In the Qur’an, a mysterious figure, known as Khidr in Islamic tradition, kills a boy in an apparently random and gratuitous attack. He then explains: “And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.” (18:80-81)
And according to Islamic law, “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.” (Reliance of the Traveller o1.1-2).
Muslims commit 91 percent of honor killings worldwide. The Palestinian Authority gives pardons or suspended sentences for honor murders. Iraqi women have asked for tougher sentences for Islamic honor murderers, who get off lightly now. Syria in 2009 scrapped a law limiting the length of sentences for honor killings, but “the new law says a man can still benefit from extenuating circumstances in crimes of passion or honour ‘provided he serves a prison term of no less than two years in the case of killing.’” And in 2003 the Jordanian Parliament voted down on Islamic grounds a provision designed to stiffen penalties for honor killings. Al-Jazeera reported that “Islamists and conservatives said the laws violated religious traditions and would destroy families and values.”
“Young woman allegedly shot dead by brother for ‘honour’ in Karachi’s DHA: police,” by Imtiaz Ali, Dawn, May 14, 2023 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
A young woman was allegedly shot dead by her bother for “honour” in Phase VI of Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Sunday, the police said.
A spokesperson of Chhipa Welfare Organisation told Dawn.com that the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday. He said that the body was later moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil legal formalities.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the young woman suffered two bullet wounds on her head and leg. There was extensive damage seen in her cranial vault, she stated.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (South) Syed Asad Raza, the initial inquiry revealed that the victim was shot dead by her brother.
He told Dawn.com that the suspect had “confessed” to killing his sister for “honour” during interrogation by the police…
The suspect told the police that his sister had “illicit relations” with a person because of whom he shot her, added the officer….
ed says
Is it mostly women who are “honor” killed?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
There have been some men who’ve been “honor-killed”: it’s usually whichever side is perceived to be straying from islam
somehistory says
There have been some accounts given here of men being killed by their family members or the families of women dating or marrying without the family’s permission.
One man was murdered by his parents…poisoned first…because they decided he should be married; they had also murdered their daughter and her husband.
And there was the account of mozlums in the U.S. who murdered their daughter and her husband and a friend of the daughter who had introduced the two.
mozlums have no rules when it comes to whom they may choose to murder, supposedly to restore and honor they never had.
Jim says
There are family internal killings in the West, as illustrated by many Forensic Files documentaries and illustrated by Law and Order episodes. The difference is that honor killings by Muslims are usually justified by scriptural commandments. Western honor killings are only justified by hatred, prejudice or misplaced notions of ethics. It would be hard to find justifications in the Bible. Jesus even stopped a mob from stoning a woman. There should be a rethinking in the Islamic world, but this is difficult, because theologians and clergy could lose prestige by advocating reform. And there is the danger of reprisals for ever criticizing the scriptural interpretations that justify honor killing.