The Practice of Honor Killings

I read a story earlier today on MSN about the detestable tribal tradition of honor killings in Pakistan. To summarize:

In a tangle of bushes and trees outside a remote village in southwest Pakistan, six close male relatives of three teenage girls dug a 4-foot wide by 6-foot deep ditch, on a sweltering night in mid-July, and allegedly buried the girls alive. The girls’ crime: they dared to defy the will of their fathers and the customs of their tribe and choose their own husbands. The mother of one of the girls and the aunt of another were shot and killed while begging for the girls’ lives, according to local media reports.

It should be easy for us to see the horrid nature of such a practice. However, the most unbelievable part of this whole ordeal is the fact that many people within that culture support this tradition. I’m certainly an advocate for honoring and respecting your mother and father. However, there comes a point when you must draw the line. Killing your daughter because she wants to choose her own spouse is quite extreme. It may be hard for us to understand because we live in a culture that has a close relationship with feminism. A tradition like honor killings is completely unthinkable here in America (and rightfully so). In the Pakistani culture, it is the opposite extreme. Women have no voice in a male chauvinistic and dominated society. The issues run deeper than this circumstance. In any case, you can read the article for yourself and tell me what you think.