I’m looking directly at YOU, Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
From The Independent:
When Elif’s father told her she had to kill herself in order to spare him from a prison sentence for her murder, she considered it long and hard. “I loved my father so much, I was ready to commit suicide for him even though I hadn’t done anything wrong,” the 18-year-old said. “But I just couldn’t go through with it. I love life too much.”
All Elif had done was simply decline the offer of an arranged marriage with an older man, telling her parents she wanted to continue her education. That act of disobedience was seen as bringing dishonour on her whole family – a crime punishable by death. ….
So-called “honour killings” in Turkey have reached record levels. According to government figures, there are more than 200 a year – half of all the murders committed in the country. Now, in a sinister twist, comes the emergence of “honour suicides”. The growing phenomenon has been linked to reforms to Turkey’s penal code in 2005. That introduced mandatory life sentences for honour killers, whereas in the past, killers could receive a reduced sentence claiming provocation. Soon after the law was passed, the numbers of female suicides started to rocket.
Let me type this real slow, so that even the most touchy-feely can understand it: Not All Cultures Are Equivalent. Cultures that promotethe murder of women, or promote the suicide of women, are not as good as cultures that discourage the murder and suicide of women.
“Honor Killings” are the result of cultures that do not understand, much less embrace, the concept of “honor.”
