Archive for February 2009
ISLAM and HONOR KILLINGS – Imam Zaid Shakir
Islam and Honor Killings
For that reason, we ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul for other than murder or spreading corruption in the land, it is as if he has killed the whole of humanity… Qur’an 5:35
One of the gravest charges levied against Islam, in terms of its alleged antipathy towards women, is the claim that it encourages a phenomenon known as honor killings. This un-Islamic practice consists of the murder of female family members who are seen as dishonoring their families through real or perceived acts of indiscretion, such as premarital sexual relations or unapproved dating. This charge has been intensified recently due to the tragic murder of a Pakistani Canadian teenage girl, Aqsa Parvez. Read the rest of this entry »
The Debate Over Aasiya’s Murder
by Amy Siskind
Amy Siskind is president and co-founder of The New Agenda, a nonpartisan organization devoted to advancing women’s rights
By arguing over the difference between honor-killing and domestic violence, we’re straying from what’s most important: that Aasiya Hassan was senselessly murdered and the laws of our country could not protect her.
What will it take for our country to wake up to the national crisis that is violence against women and girls? Perhaps a modern-day heroine executed medieval-style in Buffalo, N.Y.
Aasiya Hassan cannot take the path of “unreported” along with 73 percent of violent acts against women at the hands of intimate partners. Beheadings have a way of drawing attention. She cannot withdraw charges, like the alleged victim of New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate. She cannot contemplate not filing charges and instead accepting her celebrity boyfriend’s apology, while all the young girls look on. No, Aasiya must instead accept the role of modern-day heroine. Beheadings have a way of taking away choices. Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing the New Islamaphobe: Brigitte Gabriel [She comes from an "Arabic Country" - Forward to 2:34]
Removing the Silence on Domestic Violence by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Decapitation and the Muslim WorldIs there any special significance to beheading in Islam?
http://www.slate.com/id/2211593/
Posted Friday, Feb. 20, 2009, at 12:00 PM ET
The Entry of Mahomet II Into Constantinople, 1876, by Benjamin Constant
A Muslim man was accused of beheading his wife last week in Buffalo, N.Y. In recent years, Islamic terrorist groups have made a common practice of decapitating their political and religious enemies and broadcasting the acts in gory videos. Is there any significance to beheading in Islam?
Yes, but it’s important in other cultures, too. As Lee Smith noted in a 2004 Slate piece, two verses in the Quran refer to decapitation—both in the context of religious war. Sura 47, verse 4 reads: “Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks.” However, this line has generally been interpreted by Islamic scholars to mean that when facing infidels on the battlefield, one must strike with a deadly force. (The verse goes on to say that once you have fully subdued your enemy, survivors should be shown “generosity and ransom.”) The same is true in sura 8, verse 12, in which it’s recalled that the Lord said to the angels at the Battle of Badr, “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instil terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.” Both verses are traditionally understood as inspirations to ferocity and not literal calls for beheading. Read the rest of this entry »
