Digg

Introducing Digg Dialogg!
Check out the first Digg Dialogg with Nancy Pelosi. More guests to be announced soon!

'My Daughter Deserved to Die for Falling in Love'

guardian.co.uk — Two weeks ago, The Observer revealed how 17-year-old student Rand Abdel-Qader was beaten to death by her father after becoming infatuated with a British soldier in Basra. In this remarkable interview, Abdel-Qader Ali explains why he is unrepentant - and how police backed his actions.

Bury

MakiMaki 111 days ago

167 diggs
digg it

MaximusIGN, on 05/11/2008, -4/+42Absolutely disgusting that someone can kill his child and be proud of it. Worse is the society that also considers his action of "honor" and keeps him free. How he can call his religion one of peace and good yet kill his daughter so easily is beyond me.

I'd like to think he and his sons were simply deranged and not representative of muslims in that country. But seeing that he is free and most likely trying to kill his wife with the support of local government makes that very very hard.
- anidal, on 05/11/2008, -0/+16A collective inward sigh goes out from all muslims after reading this article.
  
  It's bad enough there has been a murder of a muslim at the hands of another, now we have to look at the torrent of hate comments that goes along with it.
  
  I'd say that Islam doesn't teach this and that this was a cultural problem, but why bother. All of you have heard the argument before, and my saying it again will only fall on deaf ears.
  
  If you're looking for the voice of moderate Islam, its here. And for the record what happened here was wrong, very wrong.
  
  If you're looking for an apology, then its here. We're sorry for any barbaric acts done in the name of Islam, past, present and future.
  
  If you're looking for muslim bashing, the digg down button is to the right. Go for it.
  
  I'm just hoping, on the off-chance that there is someone who genuinely understands that this is a serious cultural problem and needs to be dealt with through education and not through finger pointing.
  - pmuaddib, on 05/11/2008, -1/+7Well put, well put. The moderate voices will prevail through perseverance. Keep to the middle path.
  - OffPiste, on 05/11/2008, -8/+1Of course you're not a Muslim, you're a atheist liberal who's an apologist for Islam (the religion of misogyny, and intolerance). Like most of your ilk you wrap yourself in ANYTHING ant-christian and anti-west.
  - Shawshanksr, on 05/11/2008, -1/+4i completely agree with anidal. im muslim also and i must tell you that even though falling in love is a serios breach of islamic tradition the punishment isn't death in most muslim countries. in countries like india most families are educated enough to not even care if their son/ daughter falls in love. im fortunate enough to say that i'm part of this type of family which takes religion in moderation.
    i just cannot accept what happened to Rand as an honour killing.
    this isnt what islam is about. but as anidal says who's actually going to listen?
    - jaakkoh, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1I think it's actually immensely important to hear such comments from Muslims. Over the last few years it has seemed to me that the Muslim community as a whole could have done a better job in taking a negative stance towards certain types of behaviour - this being one.
      
      Having said the above I want to add that I have a few _very_ good Muslim friends and I also understand the positions somewhat well.
  - Idiggapony, on 05/12/2008, -0/+3Very well stated, anidal. Thank you.
- flossdaily, on 05/11/2008, -4/+3Once again, people are more than willing to indict ONE religion without acknowledging that it is our tolerance of the false logic of ALL religions that really leads to this problem. Once you accept that it is okay for people to believe in magical faerie tales, and allow those faerie tales to define their moral code, you've already contributed to this nonsense.
NachoBusiness, on 05/11/2008, -3/+20"police congratulated him on what he had done. 'They are men and know what honour is,' he said."

But it's a different culture, people! We can't judge!
- anaesthetica, on 05/11/2008, -0/+16Here is a relevant quote:
  
  My favorite anecdote in this regard is of the British general Charles James Napier. When assigned to British-run India, he was informed that he just didn’t understand Indian customs. He couldn’t ban the practice of wife-burning, he was told, because it was an ancient and valued tradition in India. He said he understood and appreciated that. It was just that “my country also has a custom,” he explained. “We hang people who burn women.” His custom won out.
keltin, on 05/11/2008, -4/+11The religion is not the only guiding principle here. Yes, Sharia law does support this kind of barbaric action, but it's also the society it 'lives' in. This is a very backward part of much of Islam's cultures that agree, even extoll, the killing of those who go against family pressure.
I am very much the conservative, and those of you of the Liberal-Progressive persuasion, can you imagine working for any of the authoritarian governmental family agencies and having to deal with something like this in a Muslim community? You'd have a great chance to be stabbed, killed, beaten or lynched, were you to try and push your outsiders attitudes on this group of unrepentent genocidal maniacs.
- carterbaldwin, on 05/11/2008, -3/+2I dugg you after reading the first paragraph, and immediately regretted it upon reading the second.
johnvol, on 05/11/2008, -17/+13Muslims are monsters.There are no "moderate" followers of Islam.One day the citizens of Europe will be fighting a war on their own soil against these barbarians.Kill one's own daughter and cloak it in some perverted righteousness?Think about that.A day of reckoning is coming.
- Alix7, on 05/11/2008, -13/+9Shut the ***** up
  - keltin, on 05/11/2008, -2/+8I doan unnerstan', Alix...are you scared to talk about it? Debate and dialogue is a good thing when its a scary subject.
    - Alix7, on 05/11/2008, -10/+2Suck my dick, please
- LadyAmerica, on 05/11/2008, -7/+7I think Alix7 must be either a Muslim or a Nazi. At least he reacts like one to critics.
- Picaroon, on 05/11/2008, -2/+3You must not have or have had any friends who are Muslim.
- carterbaldwin, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1The space bar. Learn to use it.
socivitus, on 05/11/2008, -8/+10They live in a really screwed up culture which no amount of democracy will change. One day, there will be WW3 and it will be the world against the Middle East.
- Alix7, on 05/11/2008, -13/+4Oh really? Are you mentally retarded?
  - NachoBusiness, on 05/11/2008, -1/+10Calling people names is rather weak. Can you make an argument, or are meaningless insults the best you can do?
tehbored, on 05/11/2008, -8/+5Why are we wasting money and lives trying to make Iraq "stable?" I say we just leave and let them do what they want. Hopefully they'll all kill each other.
- keltin, on 05/11/2008, -1/+3A little short-sighted there, and perhaps bereft of humanity?
- pmuaddib, on 05/11/2008, -2/+5Iraq was quite stable and safe before we "liberated" them. Iraqi's had a greater degree of freedom in regards to religious and gender issues. Fiscal stability and an economy whose biggest issue was our economic embargo. It wasn't a perfect country but they were definitely better off before we took the "oppressor" away from them.
  - Jambi, on 05/11/2008, -1/+2It was somewhat stable and safe, and while it's arguable that everyone but the Kurds was better off under Saddam in certain ways, he was a brutal and vindictive tyrant, and doesn't really warrant your sarcastic "oppressor" description. It may be that what was toppled was replaced with something worse (it depends who you are and where in the country you live), but let's not gloss over Hussein's reputation. He was a nasty son of a bitch at the head of a reasonable stable civil society, which nonetheless had its share of built in flaws.
  - LadyAmerica, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1"Stable and safe", you say? What about all of those mass graves of Sadaam's victims that have been found?
UltramegaOK, on 05/11/2008, -0/+7Didn't this happen to a girl once already or is this the same story?
- ichbeineinrcg, on 05/11/2008, -0/+8The last story that made it on Digg was out of Pakistan, IIRC.
- DeskFlyer, on 05/11/2008, -1/+10This happens so frequently that there could be a new story every day.
- keltin, on 05/11/2008, -1/+13These 'honour killings' happen every day in some part of Islam. Quite a few, given the even weak numbers collected by the UN (they didn't want to criticize those who have lotsa money and influence in the General Assembly).
thesauce, on 05/11/2008, -0/+21Holy *****. I wasn't nearly as shocked before reading the article as I was after. The things he said are ***** horrible. I can't believe his entire community is so insanely supportive.

"Though her horrified mother, Leila Hussein, called Rand's two brothers, Hassan, 23, and Haydar, 21, to restrain Abdel-Qader as he choked her with his foot on her throat, they joined in. Her shrouded corpse was then tossed into a makeshift grave without ceremony as her uncles spat on it in disgust."

***** animals
Alix7, on 05/11/2008, -15/+5I can't wait for some dumbass to say, "WHERE ARE ALL THE MODERATE MUSLIMS, SPEAK UP"

As if a whole bunch of people need to stand up and approach the media because some dumbass in a part of the world did something ***** up. I would love it if Americans SPOKE OUT everytime a woman is raped or a person is murdered.

***** degenerate idiots
- doctechnical, on 05/11/2008, -0/+9No, Alix, a whole bunch of moderate Muslims need to stand up and take this ***** animal aside and explain to him, with a 2x4 if necessary, that civilized people don't kill their daughter for talking to someone they don't like. Alas, this doesn't seem to be happening.
  And if this sort of thing happened in the US, and the police and law let it slide, you can bet your ass the "moderates" would make it known that this sort of behavior is not tolerated.
  BTW, what is the color of the sky on your home world?
Argentian, on 05/11/2008, -4/+9Alix, alix, alix, you certainly are passionate in your spraying around of the 'dumbass' and '*****-something' labels. Passion can be good. Or, in your case, very limiting for the brain.

Apples-and-oranges it is, you are trying to compare, or at least tangerines and tangelos. What this article illuminated was a tendency in the Islamic world to completely legitimize this kind of reaction to what the Men of the Family decided was inappropriate behaviour by a Female in the Family.

This article is a way to look at the society to see how rotten to the core it can be, when it not only sanctions this kind of action, but will defend it themselves, as well as by equally handy simpletons like yourself. Even in the outrage towards this kind of barbarity by people of good will and morals, who are invariably attacked by cretins when they object to this kind of treatment.

Instead, people go off half-cocked on things that are no more endemic to a society (and sanctioned by such) than the 'normal' disgusting actions of a human against another, no matter the society.

Don't get on your high horse and start quaveringly tell people of good heart to 'Shut the F*** Up!' when that kind of outrageous action is visited on another member of humanity.
- LadyAmerica, on 05/11/2008, -0/+7Amen!
coffee200am, on 05/11/2008, -2/+9I for one welcome our new Islamic overlords. It's about time that this religion takes over society and dictates how everyone should live by force. Look at Europe. They're ready to convert and let Islam tell them what to do and how to do it. I've never said a bad thing about Islam. It's the wave of the future. People who say bad things about Islam need to go to prison. I mean, it's better than capitalism and democracy and all that nasty freedom this and freedom that.

/s
GoKings, on 05/11/2008, -0/+10***** respecting another culture. There is no cultural relativism here, this is flat out sick.
Elliottx, on 05/11/2008, -10/+4It's their culture, as bad as it is. Who are we to judge? For all we know falling in love could be the equivalent of raping a child.
Leave it alone and it'll go away, make a fuss and it won't
- lukas88, on 05/11/2008, -1/+8It will go away for us, probably because we will get distracted by the next britney spears fiasco. For people like this girl, it is not going away.
  - Elliottx, on 05/11/2008, -3/+3You're right about the Britney Spears fiasco but wrong about the girl. It's already gone away for her. She's dead.
    - keltin, on 05/12/2008, -0/+5Elliott, I keep looking for the sarcasm indicator, but sadly, it's not there. This can only mean you really believe what you say. This has gone on for years, and it will get only worse, if we allow it to happen within the confines of the West.
      Condoning this happening in Iraq, in an area where the West is providing protection, is wrong. We provide protection, we should help inculcate our rules, until our presence is no longer necessary (I know, up for debate on when that may be).
      Stiffen your spine a little bit and throw away those 'Weak Mind' pills your teachers and professors have given you.
      - Elliottx, on 05/12/2008, -1/+1TL:DR I'm not being sarcastic, I'm DEAD (Lol) serious, we can't do anything, bitching about it won't help at all, it's their country it's what they do and as much as I want to believe that a bunch of pissed off diggers will actually help put this guy in the rat infested jail where he would be repeatedly sodomized- It won't happen.
        In a few days, something about GTA4, an XKCD comic, and Anonymous vs Scientology will pop up and this will be gone forever. Lost in the cyberspace that is the Internet. Thus is life.
- keltin, on 05/12/2008, -0/+4It will NOT go away. The idea of spreading Muslim in the West seems to be something that is specifically targeting the weak parts of our society. We resist very well when we are directly attacked in a militarily or terrorist way. However, when we welcome others into our heartland with outstretched arms, believing the 'Best in People,' that is our weak point.
  After insinuating themselves in our towns, our states, our society, they work from within to change it to their societal way of thinking. There are plenty of weak-minded lawyers and judges (to say nothing of politiicians) who will work with and for the, to subvert our way of life. Many of you who drop your comment-bombs at Digg are some of those who help make that change take place, knowingly or unknowingly.
  The only thing that will make it go away is resistance from square one. Ex: Why for the love of God, would you want to allow any of the Sharia / Muslim laws enter into the US legal system? That is absolutely stupid and suicidal.
  - Elliottx, on 05/12/2008, -1/+1TL:DR Read above for my respone. ;)
flossdaily, on 05/11/2008, -10/+6Remind me again how many American dad's abuse and disown their gay children? Punishing forbidden love isn't as foreign as you all seem to be implying.
fisher2, on 05/11/2008, -1/+9Islam is such a ***** up religion. And I'm sick of people saying "this doesn't represent us" at what point do you open your eyes and see that such a large part of your religion supports this and view women as worthless. Christianity has huge flaws as well, I'm not religious, but ***** man compared to this ***** It's nothing.
- jaakkoh, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1You should check out a BBC documentary about radical Islam, Christians and Jews. I think it was called "God's Warriors". It's quite well available as a torrent. And awfully good - pun intended. Most sick I got about the Christian fundamentalists. Highly recommend the series.
  - LadyAmerica, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1This series was totally one sided - pro-Muslim, anti-Jewish & anti-Christian. Oh, by the way, those Christian fundamentalists were NOT advocating anything illegal or inhumane like Islam teaches.
lukas88, on 05/11/2008, -0/+6He is a criminal and a dog. Shame on the authorities that let him go free, and the culture and neighbors that do not give him the same amount of mercy that he showed his own daughter.

This is not about whose culture is superior, we are not perfect either. This is about a girl and many people like her who desperately need justice.
MasterThief117, on 05/11/2008, -1/+3OK, I am ***** confused here. What the ***** do we want? We all ***** hate how their government functions, and how the people think, however we also hate the ***** war going on to do whatever. What do we want? Someone tell me for I am really confused.
- LadyAmerica, on 05/12/2008, -2/+1You might start by cleaning up your language.
OffPiste, on 05/11/2008, -0/+2ROP.
BoonTobias, on 05/11/2008, -6/+0pics or it didn't happen
Shawshanksr, on 05/11/2008, -0/+5what a ***** *****
Wholekernalcorn, on 05/11/2008, -6/+1He must be a radical muslim. Seems to be alot of those around. But as everyone says...It's not our culture and we should just accept what they do.
whathappened, on 05/11/2008, -1/+5I dont know how long things like this will go on before people realise it is sick and barbaric, but i do know that Islam does not allow such killings. Anyone who has the brain to do a google search would know that pre-marital sex by an unmarried person is punishable by lashes but killing such a person would be a crime itself punishable by a death sentence. Throw in pre-islamic arab culture and you have merciless honour killings like this.
- keltin, on 05/12/2008, -0/+4Well, it's pretty obvious you haven't answered your own question, whathappened.
  Do you really think that whipping a girl and/or a guy because they had premarital sex is acceptable? Death is certainly not, but to my way of thinking, neither is premar. We can show our lack of approbation, but not to the point of beating up people, let alone killing them.
  What a Sicko Society.
- Idiggapony, on 05/12/2008, -0/+3So your idea of civilized Islamic culture is lashing anyone who engages in premarital sex?
  
  whathappened, you're doing a lot more to illuminate the scope of the problem than you realize.
CrudeDarkness, on 05/11/2008, -1/+7honor killing is condemned in Islam. it says in the quran verse 4:93 "And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement."

a Muslim is allowed to kill another Muslim in only three situations as the Prophet Mohammed's hadith says: "The blood of a Muslim may not be legally spilt other than in one of three [instances]: the married person who commits adultery; a life for a life; and one who forsakes his religion and abandons the community." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

more info: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagen ...
- keltin, on 05/12/2008, -1/+5Now there's two out of three that are absolutely wrong, too. So I guess Islam is 67% wrong, or 66% to give the benefit of the doubt. At least when it comes to killing another Muslim...of course, you can kill, rape, burn to death, sell into slavery, etc., all those who aren't Muslims, too.
  What a Religion, What a Blasphemy!!
  - CrudeDarkness, on 05/12/2008, -1/+2it is impossible to accuse someone of adultery in Islam because you need 4 witnesses
    - LadyAmerica, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1Then why are so many being beheaded or shot in Muslim lands for adultery, as we hear/read in the news so often???
  - Idiggapony, on 05/12/2008, -1/+3You know, if I were a civilized Muslim, trying to convince the world that many Muslims are in fact civilized, rational people, I think I'd send a shout to CrudeDarkness, begging him or her to please stop trying to help.
- Idiggapony, on 05/12/2008, -0/+3I believe that many Muslims are civilized people who do not commit barbaric crimes in the name of their religion. CrudeDarkness' quotation of the Koran is certainly not helping me to maintain that belief.
  - CrudeDarkness, on 05/12/2008, -0/+12:256 "There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing."
- Metanoid, on 05/12/2008, -0/+2idiot. she was obviously not a True Believer, and so her life was justly forfeit. /sarcasm
  
  what do you think, god-boy?
wandm, on 05/11/2008, -1/+2"I don't regret it. I had the support of all my friends who are fathers, like me, and know what she did was unacceptable to any Muslim that honours his religion,"

Past was like this, future isn't.
Divals, on 05/12/2008, -3/+1If Muhammad was alive to see the travesties some of his followers commit in his name, he'd probably be so ashamed he'd kill himself.
maybeth, on 05/12/2008, -0/+4And yet another example of this "peaceful" religion.
keltin, on 05/12/2008, -1/+3The Koran was not written all at one time, but over a number of years. Anytime Muhammed wanted to have justification for doing something that was not acceptable, he'd have a 'Divine Discussion' with Allah and, lo and behold, there is another justification for abusing others.

Example: Wanted to marry that 9 year old cousin, cause she was so cute...yes, there was a DD and, poof * it was made good. For truth in trading, he didn't 'have' her until she was about 3-4 years older. Or he wanted his brother's wife...well, you get the idea.
LadyAmerica, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1Re killing adulterers in Islam--the following 2 ahadith call for stoning adulterers:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: The Jews came to Allah's Apostle and told him that a man and a woman from amongst them had committed illegal sexual intercourse. Allah's Apostle said to them, "What do you find in the Torah (old Testament) about the legal punishment of Ar-Rajm (stoning)?" They replied, (But) we announce their crime and lash them." Abdullah bin Salam said, "You are telling a lie; Torah contains the order of Rajm." They brought and opened the Torah and one of them solaced his hand on the Verse of Rajm and read the verses preceding and following it. Abdullah bin Salam said to him, "Lift your hand." When he lifted his hand, the Verse of Rajm was written there. They said, "Muhammad has told the truth; the Torah has the Verse of Rajm. The Prophet then gave the order that both of them should be stoned to death. ('Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "I saw the man leaning over the woman to shelter her from the stones." -- Bukhari 4.56.829

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: 'Umar said, "I am afraid that after a long time has passed, people may say, "We do not find the Verses of the Rajam (stoning to death) in the Holy Book," and consequently they may go astray by leaving an obligation that Allah has revealed. Lo! I confirm that the penalty of Rajam be inflicted on him who commits illegal sexual intercourse, if he is already married and the crime is proved by witnesses or pregnancy or confession." Sufyan added, "I have memorized this narration in this way." 'Umar added, "Surely Allah's Apostle carried out the penalty of Rajam, and so did we after him." -- Bukhari 8.82.816
Login or register to add a comment

Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.

'My Daughter Deserved to Die for Falling in Love'

Login or register to add a comment