Honor Killing Video

Honor killings occur in some extreme religious sects when a woman has brought dishonor onto her family. Her own family members brutally murder her. It’s usually premeditated. The courts don’t get involved most of the time.

Read these details of a recent case:

… up to 1000 men from the Yezidi Kurdish community of Mosul killed a teenager who’s only crime was running away to marry a Muslim man whom she loved and converting to his religion.

There are videos, too. They are disturbing, graphic, and loud. They’re a bit grainy, but you can see what’s happening. What do the videos show?

From the clips it appears that the girl was first stripped naked to symbolize that she had dishonored her family and her Yezidi religion. She is lying on the road naked while her smashed face is covered with blood and still breathing.

You think that’s bad? Here’s a line that makes it even worse:

… a number of armed local police officers were present who in fact helped the crowd to kill the woman rather than preventing the crime.

This is what religion, at its worst, can make people do.

And the killers really believe they’re doing the right thing.

Ugh… this makes me sick.

(via Bligbi)

[tags]atheist, atheism, Honor killing, Yezidi, Kurdish, Mosul, Muslim, Bligbi[/tags]

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Anthony Rasmussen

I wonder if these men feel that their place in the Afterlife is somehow more secured by this action. Or if their god is pleased.

I won’t watch the video. Ever since I watched the Nick Berg video, I have vowed to never watch these religious murder videos again. It’s just not worth the memory if I can avoid it.

Argh, I despise irrationality so damn much.
Karen

I won’t watch the video. Ever since I watched the Nick Berg video, I have vowed to never watch these religious murder videos again. It’s just not worth the memory if I can avoid it.

I can’t watch anything like that. It’s completely impossible for me. I can’t even watch Jesus Camp (the documentary about kids being indoctrinated in fundy religion), it’s just way too painful and stomach-churning for me. 🙁

Argh, I despise irrationality so damn much.

Me too.
NotThisTime

There is one thing which always makes me wonder, and I would like to hear your take on it:
Most often, this stuff is done by men. Men as in “not female”.

Of course there is enough bad stuff which was done by women, especially when it is against other women. And I know that the ways women hurt others are simply different from the male was of punishing.

Still, I’m always a bit disturbed to see mainly men doing such things.

Why is that?
Joanne

Please see the petition started by progressive Kurds to protest this murder
Joanne

Actually, while I’m logged in, why not also sign against Shari’a as a basis for law in Kurdistan?
Alice

Why is family “honor” always located in a woman’s crotch?
null

Why is family “honor” always located in a woman’s crotch?

That has to be one of the most insightful comments I’ve ever seen.
Darryl

Anthony and Karen said they won’t watch such videos and I can understand why. They are indeed disturbing, but I wonder; what would be the response from the wider world–the sane part–if every adult in it were required to watch these videos? Americans are fascinated by violence; we fictionalize it in our films and video games. We endure a lot violence. Yet, many of our people seem to do their best to avoid the reality of death. If I had to guess, I would say that the great majority of Americans would think these men barbarians. I could not help but note the twisted logic of these men of faith–they were fastidious about continually covering the girl’s exposed body as they slowly bludgeoned her to death. They could not tolerate such an assault on their sanctified sensibilities. When I hear about atrocities such as this, I am reminded that our nation doesn’t have a clue about what it is doing in that part of the world and why. How should I think of Kurdish culture or Arabic culture? These cultures tolerate much greater violence than our own. What do they think of us? I cannot tolerate such crimes against humanity. Cultures that produce such inhumanities deserve neither my respect nor aid. How long do we imagine it will take for “moderates” within these cultures to eradicate such practices? About as long as it will take to eradicate religion. How many of you think that is very likely?
Jen

I think I might vomit.

What bothers me the most is the patriarchial way in which a woman can’t have sexual experience (or happiness) outside of the male- enforced, god-and-government-sanctioned marriage bed. Even today, we have purity balls for preteens, demanding they submit to god, their father, and their future unknown husband, all for some tiny bit of skin and children with her husband’s genetics.

This is the next step.
Karen

What bothers me the most is the patriarchial way in which a woman can’t have sexual experience (or happiness) outside of the male- enforced, god-and-government-sanctioned marriage bed.

This is why the secular women of Turkey are organizing huge protests and civil actions against the Islamist who is poised to take power there.

They are scared sh**less of the brainwashed masses (including plenty of religious women) and I don’t blame them one iota. It’s frightening, really.
Jamie

This is barbaric behaviour, cavemen would treat women better than this! If this was done in the name of religion, I am glad that I subscribe to none! I heard about this on the radio and the presenters were saying that they couldn’t watch all of it, so I decided to see for myself. They were telling the truth, as neither could I!
Pdineen

I believe it is important to watch these terrible and stunning videos in order to realize what this kind of thing– this phrase, “honor killing,” actually means. It is important to watch in remembrance of this girl, and to face up to the incomprehensible way that she was treated by her fellow countrymen, and perhaps, even by her family. I want all of my United States Senators and Representatives to watch these videos; I want them to seriously consider, along with the rest of us in the public, what it means to be occupying a country where this happens– will we, and they, speak up? Will we stay silent? Will we, as occupiers speak out loudly about this? Will we stay and try to make a difference? Make things better? Make things worse? Can we continue to be proud that we removed a tyrant, but that we ignore the way that some people treat each other in the name of honor and tradition? If we are going to continue to stay there, then let’s make a difference for people like this girl who was martyred simply for being a female. If we (the United States) are going to quietly pretend not to see– refuse to watch the videos because they are graphic and disgusting, then there’s no more reason that I can think of to stay.
krh

In the name of Jesus Christ we need to pray for these people that the God of all creation will open their eyes to the reality of the risen LORD. By His stripes we are healed
Tony

I did watch the video, and i was deeply upset. I feel sorry for the girl to die like that. It’s time the west took a stand and gave zero tolerance. We have to show our might and if they think their strong, let them show it. It’s hard to stop the killing, the us needs to get actively involved , all muslim men age 12 and above have to be made slaves thats the only way. War is the solution , we get the terrorist and we terrorise the terrorrist.
aamer

i have just watched this very sad end of a human life
it is a sad moment and one we must all help to stop ever happening again ever in a any part of the world
the people who were stood there watching must be brought to justice and executed
there is no honour in killing any body for this but the people around her dying body all of them must come to an end and face their deaths and we must enable that
Aspentroll

krh said,

May 18, 2007 at 5:16 pm

“In the name of Jesus Christ we need to pray for these people that the God of all creation will open their eyes to the reality of the risen LORD. By His stripes we are healed.”

What the hell is the above supposed to mean? What psychotic drivel.
It’s the belief in “the god of all creation” that is causing these
problems that exist. The world would be better off without the above religious delusional thinking.
doomslang

@Friendly Atheist, uh, it’s because they are not Muslim. (They are Yazidi).