No honour in murder
Re Shafia case tests us all, Editorial Jan. 31 I couldn’t have been more pleased with the clear and passionate story on page 1 on Monday. As a woman, mother of a daughter and an immigrant, I appreciated the remarks by Crown attorney Gerard Laarhuis: “This message sends a very clear message about our Canadian values and core principles in a free and democratic society that all Canadians enjoy and even visitors to Canada enjoy.”
Any immigrant knows that when you move to a new country, you must adapt to the new laws and culture. Canada is very welcoming and accommodating and killing for honour has never been a core value. It shouldn’t be up for discussion.
There is no “honour killing” here or anywhere in the world. Everyone knows it. These murderers knew it. Theresa Starkes, Toronto Rosie Dimanno’s piece about “Hamed, the fourth ruined child,” argues how a culture, and a child’s parents in it, can turn a son into a murderer because he is dutiful to a distorted set of values.
Same paper, page 19, Sikander Ziad Hashmi writes about how the case has angered and saddened the Muslim community. He writes about the leadership in the Muslim communities taking steps to combat domestic violence and violence against women. I applaud them.
Same paper, page 8, Catholic trustees, in a publicly funded school system, can’t even use the word “gay” in its written response to the premier. “Activism” or “advocacy” of “anything that is not in accord with the Catholic faith foundation of the school” is banned.
Violence against women has to end. It cannot be condoned. Nor can the homophobia of the Catholic school system. Every modern society needs to protect its women and children and let them know they are valued members of that society. Sally Rewbotham, Mississauga Canada is a multicultural society. However; when cultural practices go against our Canadian values, the authorities have to take action.
Teachers, social workers and the police all knew of the fear and abuse the Shafia girls endured at home. Yet, these children did not get the protection they so desperately needed. Cultural sensitivities were cited as to why the protectors of our children did not investigate further or intervene. Since when does culture trump the rights of our children from not being abused?
If the authorities do not want to get involved, then the leaders in the Muslim community must take action to protect women and vehemently denounce this pre-islamic barbarity that still persists today.
Thanks to Rosie Dimanno for providing fair and balanced coverage.
Michael Ali, Mississauga Your editorial is apt but could also have asked the question: “Is Canadian society turning a blind eye to hitting children as discipline by relying on the tradition of hitting to correct children?” Apart from cultural notions of “honour,” hitting and threats of hitting were apparently used by the Shafias in an attempt to control the behaviour of their three teenage girls.
The reluctance of child protection workers to intervene effectively, in this case as in others, is partly due to our law’s continuing approval of hitting as a method of “correction.” This is still allowed by Section 43 of our Criminal Code. The sooner we end Section 43, the better.
Corinne Robertshaw, Toronto There is much discussion about the negative effect of the Shafia trial on Canadian Muslims. As a Canadian of Jewish background, I hope that Canadians are able to separate the culture from the religion. My Muslim friends are just as aghast at this event as my Jewish friends. Thankfully, Canada is not Afghanistan.
Ed Cohen, Markham Rosie Dimanno asks, “Why did Canadian societal morals have no traction with Hamed Shafia?” I do not recall this question being asked at the dozens of trials of men who murder their female spouses every year in Canada.
Perhaps the real issue is why Canadians tolerate such high levels of violence against women to begin with, heinous acts that are committed by men of every colour, religion, and cultural background.
According to Statistics Canada, there are 593 women’s shelters in Canada, and they are so full that thousands of women are turned away and forced to return to their homes to face further violence. Overall admission to women’s shelters in a one-year period ending March 31, 2010 was 64,500. Some 3,600 children were also in the shelters because of abuse.
Male violence against women and children is clearly at a crisis level around the world. We have to seriously examine the extent to which such violence is not an aberration.
Matthew Behrens, Perth Congratulations to Rosie Dimanno and Andrew Chung for their brilliant piece
in Monday’s Star. They were able to read the minds of readers and say pub- licly what we all wish we could, “May the devil . . .” It’s rare to see a story with the emotion of the author; it’s refreshing.
A. Hutchison, Toronto The comment, “May the devil . . . on their graves,” is over the top and does nothing to dissipate intolerance between cultures and religions. You can do better.
Patricia Reason, Toronto, and Sue Benjafield,
Shanty Bay People, even judges, are swift to anathematize individuals like the Shafias, and understandably so. However, in our permissive Canadian society, how many nubile, teenage girls who insist on flaunting their sexuality and contradicting every wish of their parents provoke them, not knowing where to turn, into saying things like, “I could kill you”? Tragically and inexcusably in the Shafia case the words were turned into actions, and the perpetrators will now pay for their dastardly deed. But let us not forget that rebellious teenagers can sometimes cause frustrated parents to commit irrational acts.
Wayne C. Vance, Toronto You report this as an honour killing. This was premeditated, cold-blooded murder of children and that is how this should be reported.
John Ancker, Newmarket I was afraid that some media coverage might link this heinous crime to Islam and Muslims, adding more negative perception to their image. However, your coverage was very objective and reasonable. This planned and deliberate horrifying murder has nothing to do with Islam or the definition of honour in Islam. In fact, Muslims condemn such an action.
Being a newcomer along with my family to Canada, I feel relieved and satisfied to see the end of this fair trial and see that members behind it given life sentences. This is real justice. More importantly, it gives me a clear message that Canada is a free country and the right place to live in with our kids and our grand kids. God bless Canada.
Ahmed Hafez, Mississauga I have never been more proud to call myself a Canadian after the announcement of this verdict. We have all witnessed what it means to live in a truly civilized society.
Indera Narain, Toronto As this article mentions because this is Canada the murderers won’t be “hoisted onto the gallows.” Pity.
Claude Gannon, Markham