle
    Date: Thursday February 14, 2008
    Time: 06:45:11 -0700

    Comment

    @ tsekos why these days, people start all the time talking about what has happen in the past. Islam is hurting TODAY. DAILY we have people turtured in the name of that evil cult. Other religions have learned from the past. Islam goes backwards. The quaran is only jurtfull instaed of helpfull


    Name: Daryl
    Date: Friday February 15, 2008
    Time: 12:43:41 -0700

    Comment

    No one should be killed whos place is it judge are wrongs not are own!! It is only Gods. Alas there r to many bad ppl, greedy, power hungry etc Who can u trust? Most ppl are liers cheats using ur beleaves against u and against other ppl. :( Killing is wrong full stop!!!!!!


    Name: Annie-a true mulim
    Date: Thursday February 21, 2008
    Time: 19:18:22 -0700

    Comment

    the info is wrong no where in the quran dose it says all the stuff in red u liars


    Name: Pakistani
    Date: Sunday February 24, 2008
    Time: 13:59:49 -0700

    Comment

    First of all i wud like u all to visit.. Www.Askislam.Org Read above article.. That iz purely a piece of shit tht provoked hatred for islam..Same i wil also tel u tht honor killing has nothing to do with islam.. Its purely cultural..Proof for this is tht in pakistan this honor killing takes place mostly in pathans..If it was islamic then y not its occuring in whole pakistan? And b4 posting comment plz investigate..Honor killing and stoning the adulterers iz 2 diff things..According to islam a person cannot stone or kill anybdy for adultery on his/her own..Tht is only done by orders of the state when proved.. Again i wud request to visit askislam.Org..Many of ur doubts will end..


    Name: Niha Sharma
    Date: Wednesday April 02, 2008
    Time: 22:05:47 -0700

    Comment

    This has been happening for years and years.Someone has to stop it.Im Indian and after disgracing my family i cannot see them again and never steep foot in India.I am one of the lucky ones who got away.Many dont and this is the result


    Name: Muhammad Kamran Khan
    Date: Wednesday April 02, 2008
    Time: 23:28:11 -0700

    Comment

    If islam is Relegion of voilence then why is it spreading so fast in the western countries? Fuck you all Non-Muslims.


    Name:
    Date: Saturday April 26, 2008
    Time: 13:32:01 -0700

    Comment

    Before you bash anything else with your poorly cited, close-minded perception of research, you might consider taking your islamophobia out of the equation. You're only fueling hatred, and for that, you are worthless.


    Name: Shaker Asiri
    Date: Saturday May 03, 2008
    Time: 06:50:41 -0700

    Comment

    Honor killing is not acceptable nor related to in Islam in any way like this article claims.


    Name: geroge
    Date: Thursday May 15, 2008
    Time: 08:18:54 -0700

    Comment

    stupid honor killings


    Name: Thumper
    Date: Thursday May 15, 2008
    Time: 12:35:21 -0700

    Comment

    No...muslims are not violent, they don't want to kill people who make "cartoons" about mohommuuud. They do not encourage their kids to strap bombs to their bodies and go into public places and push the red button, and they certainly don't do honor killings...mmmmmm


    Name:
    Date: Thursday May 15, 2008
    Time: 14:07:04 -0700

    Comment

    I too left Islam after realizing the logical fallacies, double standards...ex. men can rape in some parts and the women must be killed in others rape is haram..it's all so seductive and quite satanic actually i must say though much of islam is nice...after studying the religions of the world i must take the good with me and turn my back on the rest allah a loving god surely would not endorse killing for pride.


    Name: Heritic
    Date: Saturday May 17, 2008
    Time: 06:51:22 -0700

    Comment

    Good article. Islam is a cruel and dangerous religeon. But so is every other one. All of them brainwash children, take away your basic human rights, and bang on about intollerance to other 'non-believers'. Human kind will NEVER be free or enlightened until we can wash away the outdated principals of blind faith in religeon.


    Name: nicky
    Date: Wednesday May 21, 2008
    Time: 20:59:23 -0700

    Comment

    why is it always the women who get punished!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE??!!! the mother of 9 brutally killed her daughter because her PERVERSE, TWISTED, UNHOLY, COCKSUCKERS OF SONS RAPED HER!!! dont these people understand the concept of RAPE...the person being raped is NOT WILLING! instead of pursuing those who have been severaly traumatized physically and emotionally for life why dont you go after the culprits???!! how can you value so little the life of your daughter?


    Name: Ria
    Date: Wednesday May 21, 2008
    Time: 21:01:18 -0700

    Comment

    Since when did greece have honor killings...??? ive never heard of that im greek...ive been studying greek history since I could cognitively process Ive never come across * honor killing* as you say


    Name:
    Date: Wednesday May 21, 2008
    Time: 22:24:12 -0700

    Comment

    THERES NOTHING SUCH AS HONOR KILLING IN ISLAM...have some respect to the religion as we muslims do for other religions you know that in islam killing one person is like killing the WHOLE humanity???? well you know now...i didnt even bother to read the whole article..dont judge a religion by its ppl...we see news everyday of missing ppl, raped ppl done by christians and no one say it has anything to do with christianity...why is that? theres bad and good ppl every where...plz study the religion well and dont get ur brain washed by the media


    Name: Shloka
    Date: Friday May 23, 2008
    Time: 07:44:07 -0700

    Comment

    I am an Indian Hindu woman. Honor killings are enshrined in the Penal code of Arab Muslim nations Syria and Jordan where men are allowed to kill their female relatives for a suspicious act. While Honor killings do happen in India over caste or other religion issues and among Christians in Palestine and Jordan they are certainly not part of the penal codes of any Hindu\Christian or for that matter Buddhist\Confucian countries! the criminals recieve stringent punishments in India! Besides India is a secular nation, Hindu women like women of other faiths are free to marry outside their faiths WITHOUT changing their religions. However as it happens its most often a Hindu woman and Muslim man seldom the other way round, and the woman often ends up converting to Islam. Again the nameless Muslim, have you bothered to think that the reason there are so many rapes is because tomen are FREE to report rapes. In Pakistan and Saudi they need Four Male Witnesses! A Paki and Saudi woman knows that she will not be able to prove her rape, besides since Paki\ Saudi fathers kill their daughters for Hijab\Facebook they would kill them for rape too!


    Name: camillla
    Date: Wednesday May 28, 2008
    Time: 13:26:24 -0700

    Comment

    To quote verses from the Quran and quoting hadiths, without knowing HOW to interpret them is very dangerous. You cannot read the Quran without understanding the context. For example honour killing, means that a person/familymember is afraid of what the rest of the family will think if their daughter acts in a way that's not tolerated by the society they come from...for a believer, there is no such thing - a beliving muslim is only afraid of Allah, what Allah thinks about it. Ideally, a muslim would pray to Allah for forgiveness, instead of punishing his daughter (if she would commit adultery for example. Then you forgot about another important thing: what about four witnessess - you didn't mention them at all?


    Name: Syed Ali
    Date: Wednesday June 18, 2008
    Time: 23:53:38 -0700

    Comment

    notice how in every case Prophet Mohammed (SAW) gave 4 chances? Its basically like an officer reading your rights "right to remain silent" "right to not self incirminate". Islam is the most just religion. Its Islamic Fanatic Bastards that hijack (no pun intended) the religion and give it a bad name. Well at least in western countries the Men who commit honour killings get what they deserve in the end... PRISON...lets see how much "HONOUR" they have left after they come out of Prison with a sore ass. hahaha WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND in the end


    Name: fuck all of you stinky stinky
    Date: Thursday July 03, 2008
    Time: 15:45:48 -0700

    Comment

    i would like to say fuck all of you stinky Jews dam you stiubed.... you will get a punshment in one day fucking sheet.. fuck you Philip Saenz you are really stinky and fucking idiat


    Name: Mansoor
    Date: Tuesday July 15, 2008
    Time: 14:36:01 -0700

    Comment

    This is a bunch of bull!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Women are respected more then men in Islam. ONLY RELIGON THAT HAS GIVEN WOMEN RIGHTS!


    Name: Faisal
    Date: Saturday July 19, 2008
    Time: 14:52:03 -0700

    Comment

    Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allauhuakbar, may Allah give His forgiveness to all of u, Honor killing is not in islam, why? can someone here recites from which verse of Quran & hadiths says that women in islam is 2nd/3rd class? woman can be punished by their own family without proper judgment and strangled & poisoned to death? there is none right? this article is totally filled with lies & twisted facts which surrounded by pure hatred.


    Name: Dimitri
    Date: Sunday July 20, 2008
    Time: 19:30:13 -0700

    Comment

    I am from NW Greece from a rural area called Epirus. I lost 2 women relatives to honor killings (one about 40 years ago) and the other about 25 years ago. I just want to say that even though we Eastern Greek Orthodox do not like the Muslims, honor killings is not only done in Muslim societies. I am from a rural area and we still practice revenge and occasionally honor killings. I am against it but that is just how things are.


    Name: Orlando
    Date: Friday July 25, 2008
    Time: 11:18:37 -0700

    Comment

    You didnt prove that it is islamic, those verses are for law about fornication, and none say kill. This article is great however crimes of honor are not religious, they also happen a lot within hindus, and jews(this case a long ago) Its proved indee that it is a culture problem. What most shocks me is why the hell the kill the victim of rape instead of killing the rapper. What a stupid people. Once again is a good article but the title is completely wrong and racist.


    Name: islam , the final evil empire
    Date: Monday July 28, 2008
    Time: 01:03:11 -0700

    Comment

    you islamic idiots think you can terrorize and intimidate women (and men of other faiths. Soon after the world wakes up and realizes that islam is a religion of hate and intolerance, your evil system will go the way of your heros- the Nazis. Yes, a second crusade is about to begin, but it has been re-ignited by your choce, I pray to the only real God (and his name is not ahlah) that I and my sons and brothers can wipe the evil of islam off the face of the earth forever.


    Name: Yiannis
    Date: Tuesday July 29, 2008
    Time: 20:08:20 -0700

    Comment

    I am also from Greece and this practice was quite common in the rural areas as back as 50 years ago. It is much less common now but occasionally you hear on Greek TV about such cases. Especially in Crete and northern Greece (Ipiros, Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Evrytania, AitoliaAkarnania) you will find these occasional cases. Also Albania and FYROM you find this practice.


    Name: Muslim Girl
    Date: Monday August 11, 2008
    Time: 05:46:04 -0700

    Comment

    I dont think that all muslim like this people but I am a girl & I am so happy becaus i'm muslim. Islam put any girl in High level between the people by wearing Hejab to hide our beauty NOT to show our selves for every body like goods. Also we are so Intelligent & our Families give us chance to study in the university from thier own money not like most of others the girls by forced they are working very affront jobs to pay for every thing under responsibility slogan. Finally I'm so happy because I'm Muslim it's makes me Very Clean & good person by all means (I LOVE ISLAM & I LOVE PROHPET MOHAMMED)


    Name:
    Date: Monday August 11, 2008
    Time: 11:47:49 -0700

    Comment

    these people dare to use GOD to murder their own children. they are the most ignorant people ever put on this earth.


    Name:
    Date: Wednesday August 13, 2008
    Time: 13:50:12 -0700

    Comment

    I really feel sorry for those muslim women who are killed to save the honour of the family, it is time that the world wakes up to this reality. I am sure Allah would not want anyone to be killed because He loves everyone, i do not care what is written in the quran, but i hav a firm faith that God wouls not allow such crime, because our God is a forgiving God, even if we commit any kind of sin and go back to Him with a repentant heart He will forgive us . We do not worry about wat the society will think about us we hav to only worry about wat God will think and God always thinks the best of u even if u r in a sinful state bcos He knows that one day u will return to Him


    Name: m-mailk
    Date: Thursday August 28, 2008
    Time: 08:31:19 -0700

    Comment

    how dare you people talk of our prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) like that u should be ashamed of yourself.. we have a religion, we have norms, we are not animals like the rest of u he was better human being than all you people combined.... what you read in the newspapers and see on your stupid televison channels is just a scam.... you are just blinded by why you see else where, you dont really want to see the bad aspects of your own society its very easy to point fingers at someone else go pick up a Qur'an and see how u should lead your life rather than wasting it... may ALLAH almighty and powerful forgive your sins and mine and grant us guidance..


    Name: Just have faith...
    Date: Monday September 08, 2008
    Time: 13:41:56 -0700

    Comment

    Dear m-mailk... Hmmm, so you say he was a better human then us. So marrying a child and fucking her at the age of 9 makes him better? Telling fathers, brothers and uncles that killing a loved one because some asshole raped her is the right thing to do? I have nothing against everyone worshipping anyone or anything they believe in, but when they take advantage of those religious false beliefs and cause harm to the innocent and do it in the name of of their religion to hide behind it makes me sick... sick enough that when I get through those pearly gates, Im going to rape Muhammad himself to ashame him so that all his followers can stone him into hell.


    Name: Ginsn
    Date: Thursday September 11, 2008
    Time: 14:21:09 -0700

    Comment

    This is ridiculous. I understand that people have different beliefs than I do, but are Palistenian and Israeli people so incredibly different from me that they would kill their own family? I have never heard of any remorse, only the preservation of "family honor" and "it has to be done". And also, how are these men not punished. I find it hideously disturbing in itself that two brothers would rape their sister. I have three older brothers whom I love very much, and the thought of what happened to that girl makes me sick to my stomach. As if she hadn't had enough to deal with, she then went through the stress of becoming pregnant, then her mother tells her to kill herself, and then she's finally murdered by her own mother. It just makes very little sense to me.


    Name: Ginsn
    Date: Thursday September 11, 2008
    Time: 14:27:14 -0700

    Comment

    Oh, and ..."Just have faith..." thank GOD there are people like you. I completely agree. :)


     
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