Wednesday, July 23, 2008

An “honor” killing in America

John Avlon writes about it in today’s NY Post. I comment below the star line.

Avlon begins - - -

On July 6, police say, a Pakistani named Chaudhry Rashid strangled his 25-year-old daughter San- deela Kanwal with a Bungee cord in her bedroom because she wanted to end her arranged marriage. This "honor killing" came not in Pakistan, but in Jonesboro, Ga. - a suburb 16 miles outside Atlanta.

At his arraignment, Rashid said through an Urdu interpreter that he was "not in the state of mind to talk because of the death of his daughter," but stated "I have done nothing wrong."

This is not the same as declaring innocence. His attorney, Tammy Long, explained, "My client is going through a difficult time. As you can imagine, he is distraught."

Apparently, it takes a stronger man to murder his daughter without sentiment.

The national media has paid little attention to the story of Kanwal's murder, though most outlets found plenty of time to debate the cover of The New Yorker.

When a blonde girl goes missing, cable networks stop in their tracks - but when a Muslim woman is murdered by her father, there's not a ripple of sustained interest. Where's the outrage?

Maybe it's muted because we've grown reluctant to pass judgment on other culture's customs - but multiculturalism hits a crossroads when honor killings come to America. …

The rest of Avlon’s column’s here.

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Comments:

God rest San- deela Kanwal.

That so much of our national media would pay little attention to her murder while raging about the New Yorker cover should disturb us all.

Where was the outrage when San- deela Kanwal was killed by her father?

If we let multiculturalism “help us understand” people like Chaudhry Rashid we'll be perverting the America we have now: a place that doesn't tolerate people who murder women, not even fathers who murder their daughters because they wish to get divorces.

There’s no better time to assert America’s absolute unwillingness to tolerate “honor” killings than now: the first time we know it’s happened.

If America doesn’t move swiftly to punish this crime, we’ll be sliding down a deadly- for-innocents slope much as Britain has the past 30 years or so as it ignored it historic common law practice of protecting the innocent.

Police in the UK have a pretty good idea of what really happens to those “young Asian women.” (the UK euphemism for Muslim girls and young women who go missing, with their bodies sometimes later found in conditions leaving no doubt they died violently)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

John:

"As you can imagine, he is distraught."

I imagine he is. The thought of having to pay ruinous legal bills would make anyone anxious. But, at least, his family is not dishonored.

Ken
Dallas

Anonymous said...

John -

To bad we have an Eighth Amendment that's applicable to the states (via the Fourteenth). My suggestion - let him be distraught all the way to the lethal injection room. There is no place in the United States for this nonsense. And of course - the MSM give Muslims a pass - ah because Islam is a religion of peace - maybe of the grave.

Jack in Silver Spring

Anonymous said...

The matter at hand is a simple one: a man took the life of another human being.

It does not matter that it was a female. It does not matter that it was his daughter. What matters is that one human being took the life of another.

In the United States, I believe that is, generally, illegal.

Accordingly, the man now faces charges and trial.

Of course, we can dispute the matter of cross-cultural ethics all we wish. It is irrelevant to the legality of the matter.

Now, maybe it is worth asking if the matter was "murder" or "assisted suicide". If it was an "honor killing", did the man's daughter consent to it? Obviously, that will be difficult to prove in a court of law. But is it worth asking? Only if our perception of justice relies, in part, upon our perception of truth.

I do not disagree that this man should face appropriate punishment for his actions (although I am opposed to the death penalty). I also think that we should not limit our perspectives to be unable to grasp a matter as simultaneously illegal in one setting and customary in another.

Anonymous said...

Ken:I would not be surprised at all to learn the man is indigent and on some sort of public assistance. I fear the "ruinous legal bills" will be paid by you and me.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree this could be a bellwether legal case and should be watched closely. If the authorities start to get all PC on us we might as well move to Australia because this society is doomed.

I'm always amazed when people don't understand the Judeo-Christian ethic is the reason our society and country has been successful. If we lose that structure it will not bode well.