Law enforcement agencies need to take stern action against these gross killings. DESIGN: FAIZAN DAWOOD
Marriage is that sacred institution where man and wife coexist in harmony, exhibiting mutual trust and respect for each other’s rights and treating each other as equal counterparts. However, this is not always the case in Pakistan. Pakistani society is very much a patriarchal one, with husbands often dominating the relationship and taking the law into their own hands if they suspect their wives of unfaithfulness. Two recent incidents highlight this sad truth about the country. In the first incident, in Shikarpur, a husband entered his in-laws’ home and killed his wife. He is now under police custody but we have yet to see him face severe punishment for this barbaric act, including his alleged physical assaults on his deceased wife due to which she initially left him. Likewise, we should see the suspect in the second karo-kari case — this time in Ghotki — caught, investigated and also made an example out of.
Too frequently we read about such tragedies in Pakistani newspapers. The patriarchal, superior mindsets that young men grow up with become very dangerous for the women in their lives later on. In the second incident, a man merely suspected his wife of an affair, stormed into the room while she was doing the laundry and, without giving her a chance to explain or availing proper lines of communication to discuss the problem, shot her point-blank. Obviously, for him, the woman’s life had no value.
Incidents of karo-kari and ‘honour’ killings are on the rise in Karachi, according to an August 1 report in this newspaper. They are no longer restricted to the country’s villages. Law-enforcement agencies need to stop these gross murders across all provinces immediately. The men who commit these murders deserve nothing but to be adequately punished according to the law for their barbaric actions. Likewise, communities that are prone to holding jirgas on such matters need to be severely taken to task. Only law-enforcement agencies and courts have the official right to declare someone innocent or guilty and those taking matters into their own hands must face consequences.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2013.
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@SHAGY: what's Islam got to do with it?
Furthermore, these incidents are not helping with the image of Islam. I stumbled upon an article online a few days back, where they have narrated several incidents of honor killings from US to UK, to Jordan & Pakistan and even in India. And one can just imagine the comments of the non-Muslims about Islam and the oppression of women. Ironically, the men who KILL women in the name of honor get little to no punishment, resulting in the encouragement of similar crime. Why doesn't CJ takes notice of these cases?
Your editorial begins with the statement: "Marriage is that sacred institution where man and wife coexist in harmony, exhibiting mutual trust and respect for each other’s rights and treating each other as equal counterparts. However, this is not always the case in Pakistan." In my view the sentence was written by someone who has liberal views but does not know anything about this subject. Let us start with Pakistan. Most of the weddings take place when 'others' decide who one is to wed. Very little is thought about mutual trust, harmony or respect for each other. It boils down to economic benefits and nothing more. One of my nieces told me once that: a happy marriage in Pakistan is like a lottery, less than one in million are lucky to be happy. Since for an average marriage divorce is not an option so life is miserable for women. Compare marriage with other western countries where one in three marriages break up within the first seven years (That is the case in Germany). But those wedlock that survive are happy. The difference is that women do not lose if marriage breaks up. They get financial compensation and a broken marriage is not considered a handicap for future relationships. Nothing will change unless marriages are focused on the couple have much in common and their ideals are the same, or not much different.
Arranged marriages and marrying daughters of to relatives is still the norm in South Asia. Good question what that has to do with love. Most East Asian counties are abandoning this practice in droves (last 30 years). Just add a dash of tribalism and a dash of the need to conform to conservative customs and practices and tablespoon of religion and you have your answer.