In Afghanistan a 22-year old girl is tortured and murdered by her husband and mother-in-law for giving birth to yet another useless girl.  In Canada a 58-year old man, his wife and son are convicted of murdering their three teenage daughters in an “honor” killing because they had disgraced the family by dating, socializing, going on line and dressing as westerners.

These two cases have many Muslims wondering if perhaps they are too strict.

In accordance with these concerns new guidelines have been drawn up in Mecca that seek to alleviate some of Islam’s stricter provisions.  The statement reads in part:

While it is true that girls are worthless killing a mother for delivering a girl instead of an honorable boy seems to be an overreaction.  The first time anyway.  If you pray to the prophet he will give you a useful man the next time.  However, if a useless woman is born the second time it is acceptable to whip her until she’s unconscious.  The beating and scars on her back will force her to give you a male child.  If she continues to give you girls you can kill her after the third child.  Console yourself with the knowledge that she will no longer give you girls.  Also, console yourself with a teenage boy.

In Ontario, Canada the murder of three daughters for “western behavior”  also has local Muslims questioning their strict discipline.  Said one Imam:

Yes there girls were slutty western trash.  They dressed in provocative western clothing and talked online with boys.  But that is no reason to kill them all.  Perhaps only kill one as an example.  And if the others do not pay heed have them clitorally circumcised.  After all, we are not savages. We just don’t want our women to grow up to be wild western women.  It’s just that it’s bad enough women are useless but to have them dishonor their family by adopting western styles is just too much.  So in short, kill one, circumcise the others.

These statements are seen as a positive first step by many. National Organization of  Women President Terry O’Neill welcomed the change.

I support female circumcision as part of the rich cultural tradition of Islam, and in the cultural context of their religion women are worthless.  So honor killings will be inevitable.  But they should be safe, legal and rare.  I mean, when a Muslim man kills his daughter it could be worse.  It’s not like he’s a Republican capitalist who isn’t paying his fair share of taxes.

The new guidelines appear to be bearing fruit.  Forty three percent of Muslim men now say that if their wife gives them a useless girl they will cripple it but probably won’t kill it.  Not the first child anyway.

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