Fatwa Declares ‘Honour’ Killing As Un-Islamic And An Unpardonable Sin
A fatwa (ruling) was given out, on the appeal of Sunni Ittehad Council (SUC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, on Sunday, by 40 Sunni Islamic scholars, declaring the murder of women or girls in the name of honour as ‘un-Islamic’ and an ‘unpardonable sin’.
Recently two of the many heinous and appalling incidents were brought to light involving a 17 year old girl, Zeenat Bibi, set on fire by her mother in Lahore, and a 19 year old teacher set on fire in Murree. Their alleged crime was marrying who they desired. The fatwa/ ruling was made on the basis of Islam allowing a mature woman to marry by her choice and consent.
In September 2010, the Punjab Law Minister had announced that violent crimes against women, including honour killings, would be tried under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act. The fatwa also tried to pressurize the Pakistani government to adopt and pass stringent laws in this regard with no room for culprits to escape the consequences of their actions. Last year, the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) had also declared murder of women or girls in the name of ‘honour’ as un-Islamic.
