This is my first blog on honour killings in the name of religion. So we all have heard many stories regarding honour and women being brutally killed because they have dishonoured the family. You must be thinking what does she mean by dishonouring the family. Well from this site I realised that “female dishonour is lost through any act which is considered dishonouring in her society there is no way it can be regained. Male and family honour is restored through violence, coercion and killing.” http://www.stophonourkillings.com/node/3773
After reading this you must be thinking this is ridiculous how can honour be restored through violence. Well I feel the same way but unfortunately this barbaric act happens in our society particularly in Asian societies where religion is seen as a factor contributing to this horrific mass murder of women across the world. “An honour killing is done when some member of the family feels or suspects one of their members is breaking the rules of religion...” http://searchwarp.com/swa679487-Honour-Killings-Certainly-Religion-Seems-To-Have-Misled-The-Religious.htm
While researching this subject online I often found that fathers or families often killed women and justified it on religious grounds. This kind of disturbed me into thinking how can someone’s life be so worthless, isn’t there a place for forgiveness. One of the fathers who killed his daughter said: “Death was the least she deserved...I don’t regret it. I had the support of all my friends who are fathers like me and know what she did was unacceptable to any Muslim that honours his religion.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights
There are many articles which I found that made me realise that within the Muslim world honour killings were or are committed because of religion. “He was not happy with her lifestyle and wanted her to live within the Muslim religion...” These are the websites or links which i found:
After researching and reading some disturbing and sad stories I was beginning to ask myself is killing someone justified on the basis of keeping a families honour and reputation. Is religion to blame for this? Why doesnt one have the freedom to live their life they want? Does religion encourage this sort of behaviour?
