November 25-”Violence Against Women a universal problem ?By John L. Esposito and Sheila B. Lalwani
25 Nov | Filed Under: Violence Against Women
“We live in an unequal world, and women of every religion are victims of cruelty. Let’s keep that at the forefront of the debate and address how to make so-called honor killings and other forms of gender violence history, which is exactly where these crimes belong”
Women are murdered in so-called honor killings everyday, and the public has a right to know more about these crimes and their victims.
Take India for example. A few months ago, the first-ever Indian Peoples’ Tribunal on so-called ‘Honour Killings” gathered prominent lawyers and activists from major Indian non-government organizations, including the Human Right Law Network, the Women’s Legal Forum and the Women’s Christian Association of India, to raise awareness for these crimes. The event followed an incident earlier this summer when two young people from different backgrounds pledged to marry one another but were killed by their loved ones. Family members perpetrated the so-called honor killing to restore their communal standing. Some praised the murderers as heroes, and authorities treated the crime with impunity.
Were the victims Muslim? No. That’s the point.
Gender equity and violence against women are two issues rightfully attracting more attention in the mainstream press, but in the court of public opinion, Islam is seen as an instigator of women’s oppression. Studies show that gender equity is cited as a reason for the public’s mistrust of Islam. Mass media message and biased campaigns — such as the one Ms. Pamela Geller waged in Chicago in August — that link so-called honor killings to Islam miss the opportunity to address what is truly intolerable: Gender-based violence. Such violence refers to crimes committed against females and cuts across numerous faiths, cultures and societies.
According to the 2009 United Nations Human Development report, approximately 5,000 people — the vast majority of them girls and women — fall victim to so-called honor killings annually. So-called honor killings are murders, usually committed against female family members accused of impugning the family honor. These crimes are symptomatic of highly patriarchal systems, where women are held responsible for maintaining personal, family and community honor.
These murders occur in the Islamic World; but, they also take place in other countries, such as India and victims can be Muslim, Christian, Hindu or Sikh. The killings are often treated as a family matter and become extra-judicial. Even in rare cases in which perpetrators are prosecuted, sentences are often disappointingly light.
When so-called honor killings are linked to Islam, they ignore non-Muslim victims and ascribe the issue to “Islam” when these crimes are a cultural phenomenon with a past that pre-dates Islam. So-called honor killings occurred in ancient civilizations, including Babylonia, Biblical Israel and Rome.
In fact, there is no justification for so-called honor killing in Islamic law or religion. Similarly, there is no scriptural reasoning for these crimes in Hindu or Sikh sacred texts.
The Geller ad campaign omitted that in recent years, Muslim scholars, commentators and organizations have condemned these so-called honor crimes as an un-Islamic cultural practice. To illustrate, the Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shii spiritual leader, issued a fatwa banning so-called honor killing and describing it as a “repulsive act, condemned and prohibited by religion.” Shaykh Ali Gomaa, Egypt’s grand mufti, also has spoken out against these crimes.
The United Nations has also taken actions to comprehensively address gender justice and has not addressed so-called honor killings are an exclusively Islamic problem.
These statements rarely get the attention they deserve and the public is left to contend with false information that fuel personal agendas and undermine the progress that has been made over the last several years to build global awareness on violence against women. Muslim fathers love their daughters just as much as fathers elsewhere.
We live in an unequal world, and women of every religion are victims of cruelty. Let’s keep that at the forefront of the debate and address how to make so-called honor killings and other forms of gender violence history, which is exactly where these crimes belong.
Everyone — Muslim and non-Muslim — would be better served that way.
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
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2 Responses to “November 25-”Violence Against Women a universal problem ?By John L. Esposito and Sheila B. Lalwani”
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I found this article very informative and it backs up what I believe. I get many emails telling of the faults of Muslims,that I never send on and always take the time to explain what I believe and know about the Muslim people. When a person is murdered in Canada it is not reported that the Christians did it. From my experience Muslims people are beautiful,kind and loving people and we have many friends. People who wanr ro spread hate are always active.Don’t help them by believing everything they write. Go to some of these countries as we have and see for yourselves.
Biased media campaigns such as Ms. Geller’s not only miss the opportunity to address gender-based violence, they also contribute to the problem by reinforcing the notion that speaking up about family violence brings dishonor not only to the family, but to the religion itself. Part of the complexity of addressing domestic violence within the Muslim community (in the US) is changing the perception that speaking up about abuse is that it ‘gives Islam a bad name.’ The recognition that being able to speak openly about difficult issues is a sign of community strength is beginning to spread, but we have a long road ahead.