Muslim woman fears death in an honor killing after her lover was attacked with sulphuric acid. These killings, as we have documented here, happen again and again in an Islamic context — yet the Daily Mail here attempts to give the impression that they happen all over the place. Yet if they do happen in Hindu and Sikh communities, and among Christians (a more fanciful claim), the frequency is much greater among Muslims — not least because there is Islamic legal sanction for the idea that a parent who kills his child incurs no penalty: “Retaliation is obligatory against anyone who kills a human being purely intentionally and without right.” However, “not subject to retaliation” is “a father or mother (or their fathers or mothers) for killing their offspring, or offspring’s offspring.” (‘Umdat al-Salik o1.1-2.) In other words, someone who kills his child incurs no legal penalty under Islamic law.
“Cheating wife could face ‘honour killing’ after acid is poured down her lover’s throat,” from the Daily Mail, July 23 (thanks to all who sent this in):
A married Muslim woman has been warned by police that she could be murdered after her lover was attacked with sulphuric acid.
The 24-year-old Muslim man had the acid poured down his throat and was stabbed and beaten with bricks by four men.
He is not expected to live after suffering 90 per cent burns in the London attack, which blinded him and left his tongue destroyed.
The Danish victim, who is of Asian origin, is said to have “˜insulted” her strictly religious relatives, which includes women who wear the hijab.
Detectives believe the family feared being shamed in the community.
Police are said to be discussing how best to protect the woman.
Her lover was attacked at about 2am on July 2 in Leytonstone close to a room he had rented to be near his married lover. She also lives in East London.
One witness saw the attack from her window. She told the Evening Standard: “˜I saw four men lashing out and kicking him on the ground. I shouted and they ran off, then one went back and started on him again.
“˜The poor man got up and ran straight into a tree, then staggered back to his house, tugging at his burning clothes and banging on doors shouting for water.”
Another witness, Kay Dice, 52, added: “˜He was screaming and screaming, but he spoke little English and some people thought he may have just had too much to drink.
‘I thought he had a huge cross on his back, but it was where his skin had peeled away.”
The man had moved into a bedsit [sic] nearby a few weeks before but residents said they did not know his name.
Community leader Imtiaz Qadir, of the Active Change Foundation, said: “˜Honour crime happens a lot in our community, especially the Pakistani community, but we do try to educate the people.
“˜It’s a cultural thing from back home. But this type of horrible crime is not exclusive just to Muslims, there have been cases in other religions.”…
Honour killings have been recorded among Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian communities but occur predominantly in immigrant families from south Asia and the Middle East.
Christian communities? Really?
The perceived “˜dishonour” is normally down to “˜unacceptable” dress codes or engaging in certain sexual acts or adulterous behaviour.
The killings result from the perception that the defence of honour justifies the death of a person whose behaviour dishonours their clan or family.
A Home Office and police study found thousands more honour crimes including an estimated 400 forced marriages each year.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, the annual worldwide total of honour killing victims may be as high as 5,000.