The Horror and Fear of Honour Killing On June 30, 2009, a disturbing act was peformed to reclaim a families honour. A Nissan Sentra was found at Kingston Mills where Rideau Canal meets Lake Ontario. In this vehicle four females were found and identified as the Shafia sisters, Zainab, Geeti, and Sahar, they were 19, 13, and 17 years old. Their father’s first wife was also found in the vehicle, Rona Amir Mohammad. They were found dead on the scene and the accident was thought to be horrible car accident. During July 2009, the father of the girl’s, Mohammad Shafia, was charged with first degree murder as well as their mother, Toba Mohammad Yahya, and their 21-year-old brother, Hamed Mohammad Shafia. The act was performed due to the daughters’ choice of lifestyle. Also, a request was made by Rona for a divorce from Mahammad Shafia. They claimed “that the family’s traditional values were stained by their daughters’ independent and rebeliuose such as wearing revealing Western clothing and keeping secret boyfriends.” (The Globe Mail, November 29, 2011). Also, Quebec’s Youth Protection service recalls conversations with Sahar and Geeti. The conversation were about their horrible home lives, “where they were subjected to verbal and physical abuse from Hamed, pressured to wear a hijab and quit school, and ignored by their mother”. (CBC The Horror and Fear of Honour Killing 2012, pg.5) These acts are a considered disgraceful to the Muslim culture and community. In addition, if Rona were to divorce Mahammad Shafia their polygamous relationship would be exposed to the open, and would ruin their status in Canada. Unfortunately, Mohammad Shafia, Toba Mohammad Yaha, and Hamed Mohammad pleaded not guilty. At the end of the three years the known Shafia trial closed with the defendants convicted of four counts of first-degree murder. Honour killing is an example of domestic and gender based violence. Different cultures have different views on this topic. In addition, the jury through out the trial drived a meaningful message and presented that honour killing is not taken lightly in Canada. Even though you may consider honour killing apart of your culture it is taking someone’s life and that is a criminal offence and you will be convicted.
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