News & Comment
There is no Honour in Dishonouring the Islamic Way of Life

News:

A magistrate on Tuesday ordered that the body of an Italian citizen, Sana Cheema, of Pakistani origin, who was allegedly murdered for ‘honour’ in the neighbourhood of Mangowal in the city of Gujrat in Punjab on April 18, be exhumed on Wednesday for further investigation. The Italian Foreign Ministry has said that it is following the case through its embassy in Islamabad, which is gathering information to define the circumstances surrounding Ms Cheema’s death. (Source: Dawn)

Comment:

Sana got killed in a country she belonged to and that was created to provide justice to Muslims. Justice for Sana will be closely observed by the Italian government, and the Pakistani authorities will feel the pressure to meet the desired standards. The behaviour of Sana’s father will be linked to Pakistani (Muslim) culture and the demand for women empowerment will get stronger. Within the last two years, this is the second such case, and the obvious reason to make Pakistan the place for these killings is the hope of escaping justice. Crime and injustice prevail in Pakistan, like many other Muslim countries that are also very poorly and selfishly governed. From drug dealers to child abusers, daily there are thousands of reported and unreported cases in the country. People go missing and are never found again, and sometimes tortured bodies are found from the deserted areas. Recently, the city of Lahore witnessed resistance from the Government for Pashtun Tahafuz Movement as they tried to hold a rally to register their protest against criminalising of Pashtun community and demanding justice for murdered and missing Pashtuns. The priority of the Government to please Western powers is clearly seen by the way issues are handled.

Islam is the actual source of empowerment for women, and coming across such brutal events reminds one of the times of Jahiliyah when daughters were buried alive. As grown-ups and parents of Muslim children, people need to understand that Islam is not just about stories and examples of great people. It is a way of life and only by living this way; one can become a true Muslim. Providing children with a Western lifestyle in the name of compromise for better living and then asking them to behave according to a standard they have just heard of occasionally are just like putting them in a swimming pool and demanding they stay dry. Islam in no form allows a father to force his daughter in marriage against her will, and to kill her if she does not agree.

عَنْ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: جَاءَتْ فَتَاةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَتْ: إِنَّ أَبِي زَوَّجَنِي ابْنَ أَخِيهِ لِيَرْفَعَ بِي خَسِيسَتَهُ. قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَيْهَا. فَقَالَتْ: قَدْ أَجَزْتُ مَا صَنَعَ أَبِي وَلَكِنْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ النِّسَاءُ أَنْ لَيْسَ إِلَى الْآبَاءِ مِنْ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ.

Abdullah bin Burayda (ra) narrates on the authority of his father that a young girl came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said: “My father married me off to his nephew in order to raise his lowly status.’’ So the prophet (saw) gave her the right to repudiate the marriage. She responded: ‘I accept what my father has done, but I wanted to inform the (other) women that fathers do not have any authority to give their daughters in marriage against their wishes.’’ (ibn Maajah)

Return of Islam as a system will not only provide women with their due rights but it will also cater to the needs of the other members of the society. A strong Islamic government (Khilafah) will prevent foreign intervention in people’s lives as well as in handling of affairs. Only with the establishment of the Khilafah people will know the joy of honourable living.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Ikhlaq Jehan