Saturday, June 03, 2006

Not All Honor Killings Are Islamic

I Could Scream: Examining the plight of women under Islam
Here are two news stories about two different families, one Danish, and one American. The first was sent by a Gates of Vienna reader and commenter, kepiblanc, who kindly summarized his own translation of the following story from Politiken (original in Danish):

“Honor Killings” are by no means unusual in Denmark nowadays. Normally the police grab the killer, and put him in front of a court of justice where he will get a sentence of life behind bars.

But something has changed: For the first time ever an entire family of nine is standing trial for premeditated, cold-blooded murder. That’s right, not only the trigger-man, but his entire family as well.

Honor killing in DenmarkLast September Ghazala Khan (18) married a young man. Her family didn’t approve, and two days later she and her husband were gunned down in public in front of a railway station in the small town of Slagelse. A man sitting on a nearby bench had his cell phone’s camera activated and took the photo at right.

The man who pulled the trigger was Ghazala’s own brother. Ghazala screamed, “What are you doing?” while she took six bullets from a large caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. She died on the spot. Her husband took the remaining two bullets in the stomach, but survived.

As the investigation turned out it appears that Ghazala’s father orchestrated the killing in cooperation with eight members of the family, including chasing Ghazala down, providing the handgun and the getaway car.

The usual procedure in these “honor killings” is as follows: the family appoints one member to perform the actual slaughter (preferably a teenager in order to get a milder sentence) and the courts will prosecute that man only. But not so this time: The Danish Courts want to set an example and eventually hold the entire family responsible. What that means is: hold Islam responsible.

Stay tuned.

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Appositely, a similar story unfolded right here in America this past week. A man already in custody in Lake Dora, Florida, facing a life prison term for multiple counts of sexually abusing his daughters — even raping one at gunpoint — is now in the same jail as his parents, who attempted to hire a someone to kill their granddaughters in order to prevent their testimony in court against the couple’s son:

Lake County deputies Tuesday arrested the couple — she’s 59, he’s 64 — and charged them with plotting to hire a hit man to kill their son’s wife, 10-year-old daughter, his 16-year-old stepdaughter and 14-year-old stepson and the family dog.

Similarly, a cousin in the family has been implicated for helping the rapist find a place to stay in Georgia when he initially became a fugitive after being charged with forty eight counts of sexual battery last Fall. The story notes that the son was “the mastermind” behind the plot to kill his family. His parents simply followed orders.

Both these stories are examples of primitive, tribal thinking. It is a mindset based on an axis of honor vs. shame. We know that the bizarre family in Florida will get due justice. In fact, they’ll get a whole lot more time and more hearings than they deserve, given the mandarin-like environment of our justice system.

But the unusual treatment of this honor-killing in Denmark represents a change in thinking and gives hope that at least one European country is not headed down the dhimmi-tube. When you live by the laws of the tribe, then the whole tribe should suffer the consequences.

Once again, Denmark shows its true colors. And those colors are brilliant.

15 comments:

John Sobieski said...

Ah the joys of Islam. Killing those the infidels don't.

Greg said...

D, very interesting contrast in the then vs. now (hopefully!) Danish story. However, the point of my comment is on the Florida one. You quoted...

"...and charged them with plotting to hire a hit man to kill their son’s wife, 10-year-old daughter, his 16-year-old stepdaughter and 14-year-old stepson and the family dog."

So, I'm left wondering... what did the family dog know, and when did he know it?

Muslihoon said...

I don't want to be annoying but I don't see how the second example was to be a honor killing. A hit taken out to save someone from jail, indeed, but not really an honor killing.

In any case, I am very happy to see the Dutch taking a very strong stand on this.

Muslims are becoming aware of our culture and laws, and they are using this knowledge to their benefit. We must not let them.

Dymphna said...

The point I want to make is the kind of "tribal thinking" involved in the Florida case. The rapist, his parents, and even a cousin were involved in this plot to "save" the criminal. While this is an aberration in American culture, rather than the norm, what they were saving -- in their thinking -- was their family honor.

Consider this a lethal version of "what will the neighbors say if anyone finds out..."

in American pop music 50 years or so ago, there was a song that went this way:

"slap her down again, Paw, slap her down again,

We don't want our neighbors talkin' 'bout our kin...

Oh, how they slapped my sister, Susie..."

That song couldn't get air time today, but it was performed regularly not so very long ago...

Muslihoon said...

Good point, dymphna. I retract my comment: I stand corrected. You are right: such tribalist thinking leads to very inhuman acts.

Always On Watch said...

Dymphna,
For the first time ever an entire family of nine is standing trial for premeditated, cold-blooded murder. That’s right, not only the trigger-man, but his entire family as well.

At last! No moral relativism and multiculti excuses for murder.

Always On Watch said...

I read that link dropped by German-Eurabia. Not a good development!

kepiblanc said...

German-Eurabia

Nobody in Denmark ever denied the Muslims to have or build mosques to their hearts content. That was another blatant lie made up by Abu Laban and the other Imams. What happend now is that somehow they can suddenly raise the money to build one (Saudi Barbaria ?) - There is no "authorization" needed and never was.

Kathy K said...

The Florida one is an honor killing, in my opinion. The daughters and wife are accusing the man of dishonor and must be silenced. (I don't know about the dog... )

Kathy K said...

Oops - an attempted honor killing.

Addendum: BRAVO for Denmark!

Kiddo said...

Guys, stop saying "the Dutch". I know, minor point it seems, but the people of Denmark are Danes, not Dutch. Sorry, had to get that out.

My main point is the attitude of European (whites) regarding guns, gun control, and the ease with which those of us in the U.S. can purchase firearms. After reading the European press for years, this all seems a bit bizarre, as it seems that people who really want a gun across the Atlantic can manage to get and use them before (usually) being caught. Perhaps it's the horror of these gun crimes that helps breed the attitude, but that has not seemed to me in my correspondences or friendships to be the basis of the attitude.

kepiblanc said...

Thanks to pim's ghost for the correction. I for one am no Dutchman but an ordinary Dane. And you could barely find two European countries more apart in their attitude to Islamofascism. Well, if you don't count Sweden, that is.

And about guns : Europe may have strict laws on the matter, but firearms are everywhere and very easy to obtain. The unusual thing here is that the killer in question used a firearm. Danish Muslims tend to prefer knives or even axes. Maybe firearms are too 'high-tech' ?

Esther said...

The US story is not an honor killing, and though it shows a lot of evil thought, you cannot fight honor killings if you bunch it all together with other issues. I have alraedy seen honor killings bunched up with "crimes of passion".. and there's a big difference between the two.

An honor killing by the Arabs is an murder in which the family honor is restored. The murder will (almost) always be done by a family member of the woman, not the man, as it is their honor which is being trampled by her sexual behavior. the honor murderer would then be PROUD to be in jail as he has done his tribal duty.

In the case of the US couple - their honor was not being restored, just their son would maybe get out of jail. They did not murder their own, but their son's wife. I would put this under disgusting, evil and trying to stay out of jail, but not under honor killings.

Foxfier said...

Dymphna-- check out any of the "kill an f*ing hoe, shoot the b*tch" rap for similar lyrics.

Captain USpace said...

These people are barbaric, if it is their culture, it is barbaric and inferior...

absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
fathers may kill their daughters

if they feel dishonored
like when she dates the wrong boy
.