Conditions that still allow honour killings to happen today
Why are honour killings still prevalent, especially in Islamic countries and among Muslims, despite the fact that the Quran does not officially condone them? While it is true that tribal cultural ways
3 sometimes take precedent over religious beliefs, it can be argued that the following verses of the Quran indirectly encourage this despicable practice.
Surah 18, Al-Kahf (The Cave), verses 66 84, mention that a boy was killed because he was about to bring his parents grief and dishonour through his unbelief. Muslim commentators are not in agreement whether the servant of Allah who murdered the boy was an angel or a prophet. The important fact is that Allah wanted him to be dead because the boy would bring future dishonour to them.
According to Surah 24, An-Nur, (Light) verse 2, the punishment for adultery is 100 stripes, contrary to hadiths found in Sahih Bukhari, 2.413, 8.805, 814, and 819, where it is stoning to death. Islam prescribes that the family should refer to the law, rather than carrying out their own punishment.
Surah 4, An-Nisā' (The Women), verses 34-35 state that men are in charge of women, being their protectors and maintainers. What happens if they fail in their duty to keep them out of harms way or women are simply unwilling to reconcile?
The pressure of the Muslim community is on men to control the wives and daughters entrusted to them. In order to keep the honour of the family, be it for cultural or religious reasons, the strain could become so great that murder seems to be the only answer.
Surah 3, Al-i-Imran verse 110 proclaims, You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.... (Sahih International Translation)
Traditionally, this verse has been understood to be addressed to Muslims and Arabs.
Anyone who becomes a Muslim becomes an Arab.4 There is no distinction between Islam and culture. Islam is the culture of the Arabs. Anything a Muslim traditionally does in his culture is inherent to Islam, whether or not it is in the Quran.
Muslims aim to follow their Arab prophet in the way he dressed, kept his beard, ate, dealt with his enemies towards the end of his life,
5 etc. There are many beautiful aspects in Arabic culture that are indeed worthy of copying, such as poetry, proverbs and wisdom, humour, intuition, romance, hospitality, loyalty and courage.
However, as with all cultures, some aspects are bad, such as superstition, disunity, pride, temper, carelessness, lack of organisation, resistance to authority, pessimism and revenge. Blood revenge still exists in Arab villages. Revenge killings are common among Arab families and tribes. Take for example the animosity between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims that still exists today. It can to a great extent be traced back to their violent ways of determining a successor for their common prophet of Islam.
6 Since to be a Muslim is to be an Arab it is quite possible to justify honour killings in that way by labeling them as part of the Islamic system.
A hadith used by some Muslims who follow the Shafi school of Islamic law within Sunni Islam justifies female genital mutilation to reduce their sexual drive. It is hoped that this practice would help to protect women from an otherwise increased risk of losing the honour of their families.
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Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet ... said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.
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