Saturday, January 7, 2012

Muslims Outraged By Shafia "Honour" Crimes

Oh, not by the crimes per se. By the "stereotypes" that the crimes reinforce:
KINGSTON, Ont. — The Shafia family murder trial, which resumes here Monday, has caused anger, disbelief and sadness in those following it — Canadian Muslims along with everyone else.
But among Muslims there is also a deep sense of frustration, especially over a conversation that was presented as evidence by the prosecution: "They betrayed humankind; they betrayed Islam; they betrayed our religion and creed; they betrayed our tradition; they betrayed everything," Mohammad Shafia is heard saying, allegedly referring to his dead daughters, in a conversation recorded by police.
Shafia, his wife, Tooba Yahya, and their eldest son, Hamed, have been charged with four counts each of first-degree murder. All three have pleaded not guilty.
The mere mention of Islam in this context reinforces the stereotype that killing in the name of honour is an Islamic practice.
Killing a family member who is thought to have tarnished the family's honour is in no way sanctioned or promoted by Islamic teachings.
For starters, murder is totally off-limits in Islam...
Except when it isn't. Like, say, when you want to spread the faith a la Islam's founder (a fearsome warrior), and infidels stand in your way. (Just ask former Official Muslim Mohamed Elmasry, who once averred on TV that all Israeli adults are worthy of evisceration by Allah's explosive warriors, er, Palestinian "freedom fighters.")

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