There’s not much to say about a situation like this. Obviously this was a result of cultural practices and ways of thinking that date back to pre-Islamic times which have since been crystallized by Muslims for whom it is unthinkable to innovate the traditional customs and practices.
I’m not saying that all Muslims practice Islam the same way, that would be false and absurd. I’m just saying it’s tragic to hear of occurrences like this, where the people involved still put “religious laws” or their “Muslim society” above all else.
A 17-year-old Iraqi girl was murdered by her father in an honour killing after falling in love with a British soldier she met while working on an aid programme in Basra, it has been claimed.
Rand Abdel-Qader was stamped upon, suffocated and stabbed by her father, then given an unceremonious burial to emphasise her disgrace. Police released her father without charge two hours after his arrest.
“Not much can be done when we have an honour killing case,” said Sergeant Ali Jabbar of Basra police. “You are in a Muslim society and women should live under religious laws. The father has very good contacts inside the Basra government and it wasn’t hard for him to be released and what he did to be forgotten.”
A total of 47 young women died in honour killings in the city last year, Basra Security Committee told an investigation into Ms Abdel-Qader’s case by The Observer. This is believed to be the only case of an honour killing involving a British soldier.
To be sure, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and others affiliated with different religions have committed murders similar to the one committed by Rand’s father. Each of those is just as tragic as Rand’s murder, and if murderers were excused and explained on the basis of “religious laws” (as was the case here), those laws need re-evaluating. For then it is not only a homicidal bigot in the wrong, but an entire system of government which claims to draw from religious teaching. In this case, as we all know, it is Sharia drawing from an interpretation of Islamic teaching.
A pre-emptive comment for apologists and the BAFC: Yes, I know that the USA supports the constitution of Iraq, that doesn’t mean I have to.
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“if murderers were excused and explained on the basis of ‘religious laws’ (as was the case here), those laws need re-evaluating.”
Good point. I have contacted the Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani. Let’s see what (if anything) he has to say about this.
Yeah justifying murder on religious grounds is pathetic. Muslims should condemn this.
I’m still waiting for the Grand Ayatollah to write back to me:
http://djkonservo.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/my-new-pen-pal-grand-ayatollah-sistani/
Let me know if you get a response, Sergei.
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[...] plain evil A couple of weeks ago, Konservo had this to say about the tragic murder of a 17 year-old girl at the hands of her father. There’s [...]