A heinous crime of killing one young feudal lord for saving family’s honor took place in interior Sindh. This tragedy is reported to occur on 30th February, 2012 when the sister of the victim found letter of some girl in his brother’s pocket before giving his shirt to the maid for washing. The sister immediately reported her parents with evidence and stoked the fire of honor in the hearts of parents (especially that of mother) instead of dousing it.
The poor soul came back home and was shot dead by his father as a result of his sister’s suspicion. Parents did this to save family’s honor from salacious gossip about his son’s immoral act of being in love with some girl. The friend of the deceased soul reported police but no one was prosecuted as in this particular location family and tribal rules take primacy over state legislation.
Men from different parts of the country protested against this sad incident as soon as the news broke out on the news channels but they failed to bring any change in the existing brutal laws of semi -autonomous government of such tribal areas. The fight between human rights and cultural relativism had been won by cultural relativism once again.
This incident might have been astonishing for you but not for the people who reside in such areas. As for them it is completely justified to kill such people irrespective of their socio-economic status and gender.
On being interviewed by newspaper reporter the sister of the victim said, “I was angry with my brother for having an affair with the girl. My brother refused to part ways with his lover despite of my warnings. So, I had to tell my parents to save and restore our family’s honor”.
Human rights activist are working actively in changing the scenario but to change the socially restrictive cultural practices pertaining to family honor is definitely a time taking task.
Note : This incident will sound alien to your ears as it is purely a piece of fiction. In 2011, human rights groups reported 720 honour killings in Pakistan (605 women and 115 men). The stark difference in number ( 605 women and 115 men) questions the very definition and notion of honor that we have in our minds and that we usually practice. The act of honor killing is as condemnable as the act of associating honor with women only. To read about “Gender Stereotyping in our Society” click Here

 

Gender Stereotyping and Our Society