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‘Honour killing’: Pakistani family stands trial in Belgium
Brother of victim also confesses to attempted murder of other sister.
Brother of victim also confesses to attempted murder of other sister. DESIGN: ESSA MALIK
MONS:
Belgium’s first “honour killing” trial opened on a note of high drama on Monday when a young Pakistani man suddenly confessed to the murder of one sister and the attempted murder of another.
Mudusar Sheikh, 27, is standing trial along with his parents and younger sister for the murder of his sister, Sadia Sheikh.
The law student, who defied the family by living with a Belgian and refusing an arranged marriage, was shot dead by three bullets allegedly fired by Mudusar on October 22, 2007.
Her parents and sister are accused of aiding and abetting the killing which took place when the student visited her family in the hopes of patching up their quarrel.
Mudusar has admitted to killing his sister while saying the rest of the family was not to blame.
Questioned by the presiding judge at the jury trial, he surprised his own lawyer by suddenly confessing to the attempted murder of his second sister, Sariya, now 22 and on trial herself in the case.
“I am confronted by two acts, one that succeeded — that eradicated a person, Sadia — and one that failed, on my sister Sariya,” who was wounded by a bullet to the arm in the 2007 shooting.
“I want to tell my family this,” he went on. “I wanted to kill Sariya. I don’t dare look you in the eye.”
“I left you for dead,” he added to his sister beside him in the dock as his parents broke into tears.
The accused said he would have “a lot of things to explain” during the high-profile trial, expected to last three to four weeks.
The family of four face sentences of life imprisonment if found guilty by a jury of five women and seven men at a trial also involving rights groups pleading for gender equality as part of a civil suit at the hearings.
Sadia Sheikh left the family home to study after her parents tried to arrange a marriage with a cousin living in Pakistan she had never met.
Before moving in with a Belgian man her age named Jean, she was helped by fellow-students and teachers and also spent some time in a centre for victims of domestic violence, where she drew up a will as she felt threatened.
She had nonetheless agreed to visit the family in hopes of making peace the day she was shot.
Her father Tarik Mahmood Sheikh, 61, mother Zahida Parveen Sariya, 59, and sister Sariya, also facing charges of “attempting to arrange a marriage,” have denied involvement in the murder, saying Mudusar killed his sister in a fit of rage.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2011.
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Reader Comments (22)
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How can anything be more precious than a child’s life? Unbelievable!! There must be something wrong with a system that promotes these types of actions.
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if Islamic laws says she shud b killd then she shud b!
i think Islam dont allows marriage with non-muslims!
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@usman:
that is a ridiculous and un defendable position.If the punishment for murder is not death how can punishment marrying a non muslim be death.How do you know he wasnt going to convert.Your thinking is no better than the brothers
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Islamic Law Allows and Believer of God can be married.
Any one who has killed a Human is like killing the whole humanity (Quran)
This man is destined for Hell
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@usman:
pakistani education system shining
you are pre-programmed machine, these kind of machines are threat to human beings.
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A tragic story! In the West a human life is worth more than honour and reputation!
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The people who emigrate to the west should be willing to bear the social costs for the economic benefits that they gain.
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@usman: Very unfortunately for you to say such a thing.
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I like reading comments in Tribune. The Good Part is that Tribune allow`s comments of contrasting views (Example Usman & Sars), which makes reading comments interesting.
Thanks Tribune, for allowing to express and allowing comments. Moderation of comments is reasonable which is really nice.
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@ Usaman you are the type most sane Pakistani hate. You spread hate, religious intolerance, sectarism. You are an insult to the founder of Pakistan and yes I dont respect you and dont really care about your thoughts and beliefs! I hope the majority of Pakistani’s rise against the carrot heads and sieze ownership!
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This is too pitty condition our society is facing, Usman is saying very right. If a Constituation set by any nation or country must has to be followed anyhow..!! except giving and accepting any lame-excuse, than why dont Islamic rules and regulations.. NoOne can live unsystematic life ever, due to this fact Mudasir couldnt resist to kill her…
Whoever is dragging “Humanity, Harmony, and Human rights” kind of terminology inorder to intend Sariya an innocent, should 1st go there to Europe and brake their laws except disgracing their females, surely would`nt get spare of punishment, while in our culture do commit any crime but never spoil Islamic identity atleast…!!Recommend
The real crime is that this is done all the time in Pakistan with little (if any) repercussions – says something rather onerous about Pakistan.
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I am sure that the Afghani man and son who killed his wife and three daughters in Canada will be sentenced to life in jail this month. When these Muslims go abroad and start to live lives there, they should be prepared for the consequences of their children behaving and thinking in a different manner than in Islamic societies. That’s why we keep hearing stories of expatriate Muslim communities killing their own daughters in so called “honour killings”.
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Thing is that west people like to lives in free socity in which childern did not know even, who is my father…!!!!! They can never understand the our socity which totally opposite of….Recommend
@ .GM Baloch
you want to claim muslims are paragon of virtue?Recommend
@GM Baloch:
“Thing is that west people like to lives in free socity in which childern did not know even, who is my father…!!!!! “”
Very rich of you to claim with such confidence that everyone in the East know who is their real father. LOL.Recommend
I am happy finally ET reported something like this. Forced marriage with cousin is rampant by Pakistani family settled in Europe. This is just one of thousands of such cases. Wat is wrong with my Pakistani people. How did we become so intolerant ?
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@Somy:
Our religion n Culture is making everyOne confident enough about their identities..!!
DOn`t consider each Pakistani lady of Ur type please…!!
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@ Zalim Singh
Al Hamdo Allah..Islam is the superior religion over all the religion in the world.Recommend
@GM Baloch:
“@ Zalim Singh
Al Hamdo Allah..Islam is the superior religion over all the religion in the world.”
“Dil ke bahlane ko, Ghalib, yeh khayal achha hai”. You may believe whatever you want to but to others it looks like utterly delusional!
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@Tipu Sultan:
Can you please give a reference that muslim girl can marry non muslim
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Marriages among believers is a waste topic, which is possible under certain circumstances.
but a Muslim cannot convert, if he does he is pronounced to be ‘Murtad’. i hope you people understand the meaning of ‘Murtad’.
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