Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Globe Mistakes "Modesty" for the Fear of Being Whacked by the Clan

In the Globe and Mail story, Concern for reputation leads Muslim woman to clarify sex assault, confuses a concern for ones reputation with the reasonable fear of being murdered by one's own family. A Muslim student has come forward to say the she was not raped. There is this context given for sexual politics in moslem countries.

Ottawa's Muslim community yesterday supported the woman's decision to clear her name.

"Who are we to judge somebody else, especially if a person is innocent?" asked Mumtaz Akhtar, president of the Ottawa Muslim Association.

He acknowledged that in some Muslim countries, especially in smaller villages, people do hold the belief "that victims of rape are unclean."

"They despise the person who has been a victim of rape, even if it is their own daughter. But it is not like that here. People are more educated."

He said she shouldn't worry about that connotation, adding that people are likely to be more sympathetic because it was not her fault.

Where honor killings are most common women who have been raped by members of their own families are then murdered to protect the good name of the same family of rapists. I am more impressed by societies where people clear their names through their own deaths rather killing a scapegoat.

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