Christie Blatchford: ‘I would do it again’; court hears horror of alleged honour killing

[vminfla]

Source: National Post

What happened at the locks that night, Crown prosecutors alleged in Ontario Superior Court Thursday, was a so-called “honour killing,” the culmination of a violent misogynist Afghan culture that had been transplanted holus-bolus years earlier into the heart of central Canada.
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“May the devil s— on their graves,” Mohammad Shafia told his second wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 20 days after the bodies of the couple’s three teenage daughters and Mr. Shafia’s first wife were recovered from a car in the water at the locks.

Found dead by drowning in a black Nissan Mr. Shafia had bought just eight days earlier – the suggestion implicit that he got it for that very purpose — were Rona Amir Mohammad, the barren wife who had been presented to the children and outsiders both as an “auntie,” and rebellious daughters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and 13-year-old Geeti.

Charged with four counts each of first-degree murder are Mr. Shafia, Ms. Yahya and their oldest son Hamed, who was 18 at the time. All are pleading not guilty.



Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/10/20/christie-blatchford-%E2%80%98i-would-do-it-again%E2%80%99-court-hears-horror-of-an-alleged-honour-killing/

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Tragic, and avoidable deaths that could have been averted if Canadian authorities were more responsive to the claims of these poor, innocent victims.

[msongs]

1. let's invade their home country and try to change their society from its 10K year old ways nt

[LaydeeBug]

11. Let's not pretend that 10K yr old ways are some how "more acceptable" because they're old...

If I made it part of my faith to slaughter your kid, would that be ok?

shake. my. fucking. head.

[chrisa]

14. Not.

It stopped being worth it even before the first American life was lost.

[47of74]

2. Sounds to me like some social workers and politicians need to be imprisoned too

For gross negligence at the least.

[pacalo]

3. At the very least, children's complaints should be followed up on in confidence.

The youngest girl, who was the most vocal to authorities, clammed up when the counselor intended to confront the parents in the girl's presence.

[dkf]

5. Would you have had to bring up religion and culture to do so?

Is there a way to be culturally sensitive yet remove the girls?

[4saken]

7. Why would one be afraid to address typical activities(culture) of any group?

That very fear may very well have lead them to not take action, or fully question the specifics as the children asked for help. An inability to objectively look at one's own activities based on their merits directly contributed to this. If you think people need to be sensitive to people's activities regardless, especially those for which fallacious appeals(like to tradition) are made, you're just contributing to this kind of tragedy. Each group of inherited activities(cultures) have sub-cultures within them. Every culture has their problems and must be questioned along side all other ideas and the activities they inform.

[REP]

10. There is no need to be "culturally sensitive" about abuse, especially in Canada

This is the 21st century, not the 10th. This asshole needs to adapt to modern society; modern society does not need to be "culturally sensitive" to him.

[iris27]

4. Wow, putting the author's name in the headline is confusing and misleading. WTF, National Post?

It sounds like she's the one saying "I would do it again", instead of the fundamentalist asshole patriarch.

[vminfla]

9. I did not understand it myself

It was confusing with no value-add.

[richmwill]

6. Sick bastard...

He would proudly do it again? Just for some stupid pictures. Imagine how he would have reacted if they wanted to drive a car! :eyes:

[saras]

8. Imagine how he would have reacted if they had wanted to have sex. Teenagers do this, you know.

[applegrove]

12. I'm reading "Better Angels of Our Nature" by Steven Pinker on violence around the world.

He mentions in many ways how having 'honor' results in violence. So too religion. What a horried death. Thankfully these people will never be free again.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. horrible.