What next? Honor Killings?

At this point it would be foolish to think that 'honor killings" will not happen in the Maldives.

Violence against women is a worldwide crisis. The so-called “honor killing” of women and girls in some Muslim nations is one horrifying manifestation of this global phenomenon. Honor killing, the practice of murdering a female family member who is believed to have sullied the family honor, enjoys widespread acceptance in some areas of the Islamic world. In Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries this is part of their culture and tradition. This heinous practice is even carried out by some Muslims living in western countries like the UK and the United States.

The blame is often laid at the door of "tribal customs" and people try to avoid the taint of Islam in honour killings. While saying that Islam has nothing to do with "honor Killings" many Muslims nations are not doing enough. Recently the Parliament in Jordan has overwhelmingly rejected a proposed law imposing harsher punishments for men who kill female relatives in what are known as "honour killings". Honor killings accounted for one-third of the murders of women in Jordan in 1999.

Since Islam is used as the justification for such barbarities, it becomes incumbent upon Muslim spokesmen to confront this directly, and to work for positive change, rather than simply to consign it all to culture, as if that absolves Islam from all responsibility.

As Maldivians embrace the culture of Pakistan, Egypt etc, we should be on our guard that these abhorrent practises in these culture do not enter into our society.

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