Latest "Honour Killing".....

[Loosehead]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13 532914,00.html

How does Islam stand with this? Does the Koran actually give permission to murder in these situations? Is there a bit that is perhaps open to misinterpretation by extremists? I Just feel so sad about this young accomplished woman whose only foible was to fall in love with someone that wasn't on the approved list.

[Supernick]

It's not really a question of religion this one, but a question about perceived family status.

[Pajama Girl]

What an abomination! It is sickening.

How does islam stand with "honour killing"? You can tell by how many moslems in that woman's community denounced it. How many? I haven't heard one word.

[Drusilla1S]

The murder of women under the guise of cultural beliefs is an insult to humanity.

These archaic, patriarchal traditions are too often passively accepted by immigrant communities who continue to tolerate female circumcision, forced marriages and the farcically named, 'honour killings'.

If a community wishes to accept the lifestyle, education, health care, jobs and financial reward offered by a western society then it has to accept that we too have cultural traditions that forbid barbaric practices better suited to the stone age.

[Supernick]

Again, this has very little to do with religion, but more to do with ideas of class and culture. It's horrific, and of course no religion would support it.

[Loosehead]

Thanks for your contributions so far.

Supernick: Take your point about culture. Any idea how this would be dealt with in the originating country? In this case Pakistan? presumably it is illegal. Would it be covered up, swept under the carpet? Never heard of a prosecution but that's not suprising as I don't get the Pakistan news!

[Lonnie]

have to agree with Supernick here, whats happening, is that these people are breaking with centuries old tradition that is so deeply ingrained, that the killing is deemed the only way to redeem honour.

[Pajama Girl]

In that culture, is it only women who can dishonour their families? What happens when a man dishonours the family? Do the women in the family corner him in the living room and stab him to death while the remainder of the family looks on?

Disgusting.

[Oneeyedvic]

All religions can be twisted to whatever you want:

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads"

How do Christians feel about gay bashing?

[Supernick]

Afraid that my knowledge of Pakistani law is negligable Loosehead. I wouldn't like to speculate too much on the issue.

[jake-the-peg]

I think this would be a crime even under Sharia law

Christians used to burn old women because somebody said they were a witch. Athism used to carry the death penalty in this country.

I think Sharia law would look rather familiar to Oliver Cromwell.

Then we had a little philisophical movement called "the enlightenment" that tends to reflect on pretty much all modern western values. Many Islamic states don't accept those values and that's what tends to cause a lot of the friction.

Of course there are a number of fundamentalist Christians that would like to roll back those values but thankfully they're just a vocal minority shouting at people in shopping centres. In this country at least.

[jno]

Leviticus prescribes the death penalty for male homosexuality, bestiality (the animal dies too), cursing your parents, blasphemy... For having sex during menstruation, the penalty is merely exile. But Exodus says it's ok to sell your daughter into slavery.

Tough business, religion; but Muslims aren't the only ones with a hardline approach to human frailties.

[kipchik]

Murder is murder,'Honour'?what a joke,a girl 'disrespects' her family so killing her is fine,its an honour killing,yet doing time for killing her ISNT 'dishonouring the family?
I couldnt care less if anyone objects to this but when you're in this country you live OUR WAY,if you want your 'customs'and your 'honours' then s0d off back to your own country!!!!