Cleric confessed that he had deemed his action the best way to “punish his wife for rebelling against Allah’s orders”. PHOTO: FILE
MULTAN:
A cleric cut his wife into pieces on Wednesday for refusing to wear a veil and sending their children to school, police said.
They said the body was recovered from near their house. They said they found his confession on the body and had also recovered the weapon he had used.
The body has been handed over to the family following a post-mortem examination.
A case has been registered against the confession-killer, who the police said had been missing.
Ahmad Aziz, father of the deceased Farzana Bibi, 36, said that she married Muhammad Sharif, 42, a resident of Bakkhal Bhir in Mumtazabad Colony.
They had three children.
Aziz said that Sharif led prayers at the neighbourhood mosque and also gave Quran lessons at their home. He said Sharif was short-tempered and would often beat up Farzana Bibi. He had been telling her to cover her face when she left the house.
Aziz said Farzana Bibi wore an abaya (gown), but did not want to cover her face.
He said they often quarreled over the matter.
Police said Aziz was informed about the incident by the police shortly after they found Farzana Bibi’s body. Police said it had first been seen by a neighbour, who informed the police.
Police said in his note, Sharif had confessed to killing Farzana Bibi.
He wrote that he had deemed his action the best way to “punish his wife for rebelling against Allah’s orders”. He wrote that he wanted all women to learn from their example.
He said he had not wanted his children to study at a school. Instead they should have gone to a religious seminary. He said Farzana Bibi had enrolled their children into an English medium school against his will. He said he had wanted to punish her for that, too.
He said he had been telling her to cover her face with a veil when she stepping outside, but she had not listened. He also wrote that he did not want to be responsible for her sins and thus killed her.
He said it had taken him time to make up his mind for this.
On Wednesday morning, after the children left for school, he wrote, he attacked her with a sharp knife, used to slaughter animals. He later cut the body into 10 pieces.
The station house officer said a police team was looking for Sharif. He said the children had been handed over to the parents of the deceased.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (59)
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This is what Islamic leaders do. And you wonder why we don't believe you when you say Islam is the 'religion of peace'.
As if the sickening news of that vulture's act was not enough that I had to read some,even more pathetic,comments of the people who are uninformed and ignorant of the teachings of Islam.All I can say here is,may God bless that woman and her kids,Amen
@FoY: Whether it (veil) is farz or wajib or required or not required is a matter of of one's own religious interpretation. No human being has the right to force his views on another.
Do you agree?
@Fiz: I do agree that many of you are fighting the mindset and I also agree that more and more are coming in by the day.
Good people will always be good people, bad people will all ways be bad. The problem with religious bad people of any kind is that they can pretend to be good people by putting the word 'god' in their justification.
@Raj - USA: Mr. Raj you seem to be seriously mislead by pakistan-hate emotions. Or is it a case where a person judges the other person in the light as he behaves? You look in the mirror and stereotype everyone by your own reflection. You need a pscychiatrist bro! Whatever happened with the poor woman is the mindset that we are fighting against. We are the bulwark against such mindset otherwise they'll roller coast anyone and take over the world. If you can't appreciate us then at least have the good sense to keep quiet. USA specially cannot be absolved of creating this mindset in our region way back in 80's. Take care and drink cold water to curb your tendency!
This man definitely has a mental disorder (but then, perhaps many bigoted clerics do) - justifying such dirty bloodlust with religion is not just wrong and disrespectful, it borders on blasphemous. His actions are absolutely unjustifiable and he needs to be made an example to avoid.
@Mirza: By calling women the weaker sex it shows that there is still the seed on inequality in your mind. I would tear it out, pour salt on it, and never think that way again. Otherwise you're just perpetuating a myth.
@Abdullah: Murder is evil. Doing it and using an invisible being as an excuse would get him locked in a mental institution for the rest of his life in america or anywhere in the developed world. Woman are human just like men. No adult human should have to put up with beatings and demands based on another human's ego. This can not continue.
@Tara Morgan: For God's sake,try not to quote or justify what u have no knowledge of. It is so clear to me that u never read the qur'an and know nothing about Islam. Allah never told anyone to kill for him in the name of not wearing a hijab. Islam recognizes the sanctity of life and one of the worst sins is to take a life you can create. obviously. there are some bad heads among muslims, likewise among every other religion followers. Please dont judge Islam by evil deeds of some "muslims". Peace be unto you.
I view this differently. It has nothing to do with Islam. It is all suspicion. This man was suspecting his wife and mother of three children. He was suspecting her character and moral values.
Now what I am going to say is important.
Most muslim men in Pakistan suspect their wife, their sisters, their daughters and even their mothers. We have seen many cases where boys have killed their mothers, brother have killed their sisters and fathers and mothers have jointly killed their daughters, all on suspicion that these girls or woman were having illicit or adulterous relationship. This happens on a scale of 100:1 when compared to India or any other country in the world. In Pakistan, men do not allow females to ride bicycle even for obvious reasons, nor do they allow their females to go out on their own even for shopping or even to attend schools. Why is it so? It is because the men have seen their counterparts assist and connive with them in their pursuit to rape the hindu girls and giving it a convenient cover of Islam. No woman has ever come in support of these rapes. Even when they come out to the streets when forced by their men or just to paint a good picture to their men and demand burka rights, their men still do not trust them. This is something the woman of Pakistan should seriously ponder. Want to win the trust of your man, condemn him for his bad acts. Not just stand by silently, support or cover it. Once you start doing this you will find a sea of change and earn the respect of your men folks. How can you allow your men folks bring in young and unknown girls right in your own home? You know what happens to them.
Muhammad Usama Aziz,
You should tell all the car bombers in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan that they are sinners. You could also tell the Taliban that they are sinners as well. Good luck with that.
It seems to many infidels that there are a lot of Moslems who don't understand the principles of their own religion of peace; about killing being a sin - particularly the mullahs that are supposed to know.
Meyer
@Tara Morgan .. The man's actions were based on his own twisted interpretation of divine laws and not what is in Islam. He killed his wife thus violating the biggest commandments of ALLAH SWT. Instead of accepting the blame for his own despicable action he is trying to gain legitimacy by hiding behind Islamic law. He is using Islam to justify his own demented action. Just like millions are killed in wars by justifications used by politicians that do not apply on the poor who are killed.
It is a sad truth that violence against women is going on forever. However, in the civilized world it is decreasing and not at the name of religion. In Pakistan most of the violent crimes against women are perpetuated by fanatic Muslims. This includes but not limited to acid throwing, brutal killing and mutilating bodies at the name of religion and family honor. It is a shame that there are people who justify and find reasons to support these atrocities against the weaker sex.
Real disturbing fact is this man was leading prayer; People were listing to him and praying behind that monster. How can people not judge Islam when we allow men like him to represent Islam? All of those who are commenting saying this is not real Islam, what have they done to challenge that type mentality?
Is it just me or does any one else also see this guy being showered on his way to the courts like Mumtaz Qadri?
@not hairaan: people like u just want to criticise without even putting their gray matter to use. mard-e-haq is not justifying the murder. what he actually means is that wearing veil in wajib and not fard. which means it is NOT mandatory. thats what he meant.
@Don Davenport: @Tara Morgan: If you have researched a little about Islam then you would not have commented this. Its your arrogance towards Islam that you commented on a thing on which you don't have enough knowledge.
In Islam, killing is a major sin. So whoever does this, is certainly not following Islam.
" he attacked her with a sharp knife, used to slaughter animals. " After regular practice on dumb animals the mullah perfected it on his wife. Time for South Asian muslims to rid themselves of barbaric practices like slaughtering mute animals on Eid, and concentrate on the real message of sacrificing temptations and bad thoughts and deeds.
@Iron hand: There's no such thing as justification following religion.
@Mard-e-Haq: "it is Wajib under Islam for women to wear the veil. " People like you are the problem. What if someone disagrees with you?
Every human being has the right to make their own decisions. You are trying to justify a murder???
@Tara Morgan: Islam doesn't force or orders any women to cover her face and doesn't oppose the education too and what this human turned animal did to his wife got nothing to do with Islam. Islam doesn't have to be responsible for its false interpretations and if someone has this mindless ideology, he should be hanged in-front of public.
@Nauman Hashmi: Hi brother, actualy, it does not allow that.
@Mard-e-Haq: Piety? There is nothing pios about murdering the mother of your children and butchering her out like an animal.
Millions of years ago when the creator created this planet there were no religions, languages or human beings in this universe. So the creator has no religion. 1000 years ago some people created religions and said the creator belongs to their religion. Only fools will believe this.
What happened has NOTHING to do with REAL PEACEFUL Islam. That was sheer BARBARISM. Such Mullah are the WORST CREATURES ON EARTH and are far removed from Islam. They have hijacked true Islam and are even worse that Wild Beasts. There is No force in Islam.
And then the Muslims have the audacity to complain about being unfairly stereotyped by westerners...
@sam sam:
Leggo my Eggo!
@sam sam: This is not domestic violence. It is only because in the west that we talk, write and expose domestic violence that it seems like it happens here more often. Actually, the opposite is true. The first step to solving a problem is giving it the light of day.
When a certain psychological disease by a single individual exhibits, it is quite possible to cure it. But if this disease spreads like an epidemic, it becomes a national heroic deed!
The above maulana is not an isolated case of our society. Our country swarms from such god´s faithful killers, either actively or passively! Everyday they strike somewhere, somehow, totally indiscriminately! This phenomena of human killing in the name of god has become a divine virtue in the Islamic world.
One line from Pakistani movie "Kudha Ke Liye" rings in my ears.
For those who have not seen this movie.......... A moderate muslim family has one son who falls into the company of a mulla who brainwashes him. His younger brother loves music and is moderate. So are his parents. One day when the younger son comes back home he senses a tense environment. He asks for the reason. His father says that his brother wants his mother to start wearing burka. The grandmother comments that in her times, when she was a young girl it was a frequent question then "when Munni will start wearing burka?" and now the times have changed and the question has become "when Ammi will start wearing burka?".
@goggi (Lahore): You are not the only one. Even quoting Bulle Shah's noble words about clergy are too hot to handle for mods of a 21st century Pakistan.
I think this wild person is trying to islamize henious crime. . !
@Andy: You go by what others told you about Islam. Maybe try studying it yourself? Did you understand the people arguing if covering face is sunnah or wajib? wait, i am sure you don't even know about sunnah and wajib.
@Iron hand: Let me explain this to you :) In Islam, it's God's orders that women cover their body and their hair (Hijab) after reaching puberty as a symbol for modesty, there's no argument in that part..However the issue of covering the face or not has been widely debated by Muslim Sheikhs for such a long time; some say it's a must like Hijab, some say it's only preferable but not a must and that women who don't cover their faces aren't sinners.
Moving to your question, NO, Husbands can't force their wives to do anything, they can only give advice.. And of course Murder is a complete sin in Islam, so doing this is definitely not justified in Islam..He's just another one of those psychos..
nothing to do with Islam? how long are you going to deceive others and yourself with this sheer lie? @sam sam:
ET: by not publishing my perspective of life, you want to protect the above hafiz`s god? Why? So that our country becomes more and more lunatic? Think before its too late!!!!!!!!!!
It is new crop of muslims who will look in to the issue to save their future . We have to say nothing about Islam but to enable them to eliminate these mullah .
Poor woman..she would not expect such an action from a devout muslim.
@Don Davenport: More pests from other religion, may God protect us from them too. Amen
Nauzubillah may Allah protect people from such pests in Islam. Amen
He is a devout pious muslim. He cannot be wrongly guided.
His actions were motivated by religion ( among other things ) but to say that the injunctions of Islam necessitated his acting in this particular way would be to commit perjury.
This is tragic and yet life must move on in our part of the world. We are not ones to analyse are we ?
@sam sam: The guy is an imam who knows his religion's teachings and texts better that most. I have no doubt he is a devout man who takes his religion very seriously. What makes you think his actions are not sanctioned by Islam?
@csmann: "his own interpretation of Islam" is what is written in their so-called holy texts. The ones who bomb and behead are not hijackers, misunderstanders, etc. They are devout Muslims.
and moderate Muslims claim Hijab is voluntary and women are happy to wear it, even in the west.
"She challenged God's order". Then let God handle it. Is he so handicapped that he needs help of a mortal like you?
Why doesn't it say anything about whether he was arrested and what kind of punishment he got (if any)???
@Iron hand: its not his fault, if, to be put in a right religious context; Pakistan doesn't have his sharia laws anyways. so, can anyone call his actions wrong?
To cover face for Muslimah is Sunnah, not Wajib
To cover face for Muslimah is Sunnah, not Wajib
I don't know why people can't accept his explanation at face value. He apparently wanted to “punish his wife for rebelling against Allah’s orders”, not his orders. The excuse "It has nothing to do with islam" seems quite simply false.
Rest in Peace Pakistan. We still have these third class people there. i don't think i have any civilized word to comment on this man.
i must say the man is a psycho. and please don't sync this with Islam cause Islam allows not to cover face.
It has nothing to do with islam. Its just a eggo and power issue. Domistic voilence happens in west way more then here we have to find the root cause of our frustations treatment for our mental ilness.
Are his actions religiously justified? If not why not and if so why so?
Pakistani men should not take their piety to such levels. Also, it is Wajib under Islam for women to wear the veil.
How misguided these mullahs can be? To him it is not sin to kill a human being just because somebody does not agree with him. To him it is not a sin to destroy the life of his kids by denying them proper education.He could simply have divorced her if there was a disagreement, but he had his own interpretation of Islam- the murderous ideology of the taliban and the madrassas. Where are the fatwas against these kinds of acts?