I've been reading about the current honour killing trial in Kingston, centered around Afghan immigrant Mohammed Shafia and his dysfunctional, and now greatly eliminated, family. Shafia is currently being tried for the alleged premeditated mass murder of his first wife, Rona, and three daughters, aged 19, 17, and 13. The four family members were found drowned in a lake, but there is doubt as to whether they were dead before going into the water. Bruises have been found on some of their foreheads that could have been from the impact of a car crash, but they could also have been from force of a different kind. Based on everything that's been said about the family and its dynamics, and especially Shafia's disgust and cold hatred for his daughters, he has really made it easy for people to find him guilty. I can't imagine the trial ending with him being found innocent, but I'm not so naive as to think it certain. I hate reading about things like this. I feel like they should be fiction but I know they're the terrible truth. And I know its not a singular issue. Violence against women and an overall disregard for the humanity and rights of women is a very real issue in some parts of the world and it is all too easy to blame culture as the cause of it. In middle eastern countries, women must wear burkas. Men can marry many wives. If a women is raped, it is her fault and she shames her family. Why are these things comfortable aspects of some countries' cultures? Men should not fear, blame, or punish women and they should not push their shame onto any one else other than themselves. The fact that honour killings exist as recognized acts and are not given equal criminal weight in all parts of the world definitely gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Here's a link to one of Maclean's stories on the trial:
i-love-you-with-all-my-heart
No comments:
Post a Comment