Today, I am going to digress from Islamic finance for a while …. Last night, I watched a documentary in National Geographic on Honour Killing in Pakistan, which focused on a victim named Zahida Parveen, whose husband has tied her upside down, cut off both her ears, her nose and carved out both of her eyes and left her to bleed to death. Honestly, I had nightmares last night.
I have always been taught that when two people got married, it does not mean that the wife ceases to exist – it is supposed to be a partnership that should be filled with mutual respect, understanding and love. I am not naïve to realize that there is no such perfect couple/relationship but the least we could do is treat our other half with respect and honour as what we normally grant to a fellow human being.
It’s a well-known fact that Islam maintains the protection of life and does not sanction any violation against it. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah says, “Who slayeth a believer of set purpose, his reward is Hell for ever. Allah is wrath against him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom.” (An-Nisa’: 93)
Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (s.a.w) said, "The blood of a Muslim may not be legally spilt other than in one of three [instances]: the married person who commits adultery; a life for a life; and one who forsakes his religion and abandons the community." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
“There is no such concept in Islam that is called “honour killing”. Islam holds every soul in high esteem and does not allow any transgression upon it. It does not allow people to take the law in their own hands and administer justice, because doing so will be leading to chaos and lawlessness. Therefore, based on this, Islam does not permit such killings.
First of all, in order to sanction killing, it must be through a binding verdict issued by an authoritative law. Individuals themselves have no authority either to judge cases or pass judgments. Therefore, a Muslim should not sanction such killing because doing so will be leading to the rule of the law of the jungle. A civilized society cannot be run by such laws.”
Recently, another victim named Aasiya Hassan was beheaded (allegedly by her husband) in America – my goodness, what is happening in the world today? Have we no feelings of compassion towards another human life form?
As it is, Islam has been viewed to be the religion of terrorists and now the issue of honour killing (which in actual fact is NOT permitted by the religion of Islam) has further tarnishes Islam. Something should be done against the criminals and I hope and pray that justice will prevail (if not now, they will pay the price in the Hereafter). Allahu Akbar!!!!
