Honor killings are not just a Muslim phenomenon. There are cases of Middle Eastern Christian families practicing it, too. I do not know whether or not it is done by Mizrahi Jews. Also, one of the early memories of the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis (Athor of _Zorba the Greek_, _The Greek Passion_, _Last Temptation of christ_) was of his father calmly sharpening his knife in order to kill his family lest the last, violent death throes of Ottoman rule in his native Crete come too close. Sounds suspiciously like honor killing.

Posted by: Kepha at March 9, 2007 7:30 AM

No, Kepha, not an honor killing, at least as regards Kazantzakis' father. Merely an attempt to prepare to lessen the family's torture at the hands of the Turks. My maternal grandparents would tell tales of greek girls in Constantinople throwing themselves from high ledges, rather than be defiled and raped by Turkish gangs.

Posted by: jhl952 at March 9, 2007 7:45 AM

The men were really jealous, a woman with cash,a job, a car, a life...oh the shame it would bring on the family......

all the more, another example of why you do not want Muslims in your neighborhood....ban muslim immigration..

Posted by: exsgtbrown at March 9, 2007 8:22 AM

Again, Doaa Fares and her family are _not_ Muslim. They are Druze. They are Arabs.

I'm sure it will all turn out to be the fault of the Jooooos, anyway.

Posted by: ElderlyZionist at March 9, 2007 10:13 AM

Sadly, like female "circumcisms" in Africa, so called "honour" killings are not limited to Muslims. They have happened among Jews, Lebanese Christians, among "rednecks" in West Virginia and Latinos in Arizona. The difference is that such barbaric practices are not accepted by the majority in any of these cultures and are therefore very rare. When they do occur, the perpetrators are looked down on as the most ignorant and backward of individuals and punished accordingly.

On the other hand, Islam has many hadiths that do support such practices and while only a small percentage of Muslims have committed such foul deeds it nevertheless happens enough as to be symbolic of the flaws in Islam. Until Muslims abandon their literalist interpretation of Qur'an and Hadith, such crimes will never be stamped out.

Posted by: Provoslavni at March 9, 2007 10:49 AM

OT but interesting. THe story in the NYTs about the fire in NYC said the owner of the house had at least 2 wives living in that house possibly 3. No shock at that at all. They are from Mali and in the picture the woman have veils on.

Posted by: nyone at March 9, 2007 11:19 AM

The Druze are an odd syncretistic sect that combine belief in reincarnation with elements of Islam, Christianity and Judeism, and probably several other religions. Any bets as to which of the ingredients in this mix provided the practise of honour killing?

I say "probably" above because their actual beliefs are SECRET. Not just secret from unbelievers, but from the Druze themselves -- the beliefs are held "in trust" by their religious leaders (sort of like the Catholic faith during the dark ages). I think Angelina has a nice out: sorry, I'm not aware of any such belief, since you guys continually refuse to tell us exactly what it is that we do believe.

Incidentally, I think "Angelina" is an unfortunate pick, and an unnecessary change. "Doaa Fares" has a lovely ring for a beauty star, though I would anglicize the first name to "Doah". I hope this young lady finds an outlet for her dreams that doesn't compromise her dignity or self-respect. Perhaps in media or the performance arts. If their beliefs happen to be true maybe she'll come back as an American and compete for Miss America :-)

Posted by: Archimedes2 at March 9, 2007 11:22 AM

How dare her try to join the 21st century.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at March 9, 2007 12:13 PM

How is it that men, in the name of custom and religion, have become paranoid of their own womenfolk? What is it about us that they fear so much as to isolate us from society and advancement?
The poor saps can't even put it together that their own welfare and advancement are hand in hand with ours. What causes them to fear beauty, as well? It reminds me of the play, Peer Gynt, having sought refuge in the Kingdom of the Trolls, where everything is opposite of reality and truth: Darkness is light, Beauty is Ugly, Truth is Lie.
Moreover, why have we settled for this in our own countries....the appropriate line currently running in my head: "She was aghast in her own house."
That pretty much sums it up for me: I am aghast in my own house.

Posted by: Jauhara Al-Kafirah at March 9, 2007 1:07 PM

"How is it that men, in the name of custom and religion, have become paranoid of their own womenfolk? "

....They really have become more paranoid with the advent of Tv, Satellite dishes, and the Internet...Islamic men are terrified of porn.....

Posted by: exsgtbrown at March 9, 2007 4:07 PM

and education for women...

Posted by: exsgtbrown at March 9, 2007 4:08 PM

This is the story my mother and grandmother told me fifty years ago:

(text from Wikipedia)The term Dance of Zalongo refers to an event in Greek history, and to a popular Greek dance song commemorating this event. During the war between the Souliotes and Ali Pasha, when the villages of Souli were being evacuated by the defeated Greeks, a group of 22 Souliot women and their children were trapped by Muslim troops in the mountains of Zalongo in Epirus, on 16 December 1803. In order to avoid capture[...and rape and/or torture of them and their children] and enslavement, they threw first their children and then themselves off a steep cliff, committing suicide. According to tradition they did this while dancing and singing, jumping down one after the other. Today, a monument on the site of the event commemorates their sacrifice.

Orthodox Christians do not 'honor kill,' but we do know what Muslims do to Christians, and we haven't forgotten.

Posted by: thelittlegreekwoman at March 9, 2007 7:18 PM

I think calling for the death of Sheikh Tarif might be more useful to the world

Posted by: marilyn at March 10, 2007 1:56 AM