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In today’s world worry is our constant companion. We worry for the solar system heating up a notch too high, soaring petrol prices, possible “cultivation” of killer/psychopath children in our kid’s school or common domestic dilemma of straying spouses or amounting debts and mortgages to pay. Do we have the time to even worry or immerse ourselves with knowledge of other rising issues, prevalent but equally disturbing?
I can’t answer for you, but for me, of late, I did. I come from a country of safe environment, utmost trust in men (despite relationship problems in pubescent) and solid good middle income family. My only worry growing up was my constant puzzlement on the illiteracy in my race and so I find the solution in volunteer work to advocate reading. But being here, you cannot ignore/turn away and not address nor acknowledge issues such as Honour Killing amongst others. I have never been taught or known Islam to be so radical and unjustified yet through it all, Islam is not. Often the preacher and its followers are the ones that bent Islam to their benefit (what suited them) and throwing others in their path with confusion and fumbling to find out the real truth of Islam.
Because the fundamental truth about Women Rights, Islam and its preaching is so wide, I think it’s best that I do not open a can of worms. Awareness (and education) for it’s always good to acknowledge then be ignorant. Find below some of the topics, your conclusions, deductions, remarks and thoughts are yours until you can put them into actions (if you like).
. . .
Honour Killing
Over 5000 women and girls are killed every year by family members in so-called 'honour killings', according to the UN. These crimes occur where cultures believe that a woman's unsanctioned sexual behaviour brings such shame on the family that any female accused or suspected must be murdered. Reasons for these murders can be as trivial as talking to a man, or as innocent as suffering rape.
Excerpt from Arabian Woman (October 2007) with Gona Saed, London based representative for the Middle East Centre for Women’s Rights (MECWR).
Why do you think honour killings occur in Muslim migrant communities?
Over several reasons : Firstly the fact that both cultural and religious background still pay a major role in their new lives. They may be living in the UK or France but these families usually do not take on the cultural values of their adopted country. They usually remain deliberately in isolation from the wider society and so they maintain their traditional ways of living. Sometimes due to exposure to racism or limited opportunities in their new country they then hold onto those values of their own country for comfort. Second those men who may have been abusive in countries ad above all justify their influence by claims that their actions are justified under Islam. If these communities stay isolated and not integrated, there is no way to really monitor the human right attitudes. Some of these immigrants look to Islamic law and states Honour killings are allowed under certain Islamic laws. Men enjoy impunity if they kill a woman who has ‘misbehaved’ because they have a right to protect the honour of that family.
These women are our real heroes and you do not have to search very hard to find them. Just look around you. Or, perhaps, you need only look in the mirror. Queen Rania of Jordan
Saudi women stifled by stringent restrictions
AFP - Saturday, November 24
sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20071124/tts-saudi-women-rights-c1b2fc3.html
Iranian and Kurdish Women Rights Org
www.ikwro.org.uk
Middle East Centre for Women’s Rights (MECWR)
www.mecwr.org
