Pakistan's honor killings enjoy high-level support

[dArKeR]

REUTERS , ISLAMABAD
Saturday, Jul 24, 2004,Page 5

A heated row in the Pakistani parliament over "honor killings" this week underlined the difficulty the government faces in changing attitudes to a crime steeped in tradition and dating back centuries.

The National Assembly's session was suspended after a woman lawmaker denounced the often unpunished practice of murdering someone who brings shame to the family, a statement which drew an angry response from a male deputy who defended the custom.

Kashmala Tariq spoke out in support of love matches, after a couple was threatened with death by relatives incensed over their decision not to agree to arranged marriages.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/07/24/2003180222

[fortyfeetunder]

1. Women have to take back this world

No offense to the honorable men, but it appears to me most of the honor killings like this have women as the scapegoats while the male perpetrators in question go free; last time I heard, it takes two to tango...Like that Time article posted earlier of women in Iraq being tested for virginity, knowing if they are found not to be virgins, means a certain death. Women, we have got to take our world back...

[MaryBear]

2. Agreed, fortyfeetunder, and

"honor killings" need a different name . . . maybe something like "hate crime murders."

[Coventina]

9. The concept of "Virginity" is a sham

Women as a group have to combat this patriarchal invention.

Yes, there is a hymen that girls are born with, but it is often stretched or broken by many different things far before the age of sexual maturity.

Having this fragile structure intact after more than a decade is a fraudulent measure of "purity". Virginity is in the mind, not the body! And as such, impossible to quantify.

This is one of the longest standing lies of the patriarchy, and is even included in the O.T.

Not one more of our daughters should be victimized by this lie!!!

[Longhorn79]

3. Read "The Haj"

The book is an extremely insightful classic that details the life of an Arab woman and her family through war and "shame" and the rest.

[MaryBear]

4. Are you suggesting, Longhorn79,

that insight might make this acceptable? The culture is rich and interesting, but murder is murder, and not justified by tradition. Maybe I'm not understanding your post. Could you say more?

[Longhorn79]

5. No, not at all.

In fact, the book (Leon Uris) makes it quite clear how primitive and barbaric that practice is. Uris also excellently helps the reader understand how the Israelis and Arabs came to this unfortunate war, and gives a great deal of insight into the Arab mind, which I appreciated.

[nonbelief]

6. Uris gives insight to the Arab Mind?

Leon Uris wasn't an Arab, so how did he manage to give such wonderful 'insight" to the arab mind?

[MaryBear]

7. I may be wrong, but,

my memory is that Uris wrote from a sympathetic/appreciative point of view that could be better than none.

I'd appreciate it if you could suggest better and more current material for this "non-Arab" to learn from, nonbelief.

[Longhorn79]

8. Well, I'm not an Arab

so any information is "insightful" to me. I just meant to recommend the book because it was a good read.

[MaryBear]

10. Thanks, Longhorn79.

Welcome to DU.