Tabloids and Islamophobia
February 11, 2008
Dave on Fire has a good post on the nasty sensationalism on the cover of Independent on Sunday. A short while back I had written about Britain’s new fixation: ‘honour killings’. For a country where the primary cause of death amongst women under 35 is domestic violence — honour killing, in other words — this isn’t entirely surprising. However it is not women’s well being in general that the media is concerned about. It is only in relation to the country’s Muslim minority that the issue acquires prominence. Like the manufactured debate around the Niqab, this is merely another attempt to present xenophobia and bigotry as principal. The assault predictably enough is led by fourth-wave feminists (this wave unlike the past three was ushered in by a man, George W. Bush, with his invasion of Afghanistan). So Britain’s prominent liberal daily The Independent once again competes with the Daily Mail for maximum sensationalism. Check out these pathetic front pages:
Once again, I leave you with Hendrix’s famous song about ‘honour killing’. I am quite certain Joe wasn’t a Muslim.
February 11, 2008 at 12:50 am
Joe was a cowboy. Joe killed his cheating wife for revenge. Joe was an outlaw. Joe wasn’t restoring honour under the name of his religion to the great relief of the rest of his family.
February 11, 2008 at 1:18 am
Al
so only a slight difference of the definition justifies a crime for the Westerners……hilarious
February 11, 2008 at 1:29 am
Domestic violence and dishonor killings aren’t the same thing. All dishonor killings are a form a domestic violence, but the converse simply isn’t true.
It’s not Islamophobic to call something what it is.
Ellen R. Sheeley, Author
“Reclaiming Honor in Jordan”
February 11, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Man finds out milkman’s been humping his wife. Kills her. Jealousy or an attempt to restore honour — does it make much of a difference to the deceased?
Unless you are a believer in O.J. Simpson’s innocence, I wonder how you’d classify the prosecution’s allegations.
All dishonor killings are a form a domestic violence, but the converse simply isn’t true.
You are right. Child beating is not ‘dishonor killing’ for instance.
February 11, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Joe wasn’t restoring honour under the name of his religion to the great relief of the rest of his family.
And I presume the religious sanction and the ‘great relief of the rest of the family’ was personally validated by you in your extensive face to face interviews — Or is your connection to the world outside the same as that for everyone else who repeats these racist canards: Granpa’s Daily Mail?