Karo Kari
Ayesha H Ahmad December 11, 2003
#90 Posted by hamidm2 on December 13, 2003 8:35:57 am
anew,
.........please stop splitting beard hairs!......... pakistan is officially an islamic state, sharia is the law of the land, and the judge in bahawalpur just proved it ............ so quit trying to cover up the camel doo - it stinks!
.........please stop splitting beard hairs!......... pakistan is officially an islamic state, sharia is the law of the land, and the judge in bahawalpur just proved it ............ so quit trying to cover up the camel doo - it stinks!
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#89 Posted by anew on December 13, 2003 8:35:57 am
Why does Islam not allow apostasy? Apostasy or irtidad in Islam is equal to treason.
Apostasy - Returning to Webster`s dictionary this time for a definition of Apostasy and Treason: - ``the public abandoning of a religious faith, esp. Christianity, for another; a similar abandonment of a doctrine or party.`` `Treason is` defined: ``not only as an attempt to overthrow by illegal means, the government to which a person owes allegiance, the act or attempted act of working for the enemies of the State, and attempt to kill or injure the sovereign, but also betrayal of trust, disloyalty (to a cause, friend, etc.).``
Apostate is a person who after the acceptance of Islam, utter profane words and left Islam and chose the life of an infidel. The command for the apostate is that he should be given three days time and his suspicions should be cleared. If he accepts Islam again then it is better otherwise he will be assassinated after 3 days.
But it should be remembered that the authority of his killing rest ONLY with the Muslim Ruler and not with the masses.
(ref: Fataawa Al-Hindiah; page 253, vol.2)
After the demise of the prophet Muhammad , Abu Bakar during his reign as Khalifah had battled the apostates of that time. The rest of the Sahabah (Companions) did not object, in combating the apostates until the situation became calm and peace was achieved. The Islamic jurists agreed that the death punishment in the case of apostacy is considered logical and befitting the crime.
The death sentence should not be so freely imposed on apostates. Murtad cases should be judged thoroughly by the Islamic authority so that the apostate may helped to return to Islam through repentance. Allowing someone to go astray and remain misguided in darkness and devastation is a very wrong. Therefore, the Islamic authority should return the apostates to truth and guidance which they had encountered earlier.
If the authority fails to return him to the truth of Islam, this will mean that the apostate is actualy the carrier of a disease which will not only harm himself but also the nation and the state. In order to safeguard the transquility of the society, the death sentence is a just and fair punishment to be imposed on an apostate who is unwilling to come back to the true path. This is to prevent the disease from infecting others.
This punishment is only applicable in case of apostasy by men; in case of women the punishment is not death but life imprisonment. And if such a woman repents, then her repentance is accepted and the punishment is suspended.
Apostasy - Returning to Webster`s dictionary this time for a definition of Apostasy and Treason: - ``the public abandoning of a religious faith, esp. Christianity, for another; a similar abandonment of a doctrine or party.`` `Treason is` defined: ``not only as an attempt to overthrow by illegal means, the government to which a person owes allegiance, the act or attempted act of working for the enemies of the State, and attempt to kill or injure the sovereign, but also betrayal of trust, disloyalty (to a cause, friend, etc.).``
Apostate is a person who after the acceptance of Islam, utter profane words and left Islam and chose the life of an infidel. The command for the apostate is that he should be given three days time and his suspicions should be cleared. If he accepts Islam again then it is better otherwise he will be assassinated after 3 days.
But it should be remembered that the authority of his killing rest ONLY with the Muslim Ruler and not with the masses.
(ref: Fataawa Al-Hindiah; page 253, vol.2)
After the demise of the prophet Muhammad , Abu Bakar during his reign as Khalifah had battled the apostates of that time. The rest of the Sahabah (Companions) did not object, in combating the apostates until the situation became calm and peace was achieved. The Islamic jurists agreed that the death punishment in the case of apostacy is considered logical and befitting the crime.
The death sentence should not be so freely imposed on apostates. Murtad cases should be judged thoroughly by the Islamic authority so that the apostate may helped to return to Islam through repentance. Allowing someone to go astray and remain misguided in darkness and devastation is a very wrong. Therefore, the Islamic authority should return the apostates to truth and guidance which they had encountered earlier.
If the authority fails to return him to the truth of Islam, this will mean that the apostate is actualy the carrier of a disease which will not only harm himself but also the nation and the state. In order to safeguard the transquility of the society, the death sentence is a just and fair punishment to be imposed on an apostate who is unwilling to come back to the true path. This is to prevent the disease from infecting others.
This punishment is only applicable in case of apostasy by men; in case of women the punishment is not death but life imprisonment. And if such a woman repents, then her repentance is accepted and the punishment is suspended.
#88 Posted by nazarhayatkhan on December 13, 2003 7:23:09 am
Stuka # 79, Meaysha # 77
I agree with you both. Chowk is a good place to re-live 1947 - the gory times of the partition.
When I switch my computer off & move into the society, there is a completely different air. No one is obssessed with India or the Hindu-Muslim divide - no one has the kind of hate that floats so easily on Chowk. Every one is living in his own simple world and is engrossed in his own environment.
The Pakistani media is not virulent against India.
The mainstream politicians are not virulent against India (even the Mullas!).
The writers, poets, intellectuals are decidedly pro-India.
The women community is pro-India.
I can vouch for the Punjabi villages - there is no anti-India feeling. I guess the same is true for the rural areas in otherl provinces. Rural areas constitute about 70% of the population.
Yes. Occasionally, the army wallas have their digs (for personal selfish reasons).
Yes. The foreign office maintains is wooden cold attitude - again an outome of departmental upbringing.
An average man on the Pakistani street has a normal reaction - a curiosity for India/Indians, envy for its progress & political stability and a desire to have friendly relations. He knows he is the one who has suffered the most in this mad animosity.
In short, the Chowk kind of emotions are not found in the normal Pakistani society. I guess the same is true for the mainstream Indian society.
That is not say that Chowk does not provide a good Forum. I think it provides an excellent Forum for all shades of opinion - and one gets a good picture of the issues in their entirety. The rubbish can be always filtered out.
It is possible that some of the ex-patriots who have a strong longing for back home (& nostalgia) may tend to get more emotional & competitive on the India-Pakistan issues.
#87 Posted by jay on December 13, 2003 7:23:09 am
Meayesha,
You read the post by urstruly, and that is the proof that pakistanis do care. Urstruly supports the honour killing and is in no mood to make any changes through legislative process, he wants the society to change, accepting the fact that 1400 years of islam did nothing to stop it.
Urstruly, in what category would you put the case of samia sarwar, killed by the father in front of several witnesses, and never charged with a crime. Learn from me, no one complianed about her death, she had left her husband, her parebts killed her. Murder being a tort in pakistan, no one aksed for compensation, no one gave gave.
During ied more than a million animal are killed in the backyard of karachi, the day starts with the last groans of millions of animals, children wirnessing the killings, this time of animals by their elders, and urstruly, that is where the de-sensitisation starts. The offals litter the streets of pakistan on the day of the eid, a few human offals, does it make any difference. There is need for social change, it has to start with the ebolition of this de-sensitisation to murder.
You read the post by urstruly, and that is the proof that pakistanis do care. Urstruly supports the honour killing and is in no mood to make any changes through legislative process, he wants the society to change, accepting the fact that 1400 years of islam did nothing to stop it.
Urstruly, in what category would you put the case of samia sarwar, killed by the father in front of several witnesses, and never charged with a crime. Learn from me, no one complianed about her death, she had left her husband, her parebts killed her. Murder being a tort in pakistan, no one aksed for compensation, no one gave gave.
During ied more than a million animal are killed in the backyard of karachi, the day starts with the last groans of millions of animals, children wirnessing the killings, this time of animals by their elders, and urstruly, that is where the de-sensitisation starts. The offals litter the streets of pakistan on the day of the eid, a few human offals, does it make any difference. There is need for social change, it has to start with the ebolition of this de-sensitisation to murder.
#86 Posted by anew on December 13, 2003 7:23:09 am
#58 by hamidm2 on December 12, 2003 8:11am PT
........i don`t understand what the faithful are complaining about ............according to anew, our resident expert on stonings, beheadings and other forms of islamic judicial entertainment :
``There are, however, four circumstances in which Islam permits the killing of another human being:
1. Qisas – the Islamic law permits the heirs of the murdered to take the life of murderer if they desire to do so.
2. The punishment in Islamic law, for a married person who commits adultery, is killing by stoning.
3. A Muslim who renounces Islam or is declared to be a Murtad (apostate) is to be killed.
4. In war it is allowed to kill a warring, disbelieving soldier. ``
I think you did not read to understand the issue and Islamic standpoint on it. Please read the `bold` lines again to clarify the `points` raised by you.
#21 by anew on December 11, 2003 6:26pm PT
Ayah 33 of Surah Bani–Israel states:
“And do not take any human being’s life – [the life] which Allah (SWT) has willed to be sacred, except for a just cause.”[al-Qur`an 17:33]
After shirk, the greatest sin is to kill someone unjustly. Islamic teachings maintain that one who kills a human being has, in fact, kills whole of humanity; and one who saves a life, in fact saves whole of humanity. This is so because murders disturb the peace in a society and leave long-lasting negative effects.
There are, however, four circumstances in which Islam permits the killing of another human being:
1. Qisas – the Islamic law permits the heirs of the murdered to take the life of murderer if they desire to do so.
2. The punishment in Islamic law, for a married person who commits adultery, is killing by stoning. (seperate post is required to answer it)
3. A Muslim who renounces Islam or is declared to be a Murtad (apostate) is to be killed.
4. In war it is allowed to kill a warring, disbelieving soldier. (what do your most `civilsed country` of the world do in `war`?)
It should be noted that first three options may only be availed if an Islamic Government exists. In the absence of an Islamic state, enforcing Shariah, no individual is allowed to take matters into his own hands.
In Case of Qisas, there are further instructions:
“If anyone is killed unjustly, we have empowered the heirs with the right of retribution; but even so let him not exceed the bounds of equity in [retributive] killing. He is indeed helped by the law.” [al-Qur`an 17:33]
The heirs of murdered are given three choices:
1. either kill the murderer, or
2. forgive the murdered, or
3. accept the blood money and let the murderer go free.
Again the individual has no right to go and `take the revenge`. This murder case has to go to the Court of an Islamic state and the state on proof and given verdict will give the above-mentioned three options to heirs. Islamic law is not a jungle law as you portrait.
The killers in karo kari cases are murderers and should be trialed and executed in Public by the Pakistani government to immediately stop these brutal and inhuman killings in the name of honor. This is not an Islamic honor but a `tribal honor` which Islam rooted out. The root cause of this tribalism still deep rooted in Pakistan is `jagirdari` which has made State ineffective in front of these feudal lords who can do all the illlegal and immoral acts but when a poor `slave` of them wants to marry of his choice, then both are murdered for `their crime of challenging Honor of tribal lord and his lordship`.
Pakistan rightly needs Islamic Shariah to stamp out all its Social evils. Sooner the better. These articles or a media campaign are not the solution but mere a sign of helplessness and a cry in the wilderness. They are `describing symptoms` but not the cure. The cure of all our ills is ISLAM.
........i don`t understand what the faithful are complaining about ............according to anew, our resident expert on stonings, beheadings and other forms of islamic judicial entertainment :
``There are, however, four circumstances in which Islam permits the killing of another human being:
1. Qisas – the Islamic law permits the heirs of the murdered to take the life of murderer if they desire to do so.
2. The punishment in Islamic law, for a married person who commits adultery, is killing by stoning.
3. A Muslim who renounces Islam or is declared to be a Murtad (apostate) is to be killed.
4. In war it is allowed to kill a warring, disbelieving soldier. ``
I think you did not read to understand the issue and Islamic standpoint on it. Please read the `bold` lines again to clarify the `points` raised by you.
#21 by anew on December 11, 2003 6:26pm PT
Ayah 33 of Surah Bani–Israel states:
“And do not take any human being’s life – [the life] which Allah (SWT) has willed to be sacred, except for a just cause.”[al-Qur`an 17:33]
After shirk, the greatest sin is to kill someone unjustly. Islamic teachings maintain that one who kills a human being has, in fact, kills whole of humanity; and one who saves a life, in fact saves whole of humanity. This is so because murders disturb the peace in a society and leave long-lasting negative effects.
There are, however, four circumstances in which Islam permits the killing of another human being:
1. Qisas – the Islamic law permits the heirs of the murdered to take the life of murderer if they desire to do so.
2. The punishment in Islamic law, for a married person who commits adultery, is killing by stoning. (seperate post is required to answer it)
3. A Muslim who renounces Islam or is declared to be a Murtad (apostate) is to be killed.
4. In war it is allowed to kill a warring, disbelieving soldier. (what do your most `civilsed country` of the world do in `war`?)
It should be noted that first three options may only be availed if an Islamic Government exists. In the absence of an Islamic state, enforcing Shariah, no individual is allowed to take matters into his own hands.
In Case of Qisas, there are further instructions:
“If anyone is killed unjustly, we have empowered the heirs with the right of retribution; but even so let him not exceed the bounds of equity in [retributive] killing. He is indeed helped by the law.” [al-Qur`an 17:33]
The heirs of murdered are given three choices:
1. either kill the murderer, or
2. forgive the murdered, or
3. accept the blood money and let the murderer go free.
Again the individual has no right to go and `take the revenge`. This murder case has to go to the Court of an Islamic state and the state on proof and given verdict will give the above-mentioned three options to heirs. Islamic law is not a jungle law as you portrait.
The killers in karo kari cases are murderers and should be trialed and executed in Public by the Pakistani government to immediately stop these brutal and inhuman killings in the name of honor. This is not an Islamic honor but a `tribal honor` which Islam rooted out. The root cause of this tribalism still deep rooted in Pakistan is `jagirdari` which has made State ineffective in front of these feudal lords who can do all the illlegal and immoral acts but when a poor `slave` of them wants to marry of his choice, then both are murdered for `their crime of challenging Honor of tribal lord and his lordship`.
Pakistan rightly needs Islamic Shariah to stamp out all its Social evils. Sooner the better. These articles or a media campaign are not the solution but mere a sign of helplessness and a cry in the wilderness. They are `describing symptoms` but not the cure. The cure of all our ills is ISLAM.
#85 Posted by harimau on December 13, 2003 7:23:08 am
Ref Romair #20
[The problem of honor killings is not due to, ``bearded murderes`` as you have incorrectly pointed out. It is due to clean-shaven Harvard-educated, English-speaking, wine-drinking, secularly-arguing, liberal-exteriored landed nawabs of our country.]
I believe Mohammad Ali Jinnah was educated at Lincoln`s Inn and not at Harvard and preferred whiskey rather than wine.
[The problem of honor killings is not due to, ``bearded murderes`` as you have incorrectly pointed out. It is due to clean-shaven Harvard-educated, English-speaking, wine-drinking, secularly-arguing, liberal-exteriored landed nawabs of our country.]
I believe Mohammad Ali Jinnah was educated at Lincoln`s Inn and not at Harvard and preferred whiskey rather than wine.
#84 Posted by hamidm2 on December 13, 2003 7:23:08 am
chalo, chalo, bahawalpur chalo ..........
......... i think it is rather disingeneous, petty and hypocritical to quibble over the occassional killing of women of loose character and their paramours when the law of the land supports all kinds of ghastly punishments .............. why can`t the people do what god has ordained and the council of islamic ideology has sanctioned?........... why did we build all these stadiums when we know that the indian cricket team is not coming to town?.......... oh, i am sure that some tahmed in the box will jump up and say that god never said anything of the kind and that i am twisting his words ............but what about the council of islamic ideology, the sharia courts, qazi hussain`s daughter who goes around with her nose covered like a rcb sweepress, the institute for policy studies and the good judge in bahawalpur who has instructed that that ``mr ahmed would be administered acid in his eyes in the presence of a medical officer at the bahawalpur sports stadium``
.............. i wuld like to see that - i have never seen anyone being administered acid in his eyes ......... i wonder if the eyeballs will pop out or just sizzle and melt in a green goo ............maybe later, after asar prayers, we can go to the country side and participate in a karo kari .........
......... i think it is rather disingeneous, petty and hypocritical to quibble over the occassional killing of women of loose character and their paramours when the law of the land supports all kinds of ghastly punishments .............. why can`t the people do what god has ordained and the council of islamic ideology has sanctioned?........... why did we build all these stadiums when we know that the indian cricket team is not coming to town?.......... oh, i am sure that some tahmed in the box will jump up and say that god never said anything of the kind and that i am twisting his words ............but what about the council of islamic ideology, the sharia courts, qazi hussain`s daughter who goes around with her nose covered like a rcb sweepress, the institute for policy studies and the good judge in bahawalpur who has instructed that that ``mr ahmed would be administered acid in his eyes in the presence of a medical officer at the bahawalpur sports stadium``
.............. i wuld like to see that - i have never seen anyone being administered acid in his eyes ......... i wonder if the eyeballs will pop out or just sizzle and melt in a green goo ............maybe later, after asar prayers, we can go to the country side and participate in a karo kari .........
#83 Posted by hamidm2 on December 12, 2003 2:57:23 pm
jahil,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/default.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/default.stm
#82 Posted by sigalph235 on December 12, 2003 2:57:23 pm
Re Urstruly
``We can also add to this category the murder of a man and woman when they had elopped and married against the wishes of their families``
No we cannot, no matter how hard you try to stretch the limits of logic to create an apologia for honor killings. Social ostracism is a far, far cry from murder.
``This catgory is common in some other Muslim countries as well, such as Jordan Palestine, Iraq, Bangladesh and Paksitan.``
Please do not lump a democratic Bangladesh with Arab and Arab-wannabe oligarchies; run an `honor killing` search thru Google and you can get the numbers; Pakistan and Jordan are often in the news for this sort of barbarity as, specially now, is the Arab population of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
``social contract that God has given to Muslim men and women ``
No wonder that Hindu women are often reported to be the victims of the lustful whims of Sindhi waderas.
``So if we see these categories objectively we can come to the conclusion that the prevention of this crime is not a legislative or that of law enforcement issue. ``
Yes, we need to UNDERSTAND the murderer`s mindset and that of the conspirators but forget about the victim of the murder. Excellent solution. Pakistan Paindabad!
``It is a social issue and it can only be prevented by taking social measures such as education and awareness to change the attitude of the people in this regard. ``
It is a law and order issue just as Sati and Thuggee were. They were only abolished with the heavy hand of Lord Bentick and Lord Dalhousie respectively, not with `social reforms`. The only real and humane solution to the problem of so-called honor killings is the Turkish solution: take no prisoners, show no mercy, give no quarter with those who invoke religion or tradition to abet barbarism.
``We can also add to this category the murder of a man and woman when they had elopped and married against the wishes of their families``
No we cannot, no matter how hard you try to stretch the limits of logic to create an apologia for honor killings. Social ostracism is a far, far cry from murder.
``This catgory is common in some other Muslim countries as well, such as Jordan Palestine, Iraq, Bangladesh and Paksitan.``
Please do not lump a democratic Bangladesh with Arab and Arab-wannabe oligarchies; run an `honor killing` search thru Google and you can get the numbers; Pakistan and Jordan are often in the news for this sort of barbarity as, specially now, is the Arab population of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
``social contract that God has given to Muslim men and women ``
No wonder that Hindu women are often reported to be the victims of the lustful whims of Sindhi waderas.
``So if we see these categories objectively we can come to the conclusion that the prevention of this crime is not a legislative or that of law enforcement issue. ``
Yes, we need to UNDERSTAND the murderer`s mindset and that of the conspirators but forget about the victim of the murder. Excellent solution. Pakistan Paindabad!
``It is a social issue and it can only be prevented by taking social measures such as education and awareness to change the attitude of the people in this regard. ``
It is a law and order issue just as Sati and Thuggee were. They were only abolished with the heavy hand of Lord Bentick and Lord Dalhousie respectively, not with `social reforms`. The only real and humane solution to the problem of so-called honor killings is the Turkish solution: take no prisoners, show no mercy, give no quarter with those who invoke religion or tradition to abet barbarism.
#81 Posted by Wahrheit on December 12, 2003 2:57:23 pm
#77 by MeAyesha on December 12, 2003 12:26pm PT
I don`t believe that stoning to death for adultery is an Islamic practice...secondly,
i don`t exactly know whether anyway was stoned to death or not, but several women who had been raped were sentenced/punished in some way..
In accordance with Shariah law, an act of adultery witnessed by at least four people is punishable by stoning to death. The thug Zia had enacted this law, though never carried out.
I don`t believe that stoning to death for adultery is an Islamic practice...secondly,
i don`t exactly know whether anyway was stoned to death or not, but several women who had been raped were sentenced/punished in some way..
In accordance with Shariah law, an act of adultery witnessed by at least four people is punishable by stoning to death. The thug Zia had enacted this law, though never carried out.
#80 Posted by RationalFaith on December 12, 2003 2:57:23 pm
MeAyesha #77
What do these old men know about Islam? Anew and Naqsbani are teaching them.
You are very right. Islam is the best religion possible. Didn`t George Bernard Shaw say it was the best religion? You don`t know the most important part of it. On his visit to Saudi Arabia, Shaw converted to Islam and wrote many tracts praising Allah. He denounced US, UK, Jews, and asked the British to transfer power to Muslims. Anti Islam western media has never reported on that. Naturally.
Those who don`t believe that Shaw became the follower of the best religion should ask why is it that resesarchers are not researching and reporters are not reporting on this news? Why the conspiratorial silence? Who benefits from this silence? Jews. Who owns American newspapers? Jews. Will Jews report on such a news? No. That proves that the news is accurate.
True Islamic state is just round the corner when 18 year olds know Islam so well.
What do these old men know about Islam? Anew and Naqsbani are teaching them.
You are very right. Islam is the best religion possible. Didn`t George Bernard Shaw say it was the best religion? You don`t know the most important part of it. On his visit to Saudi Arabia, Shaw converted to Islam and wrote many tracts praising Allah. He denounced US, UK, Jews, and asked the British to transfer power to Muslims. Anti Islam western media has never reported on that. Naturally.
Those who don`t believe that Shaw became the follower of the best religion should ask why is it that resesarchers are not researching and reporters are not reporting on this news? Why the conspiratorial silence? Who benefits from this silence? Jews. Who owns American newspapers? Jews. Will Jews report on such a news? No. That proves that the news is accurate.
True Islamic state is just round the corner when 18 year olds know Islam so well.
#79 Posted by stuka on December 12, 2003 1:42:54 pm
Me Ayesha:
``... I believe most of you on this interactive forum, don`t really care about Indo-Pak relations...``
From the mouth of babes....
You are absolutely right. Most of us on Chowk live abroad and don`t give anything more then a superficial thought about Indo-Pak relations. Sach hai.
``... I believe most of you on this interactive forum, don`t really care about Indo-Pak relations...``
From the mouth of babes....
You are absolutely right. Most of us on Chowk live abroad and don`t give anything more then a superficial thought about Indo-Pak relations. Sach hai.
#78 Posted by mohar11 on December 12, 2003 12:26:40 pm
#74 by khotasikka
//Its getting too easy to bash -it is so onesided that its not even fun anymore...//
You have a point there.
//Its getting too easy to bash -it is so onesided that its not even fun anymore...//
You have a point there.
#77 Posted by MeAyesha on December 12, 2003 12:26:40 pm
# 49...I appreciate your thoughts ..
#65...I don`t believe that stoning to death for adultery is an Islamic practice...secondly,
i don`t exactly know whether anyway was stoned to death or not, but several women who had been raped were sentenced/punished in some way..
#58 No sort of murder is allowed in Islam...in war, you can kill for self-defense & the right of people to have their faith, is to be respected...I can quote Quranic Ayats & Hadith but I believe that people like you don`t intend to be convinced and say what they like...
#65...I don`t believe that stoning to death for adultery is an Islamic practice...secondly,
i don`t exactly know whether anyway was stoned to death or not, but several women who had been raped were sentenced/punished in some way..
#58 No sort of murder is allowed in Islam...in war, you can kill for self-defense & the right of people to have their faith, is to be respected...I can quote Quranic Ayats & Hadith but I believe that people like you don`t intend to be convinced and say what they like...
#76 Posted by MeAyesha on December 12, 2003 12:26:40 pm
One thing is clear, people can make anything a cause for fighting, when they want to... I believe most of you on this interactive forum, don`t really care about Indo-Pak relations...it is people like us who suffer, who have to face the consequences of these seemingly harmless arguments...
#75 Posted by Urstruly on December 12, 2003 12:22:03 pm
I think, if we see honor killing as a problem and really want to find a solution to solve this problem we must first understand it to its finer details. The way I understand it is that we can categorize honor killing in three categories; which the foreign NGOs usually lump into one category namely ``honor killing``. The three categories are:
Category I:
In this category we can put the crimes of passion. A crime of passion is said to have committed when a man (applies to vice versa to a woman as well) sees his woman like mother, wife, sister or another close relationship in a compromising situation with another man i.e. engaged in illicit sex etc. In this case the perpetrator in a blinding rage kills his woman and/or that man at the sight. There is no pre-meditation involved here. Such cases are prosecuted under Pakistan Penal Code section 302 and are usually treated as either second degree murder or even reduced to manslaughter. The max penalty under section 302 is capital punishment. If it is taken as second degree murder then the punishment is reduced to life in prison, which is 14 years with hard labor in prison. If the judge is convinced he may reduced the offence to manslughter which carries a max punishment of 7 years with hard labor. In Pakistani legal system a day and night both are counted as days, therefore, a convict serving 14 years in prison is out in 7 years and one serving 7 years is out in 3.5 years. This law has been in effect since criminal procedure code was established in 1866.
Category II:
In this category the element of premeditation is involved. A person might see his woman in a compromising position with another man and does not act immediately and choses to contemplate the crime first. The crime involves the murder of either or both man and woman. Such crimes are also prosecuted under PPC section 302 and since pre-meditation is involved, usually the convict is handed over capital punishment. In very rare case, under exceptional circumstances e.g. Presidential pardons at the time of eid etc. the capital punishment is reduced to life in prison (14 years, as mentioned above).
We can also add to this category the murder of a man and woman when they had elopped and married against the wishes of their families. This phenomenon is very common. While 99% of the families do not go as far as murdering man and woman for eloping but the practice is frwoned upon scorned and couple is subjected to harsh social and family boycott. This catgory is common in some other Muslim countries as well, such as Jordan Palestine, Iraq, Bangladesh and Paksitan.
Category III
This category is unique to sindh, Pakistan only. In this case a woman is kidnapped and abducted by someone. It does not matter whether the abductee rapes his victim, force her to go through the nuptuals or simply just confines him somewhere. When this woman is recovered she is killed by his close relatives. It does not matter whether she was absolutely innocent or whether her honor was violated by abductee(s) or not, she is killed. Such woman is called a ``Kari`` which roughly translated as one who is not pure anymore. The abductee in this case is called a ``Karo`` i.e. one who commits an act that unpurify other. The practice is called ``Karo-Kari`` in Sindh.
The perpetrators in this case are tried under section 302 and usually receive the capital punishment. Dying under this punishment is usually taken as a symbol of great bravey and chivallary and perpetrators are celebrated as the heroes in the tribal structure.
I once witnessed a ``hand over`` of such a ``hero`` in a police station in rural sindh once where a relative of mine was stationed as an SHO. There was a procession of villagers who were bringing in this hero who had just murdered his daughter and a man who had ``kidnapped`` her. This perpetrator was a man in his late 50s. The eye-witnesses to this crime were the immediate relatives of this man who saw the murder with their own eyes but since it happened at the spur of the moment they ``couldn`t`` stop the murder from happening. The case in the light of these witnesses and the confession of this man was rock solid and no power in the worlkd could save this man from getting capital punishment under PPC 302. But my relative later told me that the murder was actually committed by two sons of this man and this man came forward to save the lives of his sons - the whole village knew it, but chose to keep quite because ``izzat`` is for all.
So if we see these categories objectively we can come to the conclusion that the prevention of this crime is not a legislative or that of law enforcement issue. It is a social issue and it can only be prevented by taking social measures such as education and awareness to change the attitude of the people in this regard. It is not a religious issue because in sindh it is across the board. The karo kari in Hindus is as common as that in Muslims. However, ullema can and should take a led role in this case. They can change the attitude of the people from the pulpit by educating them about the social contract that God has given to Muslim men and women and by educating people about not only the rights that they have among each other but also the duties. This is called Haquq-ul-Ibad i.e. the rights of man. I dont think that the education through schooling will be that effective and I am not very sure about its acceptance in that society as well. Though it might help a bit.
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