The MAS Evades Instead of Condemning | UPDATED: Why The MAS Needs to Focus on Islam Instead of Lecturing the World About Domestic Violence in General

I was wondering the other day “Muslims Are Going to Condemn This… Right?” Today I see that the MAS has an answer for me:

Not really.

The MAS, instead of condemning the murder of a teenage girl by her father, who killed her because she was being un-Islamic, has opted to make excuses for the role that Islam played in Aqsa “Axa” Parvez’s murder.

Perhaps if enough of us think about this issue and the issue of domestic or family violence in general we may be able to do something to stop this terrible epidemic. Just this week, Aqsa Parvez was murdered by her father for not wearing hijab.  A young life cut short senselessly.  Although this certainly is a case of domestic violence, some are referring to this as an example of an “honor” killing.  The facts are not in yet as to whether or not this is the case.  And, as will all forms of domestic abuse, domestic violence and family violence, “honor” killings are not only a Muslim problem, [honor killing or not, Axa was murdered for not where a hijab, stop making excuses] and there is no “honor” involved.  Muslim sites have been responding in shock to this case (e.g. Achelois, Muslim Matters) and many others. It takes minimal research to find hundreds and even thousands of cases of conflict, abuse, family violence, and even murder between parents and teens in families that have been here for generations, who may or may not profess any particular religion, and who share common cultural values.  Even though some of these acts are carried out by members of religious communities and sometimes the violence is “justified” in religious terms or religion is claimed as the reason for the actions – the fact is that anyone making such a claim terribly misunderstands whatever religion they are claiming in defense of the indefensible. [is that so? Why don't you see what the top clerics say about daughters refusing to submit to their parents, don't forget to mention that it was disobediance to her parents and to Islam.]

In a study of more than 8,000 homicides in large urban counties, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) said 16 percent involved murder inside the family, in four out of ten of them a spouse killed a spouse.  Offspring were killed by their parents at twice the rate that offspring killed their parents.  The study further noted that 20.9% of family murders were of parents killing their children. [Yeah, well, that's horrible. It still doesn't speak to the fact that Axa Parvez was murdered because she repeatedly refused to submit, stop making excuses.]

Intermission:

Muslims have discussed this topic as much as everyone else (e.g. Islam the Modern Religion, and leading Muslim groups such as the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Social Services Association and the Islamic Society of Toronto are all urging “zero tolerance” for domestic abuse and violence against women. [No shit. Well, here's a case of Islamic domestic violence that led to a 16 year old girls death... *crickets* ... ahem, wouldn't a condemnation of using violence to enforce Islamic dress on one's daughter be called for? *crickets*] The Muslim Women’s League published a position paper on honor killings.  Jewish, Muslim, Christian writers have produced a handbook to give religious leaders tools to help victims of violence.  And yet, the violence continues – somehow we are not getting through to the population in general.  We are not being good shepherds. [ya don't say...]It has been noted that:  Religious teachings or scripture are sometimes misinterpreted, distorted, and misused to suggest that domestic violence is acceptable or even God’s will among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Although, some who are quick to see the mote in their brothers eye have categorized this crime as a Muslim crime, a symptom of what’s wrong with Muslims, or as “proof” that somehow the religion of Islam is to blame.  [Domestic violence committed in the name of another religion does not negate the fact that this murder was done in the name of Allah.]

This is not a Muslim problem because it crosses all religious lines, but it is a Muslim problem because it also exists in our community.  [Oh, so now we're not even talking about Axa's murder any more. Okay, way to go MAS, way to address the issue head on!] As the late Shareefa Alkhateeb pointed out:  “An authoritarian family structure predisposes many Muslims in America to be abused in some way and possibly to become the victims of violence. Generally… [blah, blah, blah... excuses, excuses]

The rate of domestic abuse in the Muslim community is about the same as in the general population… [MAS, Muslim Atrocity Spindoctors]

Intermission 2:

Let’s not forget about this fun little discussion:

Click on Screen Cap. to See Clip

Allah’s Apostle, said: “Every one of you (people) is a shepherd. And every one is responsible for whatever falls under his responsibility. A man is like a shepherd of his own family, and he is responsible for them.” This Hadith is reported by both Bukhari and Muslim. We must be good shepherds. [Well, you're not really trying too hard, are you?]Just a few days ago The Republican reported that domestic violence deaths have reached record numbers in Massachusetts where there have been 38 deaths from domestic violence, and 12 suicides by perpetrators this year alone. [And this pertains to Axa's murder, how?]

Murders of pregnant women are rising across the country.  “A year-long examination by The Washington Post of death-record data in states across the country documents the killings of 1,367 pregnant women and new mothers since 1990.” [That's right, I forgot, you don't care about her murder, you're just trying to CYA because technically this domestic violence is sanctioned by many Islamic authorities. Oops, that was supposed to be a secret...]

People have killed themselves because of some perversion of religion like the Heaven’s Gate mass suicide.  and like Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, or the Solar Temple Murderers have killed others to fulfill some “religious” nightmare. [Now you are being insulting and disrepectful to the young girl who was murdered for refusing to submit to Islamic customs.]

Children of Thunder, three Mormon young people killed innocent people to defeat Satan? Sikh and Hindu “honor” killings are still prevalent in India.  Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, a young Sikh Canadian girl was murdered at the order of her own family in 2003.  A Christian Palestinian girl was murdered by her family in an honor killing and in fact this problem is widespread in Palestinian society no matter the religious affiliation.  Rabbi Shlomo Arar committed an honor killing when he murdered a boy who was involved with his daughter.

A Christian father starved his infant son to death because of a “vision” from God.  A Christian mother killed her baby to give her child to God.  Parents have killed their children because they thought they were gay, for stealing to buy drugs, over a video game, to avoid paying child support, because of worry over gambling debts, because they were autistic and hard to care for, over a fight with a spouse.  Andrea Yates, Deanna Laney , and Lawshaun Harris (devout Christians) killed their children because “God told them to”.  Constance & Larry Slack (devout Christians – Jehovah’s Witnesses) beat their daughter to death for being disobedient.  A pastors son killed his mom and shot his dad. The list goes on an on and would take up volumes to list.  The truth is that family murder is ‘too awful to contemplate’, and yet we must contemplate this crisis and find ways to reach distressed families before any more lives are lost. [That's right, you pieces of sh!t, evade the issue and give make every excuse you can think of not to discuss the fact that she was killed for not wearing a hijab. You wouldn't want to offend any Muslims now, would you?]

It has been noted that: “Women who kill their children commonly cite God, the devil and other religious influences for their actions. Although the mothers are also often found to be severely mentally ill or psychotic, the recurring theme of religiosity begs the question: Is religion to blame?  Theologians, sociologists and psychiatrists generally say no. They say religiosity is a common theme among psychotics because hallucinations and delusions usually take familiar forms.  “Most of the people in nut houses are religious because most Americans are religious,” said Rodney Stark, a social sciences professor at Baylor University. “We know what causes schizophrenia and it isn’t going to church. It’s biochemical.” [P.s O. S.]One article about the Aqsa Parvez case had the title “Girl’s death puts Islam in hot seat“—if that is true, then all the other deaths must also put Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, etc. all in the hot seat. [No, because the girl killed was done so in the name of Islam.]  We have a serious problem in our society, and members of all faith communities need to work together to attempt to find solutions, and to educate our own faith communities in the actual teachings of our various belief systems.  Although individuals may attempt to justify their actions on the basis of some distortion of religious teachings, there is no justification for this behavior. [Like I said, a good first step would be to condemn, not just all religious based violence, but rather the issue at hand which you have been avoiding, namely the killing of Axa Parvez in the Islam.]

In attempting to see this as “their” problem and not “our” problem, and pointing the finger of blame elsewhere, we take away any chance of working effectively together to get at the root problems and stop this from ever happening again. [Who are "we" and "they" here? You're supposed to be speaking for and to the Muslim community! Not giving non-Muslims advice!]

Before MAS suggests that “The Death of Aqsa Parvez Should Be an Interfaith Call to Action,” they might want to address the fact that it was the Islamic faith specifically that guided the murderer in this instance.

Oh, and

Hey, MAS! In the name of Axa Parvez, in case you forgot she’s the young woman who was murdered for not wearing the hijab, F^CK YOU!