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MPAC & MWL CONDEMN 'HONOR KILLING' IN PAKISTAN
(Los Angeles - 1/3/06) -- The Muslim Women's League and the Muslim Public Affairs
Council strongly condemn any and all honor killings as a complete violation of
the teachings of Islam. On December 23rd, Nazir Ahmed murdered his 25-year-old
stepdaughter and three daughters (all under the age of 9) in a village in Pakistan.
This case is an aberration, reflecting the actions of a deranged, mentally unstable
individual.
Religious illiteracy is a pervasive problem in the Muslim world that allows for
such crimes to be erroneously justified by Islam. The Muslim Women's League and
MPAC call upon the religious leaders of Pakistan, and other Muslim countries,
to begin a campaign of religious education of their people, emphasizing the principles
of equality, justice and accountability as expressed in the Qur'an.
"A woman's moral conduct is not 'owned' by anyone else but herself. Her honor
belongs to her, and not to her family," argues Dr. Maher Hathout in his new book "In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam". "It is for God to judge her, and to determine the punishment for any moral
indiscretions on her part, not for her family of the society to do so."
The general devaluation of female children, along with the culturally acceptable
notion that women bear the burden of honor for their entire family, creates an
environment where such a heinous act could occur. According to Islamic law, or
Shari'a, children are not considered accountable for their deeds in a legal or
moral sense until after they complete puberty. All children, both male and female,
are guaranteed basic rights in Islam including the right of safety and security.
Furthermore, individual members of society are not allowed to take the law into
their own hands and render punishment, regardless of whether a crime has been
committed or not. Therefore, the murder of these young girls in Pakistan can be
viewed only as a horrible homicide for which their father should be punished under
the full extent of the law.
For a more detailed discussion of the issue of honor killings within Islamic
law, click here or visit www.mwlusa.org.
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