91% of the honor killings in the world are committed by Muslims. This is, according to the Wikipedia definition, the “murder of a member of a family, due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has brought shame or dishonor upon the family, or has violated the principles of a community or a religion, usually for reasons such as divorcing or separating from their spouse, refusing to enter an arranged marriage, being in a relationship that is disapproved by their family, having sex outside marriage, becoming the victim of rape, dressing in ways which are deemed inappropriate, engaging in non-heterosexual relations or renouncing a faith.”
Rahaf Mohammed’s fear of being murdered by her family in such an “honor killing” was not farfetched. But in Thailand she had become a cause celebre, and had she been forced back to Saudi Arabia, it would have been much harder for the family to punish her in such a manner.
One hopes that that stout defender of women’s rights, Ms. Linda Sarsour, who has managed to present herself as an uber-feminist, and “leader” of the Women’s March, even as she defends that most misogynistic of faiths, Islam, will be asked her views on Rahaf Mohammed. Did she find the girl’s family outrageous for their having locked her in her room for six months as punishment for a haircut? That one should be easy for Linda Sarsour. Of course she does. But she has been mostly defensive about Saudi Arabia. She has repeatedly tweeted praise of the Kingdom, for example, of its offering 10 months paid maternity leave, as if that should end all criticism of the Saudi treatment of women. She attacks those who think Saudi women should be allowed to choose how to dress — i.e., whether to cover or not, and if so, by how much — by tweeting that it’s a trivial social problem. She’s defended Sharia law — ignoring its severe punishments, for example, for all kinds of sexual behavior, and its unequal treatment of women (e.g., in inheritance laws and testimony in court) — by exclaiming, again deflecting attention from the real issue, “wouldn’t it be great” if all interest payments were abolished as under Sharia. In reply to criticism of the condition of women in Saudi Arabia, she answers that “there are women in the Saudi parliament,” as if that were a suitable defense. You can find more on her defense of Saudi Arabia here.
And what does Linda Sarsour say about those many Muslims, including Rahaf’s family, who think apostates from Islam should be killed? If she denounces that view, she would be denouncing a belief that is central to Islam. As stated by Muhammad in a hadith (Al-Bukhari 9:57): “Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.” Will Linda Sarsour take issue with Muhammad? Or if asked to comment on Rahaf’s case, will she instead meretriciously offer, as I suspect, something to deflect attention such as “look, this girl was trying to get asylum, so she makes all kinds of wild charges about death threats and so on. I’m not surprised. And her little ploy worked — she’s now in Canada.”
By her own brave defiance both of her family and of Islam itself, Rahaf Mohammed has helped bring the subject of how Muslims treat apostates to the world’s attention. Many who knew nothing about how severely those who leave the faith can be punished will have learned, through Rahaf’s own story, of the threats of death she reasonably feared and, one hopes, of the hadith which supports that punishment, in which Muhammad gives his terrifying command to “kill [anyone] who changes his Islamic religion.” That ought to startle a good many people, who until now will not have known about the punishment for apostates from Islam. Her case will ideally lead to widespread discussion of this murderous hadith, which Muslims cannot ever disavow and Infidels cannot ever accept. It will be fascinating, too, to see how Muslim apologists will attempt, as they must, to defend that punishment. For without such a threat, how many millions or tens of millions of “cultural” Muslims, or Muslim-For-Identification-Purposes-Only Muslims, would leave Islam?
Meanwhile, let’s ask Linda Sarsour, our Muslim Feminist Misogynist, if she is delighted that Rahaf’s story has a happy outcome and if she thinks we should all celebrate her bravery. Or does she think that girl should have returned dutifully to her family in Saudi Arabia, a country which Linda Sarsour has for so long defended? Complicating matters for Sarsour, the Saudis, apparently ungrateful for her efforts on their behalf, began in December to assail her for having her roots in the Muslim Brotherhood. What’s poor Linda Sarsour to do — keep defending the Saudis, or deepen the rift not of her making?
And let’s all keep Linda Sarsour in our sights, by asking her, on every conceivable occasion and on every conceivable platform: Do you agree, Linda, that those who leave Islam should be killed? Or punished in any way? Yes or no? How many ways can even Linda Sarsour possibly squirm out of answering that?
Peter Buckley says
“And let’s all keep Linda Sarsour in our sights, by asking her, on every conceivable occasion and on every conceivable platform: Do you agree, Linda, that those who leave Islam should be killed? Or punished in any way? Yes or no? How many ways can even Linda Sarsour possibly squirm out of answering that?”
She is practiced in the art of taqiyya. She will answer “of couse not” in public. In private…….
Best to keep publicising to all and sundry what the more honest muslims tell us most days, even in the West:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmoLHtDBDi4
then ask “moderate muslims” to explain how they are misunderstanding Islam………
Islam in the modern world……dying of shame.
Or Else! says
Any responsible Western journalist would be all over the statements made in that sermon you posted. Instead, such a journalist would be labelled Islamophobic and likely fired before their craven bosses get any whiff of a “Charlie Hebdo” coming their way.
No…Western journalism is much more comfortable shifting focus–even if it has to concoct stories…like 24/7 slamming of an evil, white, Christian President and his minions–some of whom harassed an elderly, indigenous man on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. What a joke!
Western education needs an overhaul. Socialism/Marxism has to be rooted out for the vengeful, murderous ideology it promotes and becomes in practice.
P. Douglas says
Mohamadenism is NOT a “Religion” in our normal sense of the word. It is a cult and Political ideology in every sense!
The “not a” religion based upon these demon inspired “teachings” should be utterly banned from every Civilized Nation!
We need to begin agitating now, for a real change here in the States.
This vile and putrid evil MUST BE STOPPED NOW!
We have no other choice.
Or Else! says
Agree. Time for the West to redefine what constitutes a “religion” that deserves protection under our laws.
Garfield says
Confronting her is almost pointless. This information needs to reach her supporters. Ads need to be taken out to direct people to this website. Can someone run ads like maybe even small classifieds saying free info and this web dress? How can this message reach more people lawfully and peacefully? Can we all try to think of ways?
The hypocrisy of the left is astounding. They need this information!! Then they won’t call themselves feminists and support a political.ideology that deprives women of normal rights. They won’t call themselves LGBT friendly and support a group that throws gays off buildings. They won’t support FGM, sharia law and child marriage. …….right?
Terry Gain says
P. Douglas
I agree that Islam is not a religion. I agree with Barack Obama that “no religion condones killing”. Since Islam not only condones killing but commands the killing of infidels, it does not qualify as a legitimate religion. The supposed carnal paradise is also a good argument against Islam as is the choice of an evil man as god’s prophet. And Muhammad’s supposed most excellent winged horse adventure is proof by itself that Islam is fake.
But I don’t think Islam can be banned without civil war. The best that can be hoped for is to ban further Muslim immigration. The alternative is conquest.
Anjuli Pandavar says
I have to most strongly disagree with those who say that Islam is not a religion when it so obviously is. No one has the luxury of defining religion in such a way as to exclude one particular religion from that definition. That’s playing mind games.
Islam, like any other religion, whether secular or deistic, proceeds from the premise that certain fundamental aspects of reality cannot be discovered, but can only be revealed, and as such fall outside of the domain of reason. In some cases, such constructs are harmless, but when an account of reality is offered that presupposes an uncaused supreme being as ultimate cause of that reality, then we’re heading for trouble. Islam is simply the furthest that humanity has managed to go in constructing an edifice to both buttress and perpetuate absolute submission to one particular and particularly grotesque supreme being. There are many instances in history when the supreme being was human, rather than supernatural, such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Kim Il-sung, but the socio-psychological constructs that defined the relationship between them and their subjects were no different to that between any worshippers and the deities they worship: internally, they were not amenable to reason.
It does not help us to insist that Islam is not a religion, just as it does not help us to insist that Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism and whatever obtains in North Korea are atheist. I understand why people want to “undefine” Islam’s religiosity, but that would be performing a sneaky trick, an optical illusion, for the adherents of Islam will not thereby cease to worship Allah, and will not thereby suddenly start subjecting Islam to rational scrutiny, or suddenly cease to take offence at the slightest contradiction of their precious faith, or cease to prosecute jihad. Of course Islam has distinguished itself with claims that other religions do not make, such as that it is the final religion, that its prophet was the perfect human being, that it is itself perfect, that it is divinely ordained to violently subjugate and rule the world, but none of these claims, preposterous as they may be, place Islam beyond the reach of the term “religion”. If Islam is to be defeated, indeed, extirpated, then honesty must remain a key weapon in our arsenal, for it is the one weapon that Islam does not have, and against which it has no defence. Ask any ex-Muslim.
gravenimage says
Islam is a religion–an evil religion.
Coonie says
Gravenimage, I would rather say that islam is an ideology.
gravenimage says
It is both, Coonie.
Anjuli Pandavar says
Coonie,
Just to be sure that I understand, are you saying you would rather *not say* that Islam is a religion, or are you saying Islam *is not* a religion?
cornelius says
Hugh’s article focuses on Linda Sarsour and apostasy….and yet, he appropriately kicks off by touching on the issue of honor killings. Muslims routinely insist that honor crimes have nothing to do with Islam, but almost every justification for an honor killing can be found in the victim doing or saying something that could be interpreted as a rejection of the faith. Since, for example, Muslim women are forbidden by Sharia law to marry a non-Muslim man, then any romantic relationship between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim man could readily be interpreted as a rejection of her faith.
For as long as apostasy remains a capital crime in Islam – and it will remain so for as long as Muslims exhibit fidelity to their canonical texts – all manner of killing can be justified.
Terry Gain says
Laws against apostasy are damnable and evil.
Anjuli Pandavar says
Cornelius,
“as long as apostasy remains a capital crime in Islam… all manner of killing can be justified.”
—
It’s an interesting connection I’ve never made. Are you saying death for apostasy is to other Islamic killing as freedom of speech is to other Human Rights freedoms? If you are, then I’m not really sure, because Islamic killing requires no justification other than that its canonical texts prescribe or recommend it. What I mean is, why should killing apostates be more fundamental to Islamic killing than, say, killing a wayward daughter? I’m not saying that I disagree with you. I’m just wondering how you put this together.
No Muzzies Here says
There are nice religions in the world. Being in them is a pleasure. You like your religion and it makes you happy. You have no reason to leave it, but if you did, your former fellow religionists would not hunt you down and cut your head off and put it on a lamppost for all to see.
So what about a religion that keeps people in it through a guarantee of death for leaving? Is there a religion that kills its members for not adhering strictly to all the rules and regulations? Turns out there is, and it’s not a very pleasant religion. It’s so barbarian and cruel that it hunts you down and kills you for leaving it.
That explains why it has 1.5 billion members, and why half of them are miserable and want to get out but the other half will kill them for doing so.
Walter Sieruk says
Of this brutal barbaric savage murderous callus action called “honor killing ” three points need , out of many, should be reiterated.
First in the case of a Muslim father heartless and vicious murder his very own daughter by engaging in an “honor killing” because to left “the House of Islam ” and turn to Jesus and received Him as for personal Savior. This Islam action of “honor killing” expose not only the malicious ,deadly and misogynistic hate – filled violence of this death cult which is Islam but this also exposes the Islamic god ,Allah , to be a powerless nothing god .For this god of Islam has no power to influence the daughter of the Muslim father to return to Islam. So the Muslim father doesn’t pray to Allah to sway his daughter to return to the fold of Islam but he instead murders her.
In contrast, if a daughter of a Christian father turns away for Jesus he doesn’t murder her because the God of the Bible forbids it , Exodus 20;13. Galatians 5:21.likewise ,unlike the god of the Quran , the God of the Bible has the power to sway that Christian man’s daughter to return to Jesus. Therefore the Christian father does pray for his daughter.
Second, about the topic of Islamic violence which, something, takes the form of the brutal cruel vicious and murderous action that is so inappropriately y called “honor killing.” This malicious misogyny is so heinous callous and malice- filled that it’s an affront to all that is good, decent and right. In addition, the author, Brigitte Gabriel , exposed in her book which is entitled THEY MUST BE STOPPED on pages 171,172 , that “The shocking reality is that most Muslim men ,including those educated in the West ,have no objection to the degradation of women in their countries .Across the Muslim world, even in moderate Islamic countries, women’s’ rights are almost nonexistent…Women is Islam are considered unclean ,deemed inferior even to dirt.” Furthermore, as for Islamic violence against girls and women in Canada. In this just cited book it explains on page 176 that “Honor killings have also come to the West thanks to the rise of Islamic immigration. “
Indeed, they must be stopped!
Third, as for the brutal ,cruel vicious and murderous actions of Islamic misogyny which is so inappropriately called “honor killing.” This heinously wicked misogynists Islamic tradition reaches such n demonic extent of evil and madness that in number of Muslim nations ,as Afghanistan , if a girl or woman is raped she then might undergo being murdered in an “honor killing.” This is worse that a terrible miscarriage it’s an outright outrageous affront to all that is decent, good right as well as sane. To actual punish the victim of raped and not the rapists is most hideous, vile and wrong. very wrong. The Bible teaches in Proverbs 17:15. “The Lord hates two things, punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free.” [E.R.V.]
gravenimage says
Hugh Fitzgerald: Rahaf Mohammed, Linda Sarsour, and the Question of Apostasy (Part Two)
…………………
Here is the egregious Linda Sarsour, trying to silence critics of “Honor Killing”:
https://honordiaries.com/blog/linda-sarsour-tries-silence-women-like/