Re: Where are feminists & Muslim leaders on murder of Aqsa Parvez?

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Posted by Natasha Fatah on 11:54:48 2007/12/15

In Reply to: Keeping the faith for the sake of all our Aqsa Parvezes posted by By Rosie DiManno - Toronto Star

Your browser does not support inline frames, or it has been configured incorrectly. If page does not display on your browser, please <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_fatah/20071214.html">CLICK HERE</a>. CBC News: Analysis & Viewpoint: Natasha Fatah // News Sports Entertainment Radio TV My Region Story Tools: PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK A kite merchant prepares for a kite flying festival in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 4, 2005. Pakistanis celebrate the Basant festival by flying different kinds of kites, wearing colourful dresses, dancing and preparing special dishes for visitors welcoming spring. (Shakil Adil/Associated Press) -- MINORITY REPORT Who will speak for Aqsa Parvez? -- Dec. 14, 2007 Aqsa Parvez in a photo from her Facebook account. Sixteen-year-old Aqsa Parvez did not want to wear the hijab. The Middle Eastern head covering has become the most significant icon for Islam in the West, which is unfortunate, since 90 per cent of Muslim women in this country don't wear one. By extension, they get dismissed as not being authentic Muslims. The CBC's own Little Mosque on the Prairie plays into this stereotype by showing every prominent Muslim woman in a hijab. This superficial measurement of Muslim-ness has become so prevalent that a small but increasing number of families are pushing it on their daughters. Aqsa, a Pakistani-Canadian, was just one of the victims of this growing obsession. Now that Aqsa is dead, who will speak for her? Who will speak for the countless Muslim girls who lead double lives and who suffer in silence in their homes? Who will make sure they aren't abused or killed? Who chooses? Most Islamist men and women say that a woman chooses to wear the hijab. But, all too often, that choice is taken away from young Muslim girls. They are being told by their parents and their imams that if they don't wear the hijab, they are no longer Muslim. This occurs even though the Koran, Islam's holy book, does not say that a woman has to cover her hair. Take a walk in downtown Toronto, Montreal, Windsor or other cities with large Muslim populations. You will see little girls, as young as four, five and six, wearing hijabs on their way to school. Did these little girls really make a choice to wear the hijab? Did they make a declaration to their parents that they want to be religiously pious and sexually modest? Common sense indicates that these children did not choose for themselves. The innuendo Meanwhile, the mullahs and Islamists are busy dismissing the idea that Aqsa's alleged murder had anything to do with religion. They are circulating rumours on-line that she had a black boyfriend, that she was sexually promiscuous, that she was a drug pusher. These are cited as reasons why her family was strict with her. Why are they so afraid of acknowledging that obsession with a religious ritual may have been a factor? It is because they fear their own culpability in this horrible tragedy. Before their congregations, these religious leaders tell men to control their daughters, wives and sisters. They have brought into Canadian homes the radical Islamist notion that a man's honour is encompassed in the sexual and physical body of the women in his family, that's why they must be covered up and kept inside. Muslim fundamentalists have made a woman's body the fighting ground for their religious wars, and it is unfortunately women who pay with their lives for the sake of their men's honour. A wall of silence Women's advocacy groups have played mute on the issue. When Canadian feminists are asked for their reaction to Aqsa's murder, they decline to respond and instead suggest that it would more appropriate to turn to Muslim women's groups for reaction. Advocates are willing to speak up for all other women in Canada, from women who need cancer treatment because of radioisotope shortages to the dozens of prostitutes murdered in British Columbia, but they will not speak for Aqsa. Even social pundits and critics are making excuses. They say that this isn't something unique to the Muslim community. They bring up examples of honour killings in Christian, Sikh and Hindu families. Just because there are religious fanatics in every group doesn't take away the need to investigate what is happening to young Muslim women. So far, the only ones who have spoken honestly are the young girls that attend Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga. The friends and classmates of Aqsa, who aren't concerned with political correctness, have said without hesitation that Aqsa was abused and threatened at home because of the religious fanaticism of her family. They have said she was killed because she wanted to be herself. The rest of Canadian society could take a hint from these girls. We hesitate to condemn this behaviour because we don't want to be seen as racist. Are we going to allow cultural relativism to be the scapegoat for abuse and murder in this country? This is not the time for discussions about cultural nuances and lowered expectations for ethnic and religious minority groups. This is the time to speak up, and say enough is enough to the religious fanatics in Canada. If a vacuum of silence is left by the moderate people in Canada, who are the overwhelmingly majority, then that vacuum will be filled by the religious extremists on one side, who will make excuses for these actions; and by intolerant racists on the other, who will say religious minorities are poisoning this country. Canadians, Muslim and non-Muslim, must say that while this country's greatest pride is its diversity, multiculturalism and acceptance, there are certain beliefs and laws that are inherently Canadian and that must be respected. We have to say loudly that a woman is free to cover her body as she chooses. She is free to wear her hair how she likes. That at least in this country, she is free, no matter how you interpret your religion. Letters I cannot believe the response from Aayla. This is exactly the kind of problem the writer is talking about. The girl told her friends that she didn't want to wear the hijab. The friends said she didn't want to wear the hijab. There is documentation that the father beat her because she wasn't traditionally Muslim enough. How much more evidence do you need? You're right we don't know all the details yet, and Natasha is not saying that the father is guilty. She is talking about a bigger problem about forcing religion on people. Why are you looking for excuses? – Alejandra Luna | Montreal Ms. Fatah is to be commended for forcefully stating social and personal reality for many. I agree that we need to look through political correctness and the guise of multi-culturalism to correct behavior which wrongfully affects, controls and impedes the lives of many in Canadian society. Individual Canadains should be able to define themselves, and forces which wrongfully impede this, contrary to the values of Canadian society and the Charter, should be actively dealt with by the state and exposed by the media. – S.R. Ball | Toronto Aqsa Parvez was not killed because her family is Muslim ; she was killed because her family is religious. Her father and his ilk, given the choice between killing God and killing his daughter, obediently kills the daughter. Why? Because he loves God more than Aqsa. Note that Muhammad Parvez has never met God but simply assumes he exist because that's what his daddy said. In other words, he has short-circuited his intellect - his ability to think clearly. We have several billion people on this planet that think the same way. Things are not going to get any better anytime soon for the Aqsas of this world. Give it a try people: No one has ever been proven to have encountered God in any form - ever. Therefore he doesn't exist or is irrelevant. Now, you can give your God-given hatred a rest and carry on with exploring this wonderful world. – Murray Hill | Richmond, BC I find the speculation in this article disturbing. It is an excuse to emotionally point the finger at women's advocacy groups who will not "speak up" for this victim. At the time of this writing, there is a publication ban on details of the case. How does the author of this article "know" that it was Aqsa Parvez' refusal to wear hijab that led to her death? I think that most of us, given the climate of fear and suspicion against Muslims in this country, are right to refrain from knee-jerk reaction until we know more about what happened in this family. This tragedy appears to be about family violence and that is all that we can currently say with confidence. Family violence and abuse are never ever ok or acceptable... but family violence and abuse are not confined to Muslim cultures alone. I think what has happened to this poor young woman is terrible. I am not going to further violate her by using her death to rain down self-righteous vitriol. – Aalya Ahmad | Gatineau, QC Thank you for this excellent article. I am a Canadian expatriate who is deeply disturbed by the reaction to this young woman's murder and by the CBC's other coverage of it: it is significant that on the evening news, the only feedback on this site that was quoted was from those who insisted that the incident had nothing to do with Islam. As usual, the story was used to beat up on Canadians for their supposed racism and intolerance. However, it is also a mistake to differentiate between "radical" and "moderate" Islam. You can only be a "moderate" Muslim (or Christian or Jew, for that matter) if you choose to ignore parts of the so-called holy books, which are full of hatred and exhortations to smite the unbeliever. It's time all of us started living in the 21st century and stopped letting our lives be guided by books written in an age of ignorance. Then maybe we can all start treating one another with respect. – Peter | Bellevue WA In every society, culture and religion parents have right to choose what they think is best for their young kids both morally and physically.This is their social and moral obligation. I don't see why writer have problem with that. Second. Most of the Muslim feel dependent on the interpretation of the Holy Qur'an provided by other equally illiterate peoples and most of the time consider their cultural and tribal tradition as religious obligations. Covering the face or body is not only considered "Religious" obligation in Islam but also in Christianity, Hinduism and other religions from centuries. The Case of Aqsa is not as simple as “not wearing Hijab” (as some commentator suggested), It is a cultural phenomenon in some part of Indo-Pak sub-continent where crossing the limits of cultural traditions justifies “honor” Killing. Recall the similar incident happen with indo-Canadian Sikh girl from BC (Jaswinder Kaur) who was killed just because she was in love outside her cult and ready to get marry. She wasn’t “teen” or Muslim. Muslims should stop feeling "guily by association"for every crime committed by other ill minded Muslims. The case of Aqsa should be condemned by all Canadians including Muslim Canadians. – Jawed Memon | Ottawa Thank you for having the courage to write this viewpoint. When murder is reported, discussed and dismissed as just something that happens;it is a dangerous social attitude, especially when religious fanaticsm is accepted as "normal". I agree, that there IS an ongoing, overt and subtle political/cultural push for this image of the Muslim woman with a covered head. This has to cease and desist. The media has major responsibility in this push through its practices in photography, online, in print and on air. The culture that is responsible for this is the culture of fear and control - in and out of homes. Reporting that is merely the parroting of "politically correct" ideas and images, gives dead information. Where is journalism - that drive to probe and look at human issues with clarity, objectivity etc? – Sali | Toronto I could not agree more with you Natasha , why is it that Women's advocacy groups are not responding to Aqsa's murder? This is NOT soley a Muslim issue. As a Canadian more so than as an Indian-Hindu, I see this murder, and all such murders, as a crime against ALL women. Making this an issue about one community is just not enough. – Angela Misri | Toronto This is a excellent article and thank you for writing it. Muslims are so busy being defensive about every little thing, they cannot admit when there actually is a problem in the community. Hopefully articles like this will help. – Alia Khan | Windsor, Ontario Your article is nicely stated. The fact remains that Aqsa was murdered for not obeying her fathers rules. There is no excuse no matter what her religion is. M illions of teenagers disobey their parents everyday, they don't die for it. This man, or shall I say monstter killed her for just that reason. It's sickening. – Bessie | Markham, Ont. Thank you very much for speaking up the way you did , and for your exceptional insight into this story. It's refreshing to see someone with a critical and well-rounded view of the situation. It's a horrible double edged blade when people are too scared to speak out for fear of being branded as a racist, and the extremists on either end of the spectrum get to trample over the Canadian ideal of freedom. – Rich | Victoria ABOUT THIS AUTHOR Biography Natasha Fatah is a producer for CBC Radio's Current Affairs Show "As It Happens." Prior to that, she was a television and radio reporter in Windsor, Ontario. She has degrees in Journalism from Ryerson University and in Political Science from the University of Toronto. She has lectured on anti-racism, politics and media studies at elementary and secondary schools around the Greater Toronto Area. 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Follow Ups:

Re: Feminist indignation ignores Muslim rape & honor killing - Adrian Morgan 08:25:53 2007/12/19 (0)
Re: Where there's horror, there's Islam: Denial is sickening - Michael Coren 11:58:16 2007/12/15 (7)
- Re: Where there's horror, there's Islam: Denial is sickening - Mark 12:50:04 2007/12/16 (1)
  - Re: Where there's horror, there's Islam: Denial is sickening - Gayl 13:16:51 2007/12/16 (0)
- Re: Bigotry & terror masked as faith - Salim Mansur in SunMedia 13:14:34 2007/12/15 (4)
  - Re: Bigotry & terror masked as faith - Shelley 15:59:30 2007/12/15 (3)
    - Re: Bigotry & terror masked as faith - Maher Rizkalla 16:35:03 2007/12/16 (2)
      - Re: Bigotry & terror masked as faith - Gayl 19:34:48 2007/12/16 (1)
        
        Re: Woman-Killing Pig Farmer vs Fundamentalist Muslim Father - Zoltan Horvath 11:32:34 2007/12/17 (0)

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