Don't Blame Islam!
No, of course not, mustn't blame the religion. It is after all, a religion of love and peace. Except when it comes to your female family members, then anything goes.
From today's paper comes the story and it is upsetting to me. The man who is charged with protecting his child, instead murders her.
On the news tonight they trotted out the obligatory Muslim girls who in all seriousness tried to make me believe that the Jihab was not forced on them and no one would murder because of it. On the other hand, are the girls friends who tell a different story. Seems young Aqsa Parvez was terrified of her father, had gone to stay with friends and was enticed home by a brother like a lamb to slaughter. The brother has now been charged with obstruction.
Women have been murdered in other countries, notably Germany, for not conforming to their families traditions. I hope though, that this is an anomaly here in Toronto and that it will never happen again even though I know it will.
I'm stealing the following from this blogger. I'm sure he won't mind.
The words of Charles Napier come close, though. Among other things, he conquered part of what is now Pakistan.
You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.
posted by Rositta @ Wednesday, December 12, 2007
5 Comments:
I agree with each and every word you wrote, as well as with the quote from tblog.ca. Here in Austria, tragedies like the one you wrote about happen more and more often lately, just like in Germany, and it makes me sick to the bones just hearing about it, let alone getting into the surroundings of such tragedies, what happened before - and what happens afterwards. I want to scream and yell and do something, just DO something, and yet - what in all the world is there to do against such ignorance, intolerance and downright stupidity?
That quote from Charles Napier... well, yes. Absolutely yes.
I'm glad you stole that quote...I wish parents everywhere would understand we don't 'own' our children..and we don't kill them. I hope that father suffers for killing that young child.
I need to be very clear that I am not an Islamophobe or whatever the word is, but I truly believe in choice. At 16, this young girl was old enough to choose her path and to loose her life because of it offends me. All murder offends and angers me. Thanks for commenting, I was expecting hate mail here...
Rositta, I completely agree with your views. There has to be a balance. Yes, I think it is an important thing to keep your customs and belief systems. Those are important parts of all humanity. BUT, when laws are broken, and people are killed or injured because of their personal choice to deviate from the family norm, that is wrong. Or
if inherent rights are being squashed.
Women, in certain cultures and even mainstream religions, are ancillory to men. They are viewed as second rate.
It is like the female circumcision (or even male~~I digress) that still happens here. These customs, if integration is to happen, are not our societal norms, and those ideologies should be left at home (in my opinion, done a away with altogether).
I know Canada is a cultural mosaic, most of us are all immigrants here. Yet when the transition between the homeland and Canada happens, I think more education and more outreach should be available. Whether you come from Zambia or from Ireland, education about what our country perceives as acceptable is definitely the way to go.
In our society, both women and men have fought for the rights of women, and just because a certain religion may condone certain actions or feel that they are excusable, is wrong.
What is next, stoning?
The Imams deny, deny and deny some more that the Hijab had anything to do with this, ya right. Aren't we all glad McGuinty didn't let Sharia Law pass here in Ontario otherwise we might see stonings...hope those puppies are all sorted out..ciao
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