Burned Alive: A victim of the Law of Men

[Michael]

I was thinking last night about Islam and what it means to be a Muslim. P_M has a point, in that the people educated outside of Middle Eastern style Islam, regardless of where (Western or Far Eastern) tend to regard this culture with great disparage which is consequently reflected in the Hell Bent news media stoking and catering to the, all to human, desire to imagine others with, a least ,slight contempt. Some make no bones and are openly hostile towards any Muslims and, I think, considers Islam the devil incarnate. Others just feel soothing else. Maybe pity?

I’ve asked this over and over – what is Islam? Is it different than being a Muslim? That is, is it, as AllahMathematics suggested, that one can be Atheist and still be Islamic? What does that mean? Islamic is what? Where exactly is the separation in defining Islam and in defining a Muslim and then again in defining Middle Eastern culture in general – or is it that they are all the same?

This book is what prompted me thinking about this: Burned Alive : A Victim of the Law of Men

I’m not saying the West is some angel. I personally had had enough of the US that I moved to Australia. Maybe on another topic someone can bring that up. But for now, I'm interested in this book and the, presently, uniquley ME concept "honor killings".

 

[Michael]

However, on this topic, I found that after just a bit a reading I was at a complete loss. This woman’s face has been burned horribly by her brother for the reason that she dishonored her family. Her brother found her washing the family’s clothing near a well and quickly doused her in gasoline, pouring it over her head, and set her ablaze. Accordingly he was welcomed as a hero and she was left to die – luckily a female neighbor took her to a hospital that had a few European aid workers there and they took her into care and she’s a least alive. From the above books back jacket it states that over 5000 honor killing occur each and every year.

I don’t think this is Islamic is it? Is it Muslim? Is it Middle Eastern culture? The person who burned his sister was and Islamic Muslim.

If it’s not Islamic then why are these criminals treated as heroes by the community – which is evidently Islamic and made up of Muslims? The local communities are Muslim aren’t they? They go to the local mosque; surely the Imams are declaring Jihad against this? Actually they are treating these criminals as heroes and the victims as criminals. This goes to the point. Why? What is Islamic? I think Islamic has no inherent meaning – it’s just a word used by people to give themselves an identity in a world that is otherwise blasé about the Muslim faith. It probably feels “right” for a Muslim to say “I’m Islamic” but it really doesn’t mean anything. While one person will say honor killing is Islamic another will say it’s evil and another may say nothing.

 

[Michael]

One way, I thought, that may be able to distinguish between the culture and the religion is this. As the book suggests there are over 5000 honor killings each year in the ME. Does anyone know, is there a significant percentage of these that are Christian – say in proportion to the indigenous populations?

That is,
If Christians make up 10% of a population are 10% of honor killings committed by Christians?

If all 100% are committed by Muslims then I think we can then say that there is a correlation b/w the religion and honor killings not to the society – as Christians, also being middle eastern, should equate to 10% or at least 500 of all honor killings.

If there is no religious correlation (that is, Xian’s ARE indeed committing honor killings in proper proportion to Musilims), then the next question is one of identity.

Are all honor killings committed by peoples who consider themselves Arabic?

Perhaps it’s, as I suppose, the Arabic culture that is to blame. As Islam originated in Arabia there is going to be a cultural link. However, Christianity comes form the same area and its become quite harmless. If this is the case then Europeans should perhaps worry less about Islam and if anything embrace it. Until mandatory death, via ageing is ended, there will probably always be a significant portion of the population in need of an explanation of what happens next. And nothing just isn’t going to cut it. So the sooner Islam is turned from an Arabic culture into European the better.