From Portland Islam Examiner | December 1, 2009
Harris Zafar | Portland, OR
A new article in USA Today raises a big flag by surfacing a growing phenomenon of honor killings among Muslim male immigrants in this country. This comes amid news in November of an Iraqi immigrant in Arizona who killed his daughter for having become “too westernized.”
Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, is accused of running over his daughter, 20-year-old Noor Almaleki, with his car because she brought dishonor upon the family by reportedly marrying a man in Iraq and then returning to Arizona to live with her boyfriend and his mother.
Honor killings are generally defined as murders of women by relatives who claim the victim brought shame to the family. This certainly is not limited to “Islamic” countries, as this even occurs in countries like Brazil, Ecuador, Israel, Italy and Sweden. Yet, the occurrences of honor killings in the US have been largely committed by immigrants who are Muslims.
Where do these families get such an outrageous idea to murder their own flesh-and-blood for bringing shame and dishonor to the family? Is it steeped in their native culture? Is it advocated by their faith?
Unfortunately many people are blaming the religion of Islam for the existence of such a barbaric custom. “There is broad support and acceptance of this idea in Islam, and we're going to see it more and more in the United States," says Robert Spencer, founder of Jihad Watch and prominent antagonist of Islam.
This unfair and false statement not only exhibits Mr. Spencer’s bias against Islam but also exposes his lack of knowledge about this faith.
There is absolutely nothing in Islamic literature or jurisprudence that advocates, sanctions or even allows honor killings. Islam protects the sanctity of human life and abhors any attempt to take the life of an innocent person. The Holy Quran teaches that whoever intentionally kills another will be punished by God because the killing of one person is equated to killing all mankind.
What becomes increasingly frustrating for practicing Muslims like myself, then, is hearing about Muslim men who kill wives, sisters and/or mothers who have brought shame and dishonor to the family. This epidemic cannot be ignored and must be tackled.
Amnesty International once reported a case in which a husband murdered his wife based on a dream that she had betrayed him. Elsewhere, a young woman's throat was slit in the town square because a love song had been dedicated to her over the radio. In another case, a 16-year-old mentally retarded girl was raped and then turned over to her tribe's judicial council. Even though the crime was reported to the police and the man was arrested, the tribesmen council declared she had brought shame to her tribe, and she was killed in front of a tribal gathering.
This is disgusting.
Muslims across the world must unite to end such atrocities that have absolutely no basis in Islam. We must work to eradicate this ancient cultural custom from any society still plagued with it. It is a Muslim’s duty to uphold peace and tolerance, and any cries from hate mongers, like Robert Spencer, claiming that Islam supports and accepts this practice are ignorant at best and dishonest at worst.
People like Faleh Hassan Almaleki deserve a stiff punishment for murder. Their acts of savagery are almost always coupled with defiant pride and no remorse at all. Such acts demonstrate a complete lack of faith in God. If these men had any faith in God, they would not take matters into their own hands. The Holy Quran makes this clear and says “Verily, the most honorable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you” (49:14).
These ignorant people are not serving their faith. They tarnish the image of Islam by only serving themselves in this vile manner. It is my hope that these ignorant people learn how their faith has warned against such acts of cruelty and that the world at large understands that we Muslims are just as repulsed by these actions as they are.
Harris Zafar is a contributing member of Majlis Sultan-ul Qalam, USA (MSQ USA).
Read more: Honor killings in Islam?
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