Honour killing claims another life
ISLAMABAD – A woman Taj Bibi, a resident of village Javaa, Sihala, was murdered in the late hours of March 25, morning.
The woman was allegedly killed by her brother that she has developed illicit relations with a man and brought disgrace to the family. Her brother believed that she had been seen with a man publicly also.
Enraged by the fact that his sister was seeing with a stranger, and after having the peer pressure, he sought her out almost a week after the incident and slit her throat decapitating her body.
Theproblem of honour killings is not a problem of morality or of ensuring that women maintain their own personal virtue; rather, it is a problem of domination, power and hatred of women, who, in these instances, are viewed as nothing more than servants, liabilities the family, both physically and symbolically.
Women who bring dishonour to their families because of sexual indiscretions are forced to pay a terrible price at the hands of male family members.
Islam is clear on its prohibition of sexual relationships without marriage.
This Prohibition does not distinguish between men and women, even though, in some countries, women are uniformly singled out for punishment of sexual crimes while the men, even rapists, may be treated with impunity.
While strongly condemning the honour killing of Taj Bibi, who was murdered by her own brother, a non governmental organisation, Pakistan Women Association has demanded time and again that cases of this nature be brought to courts, where they could be settled as per the laws of the constitution.
The association said that we do not advocate as to whether the victim was guilty of being seen with a man, or having a relationship with him.
Our call is for serving justice to the accused through a fair and free trial, with confidence vested in the judiciary.
Source: The Nation
Date:3/28/2004
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