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Death for Refusing Burka and the Deceptive Muslim Denials

by Alamgir Hossain

21 Dec, 2007

The murder of 16-year-old Canadian teen, Aqsa Parvez, by her Pakistani immigrant father for her refusal to wear a burka or hijab has shocked and saddened the nation. As people from all walks of life are mourning her tragic death, Muslims — particularly their religious leaders — have joined the chorus of denials that “Islam has nothing to with the death of Aqsa.”

Here is a Muslim riddle. When one criticizes the practice of Muslim women wearing the burka or hijab, Muslims quickly respond that their religious symbol or choice is being attacked, but when girls like Aqsa die for refusing to accept the same religious symbol, Muslims quickly respond by saying their religion has nothing do with the death.

It is indeed a fact that wearing the burka (not the more liberal hijab) is a religious duty for Muslim women commanded by Allah. The Quran [24:31] commands Muslim women to “draw their veils over their bosoms” so as not to expose their physical assets to unrelated people. Allah says [Quran 33:59]: “O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers [Muslims] to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad).”

No Muslim will deny that Allah’s commands in the Quran are non-negotiable and binding on all Muslims. When someone dies for refusing to comply with those binding Islamic obligations, it is ridiculous to say the Islamic religion has nothing to do with that death.

When I was growing up as a Muslim, my religious teachers at my school and madrasa used to tell us that a righteous Muslim parent must ask his or her children to follow their religious duties at the age of eight and pressure them at the age of ten. If they continue to refuse, beat them at the age of twelve. In many Muslim countries not all parents apply this protocol rigorously, but it remains a widely accepted guide. Some parents do follow it closely in order to bring their disobedient children onto the righteous path. As a result, injuries and even deaths occur, like Aqsa's. These injuries and deaths can in no way be separated from the Islamic religion.

Whether it is for the refusal to wear the burka/hijab, or to follow other religious obligations, deaths such as Asqa’s occur in Islamic countries on a regular basis. The UK’s Sunday Times reported on December 16th that 48 women have been killed in Basra, Iraq in the last six months for “un-Islamic behavior.” The actual number of these incidents is likely to be much higher since many of them go unreported.

Red graffiti in Basra warns women, "Your makeup and your decision to forgo the headscarf will bring you death." In Pakistan, an estimated 1,500 women die from honor killings every year. People in those countries hardly make a fuss about it. That’s a price those women have to pay for violating the Islamic codes. It is well accepted in Muslim societies, and people pay little attention to such incidents. In most cases, they go unreported.

Aqsa’s death is not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence in Western countries, either. In the UK, there have been at least 25 confirmed honor killings in the Muslim community in the past decade, but the real number is likely to be much higher. On 1 November 2006, Riaz Ahmed, a British immigrant from Pakistan, burned his whole family alive (his wife, 39, and their four daughters, 3-16 years of age) for their Western lifestyle and his wife’s refusal to arrange marriages for their daughters.

In Germany, according to a February 2005 report, there were 45 recorded cases of Muslim honor killings during the past eight years, while there were at least five such cases in just four previous months in Berlin alone.

Imam Syed Soharwardy, of the Calgary Islamic Centre, suggesting that violence and Islam do not mix, went on a hunger strike to protest Aqsa’s death. Imam Sheik Alaa El-Sayyed, of the Islamic Society of North America in Aqsa’s home city, Mississauga, said in a news conference, “Islam condemns violence and teaches adherents not to force their beliefs upon others.”

Imam El-Sayyed’s claim regarding compulsion in Islam, which is far too common among Muslims, is historically unsound from the time of Prophet Muhammad to the present day. Prophet Muhammad’s biographer Ibn Ishaq records that when the Prophet attacked Mecca in 630 CE, he gave his father-in-law and opponent, the leader of Mecca, the following choice [Life of Muhammad, Oxford, Karachi, p547-8]: “Isn’t it time that you should recognize there is no God but Allah? …Submit and testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head.” Abu Sufyan complied.

According to a document on the Oman Government website, (removed now), the Prophet’s letter to the Christian king of Oman in 628 read: “…Embrace Islam, and you shall be safe. I am God’s messenger to all humanity, here to alert all those alive that nonbelievers [non-Muslims] are condemned. If you submit to Islam, you will remain kings, but if you abstain, your rule will be removed and my horses will enter your arena to prove my prophecy.” Terrified, the Oman king replied accepting his directives.

These are no instances of sweet-talking or a persuasive way for converting nonbelievers, but of enforcing Islam on them at the pain of death. Indeed, with a Quranic decree [2:190-3; 9:5], the Prophet had annihilated Paganism (Polytheism, Idolatry) from the Arabian Peninsula by giving the people a choice between conversion to Islam and death. These are well-documented historical facts, recorded by Muslim chroniclers.

It is a fact that murders among Muslims around the world for noncompliance with the Islamic way of life are common, and go mostly unreported. According to a 2000 UN estimate, “…around 5,000 girls and women in at least 14 countries, among them Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey, were killed yearly because their families felt they brought dishonor on them.” These are far too common incidences of unjustified cruelty, which make very few news headlines.

Muslims go about their business happily as these brutal murders happen on a daily basis. It is only when the Western press makes a fuss about it, pointing particularly to their religion, that Muslims all of a sudden break their slumber and join the chorus of denials, or accusations of unjustified attack on their religion.

What is needed is for the Muslim community to try its best to ensure that another innocent life, full of possibilities, like that of Aqsa Parvez, does not meet the same fate. Denials, putting up a show of a hunger strike, or accusations of attacks on their religion will not help, but will only perpetuate the tragedy.

In spite of these denials, hunger strikes, and accusations, Muslims know well what is written in their scriptures and their duty to enforce them. What is needed is for the Muslim community to look honestly into where the problem truly lies. They must initiate an open debate in their community about what is enforceable in their scripture and creed, and what is not. It is going to be a long time before such a debate will stop innocents like Aqsa from dying, but without it, Aqsas will continue to die in their thousands yearly, as occurs today around the world, without an end in sight.



Name: vbv
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 01:42:32 -0700
 

Comment 

Recently in India while traveling in a taxi-cab,the driver , who happened to be muslim was remarking about a teenage girl passing by wearing a tight jeans and a T-shirt that "the #@!* hussie should be taught a lesson for being so brazen and having a nonchalant attitude.If it were Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia she wolud have got a lesson of her life!" I just ignored it. But it certainly rankled me to think how the average muslim looks at a women - just for sex and child-bearing. This is what islam has done to a muslim in India ,whose ancestors were no doubt converted from hinduism to islam by sword. It is sickening to think of the mindset of the original specimens from the middle-east!  


Name:
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 11:05:12 -0700
 

Comment 

If there was no other evidence for the brutalizing effect of Mohammedanism on its adherents, the existence of so called 'honour killings' would be enough. Murdering one's own flesh and blood in the name of religion is such a grotesque action you would think Muslims would move heaven and earth to stamp it out. In fact it seems to enjoy the tacit support of the majority of them. This is because they know that the whole rotten social structure prescribed by this belief system must held together by the glue of routine, low-level violence. And most of them are happy with that. 


Name: paras trivedi
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 11:12:19 -0700
 

Comment 

after going through the article i think i can proudly say that there is no such incident reported from India. 


Name: DistantSmoke
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 11:44:38 -0700
 

Comment 

It must be nice to have so many women available to be the 3rd and 4th wife that Muslims can afford to kill so many every year. Because surely you aren't looking for wives in other non-Muslim countries? Especially not like places such as China, India, Nepal, or Indonesia where girl children are killed before they reach their first birthday on a regular basis. Because we all know that these countries are themselves short of women. So when the Muslims run out of women to kill what will they do? 


Name: Philip Saenz
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 13:22:39 -0700
 

Comment 

Jesus Christ was correct when he said that some people would murder thinking they are honoring God. Jesus said: "The hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God" (John 16:2). Was Jesus thinking of the Muslims who murder their own kin (women) for not wearing a hijab on their head? Was he thinking of the Muslim suicide bombers who murder infidels, including innocent children? Was he thinking of the Muslim cutthroats who scream "Allahu Akbar" after cutting a Jew's or a Christian's throat? Probably.  


Name: Philip Saenz
Date: Friday December 21, 2007
Time: 23:00:57 -0700
 

Comment 

Do you think those Muslim humanoids who murder their women for not wearing a hanky on their heads will ever evolve into intelligent human beings? There is hope. Not much, but there is hope. 


Name: Honor killing in the New Testament
Date: Saturday December 22, 2007
Time: 00:13:11 -0700
 

Comment 

Honor killing in the New Testament: "For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'" [Matthew 15:4] 


Name: Get a life Raihan
Date: Saturday December 22, 2007
Time: 00:18:01 -0700
 

Comment 

Back to old tricks of trying to justify one stupid brutality by quoting another. Apologist for evil is a lousy hobby. 


Name: jimmy
Date: Saturday December 22, 2007
Time: 05:24:00 -0700
 

Comment 

It's not their fault. They have been grown up as Muslims. The level of endoctrination is too high, they can not think by themselves or debate freely their own religion. 5 prayers a day...fasting, etc...they can not leave their religion...they must deny it. it is islamic dysgenics, it is their DNA...all their anscestrors had submitted to Islam by their fear, hate, narcissism, ambition, unjustice, violence...why should their children and grandchildren change? it make no sense! 


Name: Philip Saenz
Date: Saturday December 22, 2007
Time: 05:52:52 -0700
 

Comment 

When God says to "honor your father and your mother" and if "anyone curses his father or morther is to be put to death," God doesn't mean that a human person is to put anyone to death. God means that if anyone dishonors a father or mother, that person can lose his soul. So it is up to God to punish, and not up to any human being. To prove my point, where has the Christian Church put anyone to death for dishonoring either parent? You can't point it out because it has never happened. In Islam atrocities happen every day because Islam teaches "this or that." In Islam, precepts do not remain constant because Islam is splintered into 73 contradictory sects which could teach anything and everything. Islam has no ultimate human arbiter like in the Holy Catholic Church, who is the pope. Unfortunately, many of Islam's teachings are atrocities ending in violent deaths every day, sometimes for the slightest infractions. Choking a poor girl to death for not wearing a hanky on her head is a good example.  


Name: Concerned
Date: Sunday December 23, 2007
Time: 07:00:15 -0700
 

Comment 

How long will the West tolerate this? Europe lives in fear of the rage of the muslims over cartoons and teddy bears! Leaders of the Western world should stand up and proclaim the trueth: Islam is nothing more than a violent, oppressive cult. Global warming is upon us. The planet needs brain power to solve this not brainwashing. How man muslims (1.2 billion) have won the nobel prize vs Jews (12 million) or Christians? 


Name: U.K. TODAY.
Date: Sunday December 23, 2007
Time: 22:36:33 -0700
 

Comment 

Re Concerned; The leaders of the West care about Themselves, Money and power in no particular order. They do not mix with Muslims,(with the exception of an odd photo oppertunity). They do not live among Muslims. They do not understand Muslim mindset. Therefore, they do not give a flying F**k about Muslims until needing votes for a continuation of their Illicit power. Why would they stand up against Muslims?. they know that if they approve them a new Mosque in muslim strongholds, they secure Islamic votes for an election victory and damn the future consequences for whoever comes next. As long as they're all right Jack!. Do you really think they care?. 


Name: roland le chanson
Date: Wednesday December 26, 2007
Time: 09:25:36 -0700
 

Comment 

Our politicians and elite are ignorant or silent about the deadly threat of islam to our civilization. Left unattended this will result in the bloodiest civil war that the world has ever seen.All for the sake of political correctness and refusal to read. Islam the scourge of humanity 


Name: Larry
Date: Wednesday December 26, 2007
Time: 20:19:39 -0700
 

Comment 

Ignorance is not fought with weapons, but with facts and truth. Even so with islam, flood the news daily with its excesses and contradictions and its evil . Even then the daily appologists will eventually be overwhelmed, and islam will implode from within. when its followers learn that they can be safe from persecution, they will rebel and overthrow thier devil islam.  


Name: Bob Gundy
Date: Wednesday December 26, 2007
Time: 22:14:20 -0700
 

Comment 

Islam is a disgusting religion. There comes a time when people must realize what they are doing is wrong. Look at the end of black slavery in the U.S. in the 1800's. If the whites of America could see they were not being just then surely the Muslims should be able to see the religion of hate and oppression is wrong, too. If it's a matter of DNA, then it must be stamped out. 


Name: StephenDvd
Date: Friday December 28, 2007
Time: 11:22:17 -0700
 

Comment 

Phillip, Regarding "He who curses his father or mother shall be put to death" : You are 100% correct that this verse has NEVER been used by Christians to justify executing anyone. And no accepted Christian Theologian has intepreted it in this way. However, I don't agree with you that "God means that if anyone dishonors a father or mother, that person can lose his soul." The only sin that is unpardenable is blaspheming the Holy Spirt -- and this is not what is being discussed here. You need to read the context here (i.e. the entire chapter 15). Jesus was quoting from the Torah (Exodus 21:17) here. So this quote itself is only part of the New Testament because Jesus was referring to the Old Testament. He was NOT making this declaration Himself. The context here is that the Pharisees were criticizing Jesus and His Disciples for not following the traditions of the Elders. Jesus was responding by saying they were not truly following the commandments given in the Torah, but were instead using the traditions of the Elders to avoid following the Biblical commandments. Jesus was pointing out that the Torah is very extreme on its attitude towards honoring father and mother, yet the Pharisees had developed a tradition of a child avoiding financial support of his parents by dedicating the money to the Temple. (v. 5: "But you say 'whoever shall say to his father or mother, Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God") Jesus used this as an example of how hypocritical the Pharisees were. HOWEVER, he was only quoting from the Old Testament in order to point out how far the Pharisees had departed from the Torah. He was NOT stating anyone should be executed for cursing their parents, however. And, as you state, Christians have NEVER used this verse as an excuse to execute anyone. It also should be noted that, this command was issued in the earliest period of the formation of the Jewish people, when God issued very harsh commandments for the sake of establishing purity in the new nation/people and to separate them from the surrounding, morally corrupt cultures. However these and other extremely harsh sentences were generally NOT practiced by Israel throughout most of its history. Unlike Islam, where peaceful verses have been abrogated by violent ones, Judaism has historically taught peace and not violence. Jesus' teachings reflect an extreme form of pacifism where one loves one enemies, forgives those that hurt one, and turns "the other cheek" to those who abuse one. His teachings are seen by Christians as mitigating any harsh teaching found in the Torah and replacing them with love and forgiveness. So there is no way one can construe Jesus' words as supporting executing anyone for cursing his parents.  


Name: Maurice
Date: Wednesday January 09, 2008
Time: 21:23:10 -0700
 

Comment 

I am new to this discussion, and am finding hipocracy on both sides.  Muslims take the Koran literally, while Christians take the Bible literal, but choose to pick what they want to follow.  Catholics are told no birth control, but all Catholics that I know use it now. There are scriptures, and Christ even said that those who dishoner parents should die.  Christians say this is not literal, while writings in the Koran concerning this, many Muslims take this absolutely literaly.  We have people who are called scholars that tell you what each thing means.  Just think that most parents can't understand what their kids are talking about today, but we would follow a scholar that tells us what a person meant in their writing 2000 years ago.  We use "Phat" to mean nice, "Bad" to mean good, etc. today.  This is the language of those who are not of the elite, so think of those learned people explaining the language years from now.  They have no clue.  They can go by the study of what, and how people spoke in that age, but just think of how Christianity's voice has changed since it's core was in Europe. All the paintings are of European features in the faces of those in Biblical times. Jesus is deplicted as a European, when he was obviously a Jew. All American movies with Egyptians show European faces, while when you look at actual news of Egypt you see a totally different skin tone, and features. I am absolutely certain that those in pictures with blacks hanging from trees definately called themselves Christian. Most of the racists in America call themselves Christian. Our great country was started by Christians that thought it ok to kill, and exterminate native people because they were non believers. Simular to what some Muslims have done in other countries. Chrisitians are just as violent as Muslims. I abhor the attitudes of many Muslims in the world that do not stand up for values that the Muslim faith has had in the past. The absolute hatred I see for Muslims is alarming to me. I believe in the Bible, and follow one god, but I also have a Koran, and a Torah, because I do not want someone to tell me what it says, I want to read it, although flawed it may be from change over the years. I also read my Bible unlike many that just take snipits from it for their own use. I hope that instead of hate there is more discussion. When Jesus was asked what the the most important commandments, he said Love the lord your god, and love your neighbor as you love yourself (I am paraphrasing) - This is from the Son of God, (as I believe him to be), just think if we just followed this, and did not let men tell us what the rules were to be a Christian or Muslim.  


Name: cecilia pardo
Date: Friday January 11, 2008
Time: 00:00:24 -0700
 

Comment 

these kind of muslim followers must die 


Name: Holy
Date: Friday January 25, 2008
Time: 04:58:42 -0700
 

Comment 

I say Islam should be banned and all muslims be deported from non islamic countries to the Islamic countries.Because it is a evil religion.It is hightime the Europeans,Americans,Russian and other non Muslim countries realise it, before it is too late.Do not condon thier act of brutalities,these evil beings need to be vanquished and destroyed for the well being of the peace loving people of this earth.Islam is a curse on earth.A religion of Satan.  


Name: Yazz
Date: Sunday January 27, 2008
Time: 03:58:29 -0700
 

Comment 

If Western women have to obey Islamic laws in Islamic countries and cover up,then why is it that Islamic women don't adapt to Western ways when living over here. Why are they allowed to be covered up in Airports, shopping centres etc where there are security cameras (for every body's safety and peace of mind)If a Western person were to wear a hud,helmet or any other head wear that would cover up their identity in one of the above places,they would be asked to remove it, if they refused they would be punished for it.If/when a Westerner was to disobey an Islamic law in an Islamic country eg; naming a teddy bear Mohammed they would be jailed,at least. If/when a Muslim disobeys a minor law in Britain,no further action is made. If/when a British citizen disobeys a minor law in Britain,they are punished and made an example of.Is this not another open door for Muslims to take what they want when they want. (read The Qur'an 47:4)to get a glimpse of their evil ways.What good,in the last 2000 or so years have Muslims contributed to anyone out side Islam? They only seem to know how to take or destroy. 


Name: IY
Date: Sunday January 27, 2008
Time: 04:51:06 -0700
 

Comment 

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has determined that over 90% of Pakistani wives have been beaten,or abused sexually-for offences on the order of cooking an unsatisfactory meal.Others were punished for failing to give birth to a male child. (One of many shocking extracts from: The politically Incorrect Guide to ISLAM (and the crusades)by Robert Spencer, Regnery Publishing,inc. The book is so shocking that it may even open the eyes of the most PC of people.They may even be able to see beyond the end of their noses and get a periferal view of what is really going on.If these beatings are going on in Pakistan,then what's to say it is happening on the same scale here in Britain with couples of Pakistani origin? These people (victims and aggressors need help in one way or another)It has to stop,wife beating is a crime in the UK,so why or how are these evil people carrying on the way they do? 


Name: Big Papas
Date: Thursday February 21, 2008
Time: 04:58:08 -0700
 

Comment 

Islam is the most violent religion on this world islam is not respekting any human freedom and right islam is a faschist way to believe in god but the muslims have forget that the islam is steeling buy other religions mohamed has stelling the christian and juwish religion to create his own believe to god verry cheap and stupid copy of this 2 great religions whe god is a muslim as the muslims say did god allowed this behavoir in the name of him to killed inocent people slaughtered cut heads of and and and no way so u see people islam is a satanic way to believe. 


Name: Big Papas
Date: Thursday February 21, 2008
Time: 05:03:18 -0700
 

Comment 

Islam is the most violent religion on this world islam is not respekting any human freedom and right islam is a faschist way to believe in god but the muslims have forget that the islam is steeling buy other religions mohamed has stelling the christian and juwish religion to create his own believe to god verry cheap and stupid copy of this 2 great religions whe god is a muslim as the muslims say did god allowed this behavoir in the name of him to killed inocent people slaughtered cut heads of and and and no way so u see people islam is a satanic way to believe. 

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