Pakistan's Human Rights Commission recently stated that 869 so-called "honour killings" were reported in the media last year. That's 2.38 per a day. But, the Commision says, the true figure is probably much higher since many cases are never reported.
Here's an example of what Pakistani Muslims consider a matter of "honour". A few days ago, a young couple in the village of Satrah were tied up and had their throats slit with scythes. Why? Because they married for love!
The 17-year-old girl and 31-year-old man married on June 18th without the consent of their families. Very misfortunate for them that the girl's family considered the groom unsuitable because he was a member of a "less important tribe". According to police, the girl's mother and father lured the couple home late Thursday, promising that their marriage would receive a family blessing. When the couple reached home, the girl's father cut their throats.
Since this happened in a Punjabi area of Pakistan, it's possible the victims and perps might have been Sikhs, but nooooo, they were Muslims. The reports in the PC lamestream press gloss over this, saying only that "cultural traditions" in many areas of Pakistan mean that killing a woman whose behaviour is seen as immodest is widely accepted. The people's false religion -- an integral part of any culture -- has nothing to do with it!
What is "immodest behaviour"? For a woman to marry a man of her own choice is considered an unacceptable insult by many families. So is singing, looking out of the window or talking to a man who is not a relative.
Pakistani law means that even if a woman's killer is convicted, her family is able to forgive the killer. Many families simply nominate a member to do the killing, then formally forgive the killer. That's what happened earlier this week, when a tribal council in Muzaffargarh district sentenced another young couple to death for marrying for love.
The couple's lawyer said the two had appealed for police protection after their marriage on June 21st, but had not received any. The 19-year-old girl's family came to take her from her husband's family, swearing on the Qu'ran that they would not harm her and would hold a proper wedding ceremony, he said. "During this the girl shouted, cried and mourned for her life and her husband's life because she knew that they will kill both of them."
The girl was shot by a member of her family when she returned home, police said. Her husband went into hiding and her father registered the murder complaint so he could forgive the killer. "That will end the case," concluded the lawyer.
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