Honour Killings and all forms of injustices as sanctioned using Islam

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Monday February 11, 2008 10:58 by Nora noorazao at hotmail dot com Malaysia 00-6025394924

It's time that Islamic followers all over especially women, must demand radical progressive change to their religion and the so-called Sharia laws, especially in this very modern century.

Religion is part of culture and culture fundamentally represents dynamic and ever-changing customs and traditions that reflect the realities of everyday life experiences and beliefs. Islamic followers must realize that the label "Muslims" does not represent a race (but only reflects a small part of whole self-identity) and that when their cultural tradition is being criticized, it's not about their race being attacked. Muslims are Islamic followers who follow certain traditions and traditions that are dynamic and ever-changing as explained above; besides being both personal and social. Personal here means religion is for personal enlightenment and self-discovery journey to be a better human being personally and hence will be a better human being in the social world. They must not be held ransom by self-serving male-dominated elitist class including the priestly hierarchy or leaders who deceitfully exploited the 'laws' interpreted in the holy book as if absolute "word of God", for political purposes (politics is about sustaining power). Instead, to intelligently and wisely analyze and understand the book and words of their prophet as human interpretation of what was supposedly word of God; and according to historical context. Thus such barbarity and primitivism as represented and practised by Islamic leaders and so-called Islamic courts under absolute, unjust and dogmatic Sharia ‘laws’, must be condemned by progressive and just minded Islamic and non-Islamic followers alike especially women. For every religion is supposed to provide only as guidance to what is spiritually and practically ethical within ever-changing historical context; not legitimize under absolute and primitive 'laws' the abusing of human rights (nor the natural world) instead. Extra news at:

Guardian (UK): It's one sharia law for men and quite another for women. By Catherine Bennett. Sunday February 10 2008. At - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/10/rel...n.law

Independent(UK): Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: What he wishes on us is an abomination. Sharia is nothing but a human concoction of medieval religious opinion. Saturday, 9 February 2008. At -
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmi....html

Independent (UK): A question of honour: Police say 17,000 women are victims every year
At –
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/a-questi....html