Honour killing: Pakistani model and social media sensation Qandeel Baloch ‘strangled by her brother’

[uawchild]

Source: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)

Baloch offended many conservatives by posting pictures of herself with Mufti Qavi, a prominent cleric.

A Pakistani social media celebrity whose selfies polarised the deeply conservative Muslim country has been murdered by her brother in a suspected honour killing, officials said Saturday, prompting shock and revulsion.

Qandeel Baloch, held up by many of the country’s youth for her willingness to break social taboos but condemned and reviled by traditional elements, was strangled near the city of Multan, police said.

“Qandeel Baloch has been killed, she was strangled to death by her brother, apparently it was an incident of honour killing,” Sultan Azam, senior police officer in Multan, said.

Baloch, believed to be in her twenties, had travelled with her family from the city of Karachi to Muzzafarabad village in central Punjab province for the recent Eid holiday. Police were informed by her family that the killing took place on Friday night.

“The brother was also there last night and the family told us that he strangled her to death,” Azhar Akram, another senior police official in Multan said, confirming that officials suspected an honour killing. Police said the brother was now on the run.

Hundreds of women are murdered, often by relatives, for “honour” every year in Pakistan.
The killers often walk free because of a law that allows relatives of the victim to forgive the murderer.

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/1990577/honour-killing-pakistani-model-and-social-media-sensation

Read more: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/1990577/honour-killing-pakistani-model-and-social-media-sensation

[niyad]

1. woman-hating just goes on and on. did the family stand by while this happened?

[HeartoftheMidwest]

5. The men are often all in agreement.

And the anguished women stand by helplessly.

[iandhr]

22. Not always. Sometimes they are willing participants.

[NWCorona]

66. It appears not

"Qandeel’s father Azeem said his daughter was brave and he would not forget or forgive her brutal murder."

[niyad]

67. thank you for that.

[NWCorona]

68. I was surprised and pleased to see that qoute.

Like you I thought the worst as that is often the case in these stories. The parents are actually worried that the sons will kill them too. Sad stuff.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1143481/drugged-qandeel-strangling-death-brother/

[niyad]

69. so the brother is a drug addict and murderer, but he has "honour". what a sick

and twisted individual.

[NWCorona]

70. Yup! That wasn't lost on me either. He's a loser who murdered his own sister.

[niyad]

71. may he receive everything he deserves.

[NWCorona]

72. And then some!

[uawchild]

2. "The killers often walk free because a law allows relatives of the victim to forgive the murderer"

Good lord. And this is PAKISTAN, an advanced nation with nuclear weapons.

The cultural differences regarding basic human rights for women between "the west" and too many Islamic nations are still staggering.

added edit: OK, that came across badly, of course its not only some Islamic nations that tolerate honor killings. Other cultures do too.
And as a poster pointed out to me TONS of abuse of women happen here in "the west" too. I didn't mean to absolve us of that in my rush to comment on this honor killing. I apologize for my lack of clarity. My only point was to express my exasperation over the continued toleration of honor killings of women. Again, sorry, I didn't mean to come across Islamophobic or as a high and mighty "westerner".

[MH1]

4. Well, a nation with nuclear weapons.

There may be some areas where it's "advanced", but with a law like that on the books, I would say no, not an "advanced nation".

But yes they have nuclear weapons and a large population.

Personally, I think some of these countries better get their act together and get their laws and enforcement of laws into the 21st century. A true clash of civilizations is not in anyone's interest but I do think it is where we are heading. Europe and I believe even Russia and probably China, will not be going backward to where certain extremist middle eastern and asian countries and terrorist groups want to take us.

[niyad]

6. you mean, like the staggering number of rapes, the domestic violence, the sheer,

unending woman-hating of the reichwingnutjobs in this country?

[uawchild]

8. All of which also happen in Pakistan, don't you think?

C'mon. Honor killings of women is simply the worst of the worst.

If it seemed I was absolving "the west" of ALL abuse of women, I apologize for my lack of clarity.

I was responding quickly and briefly over the subject of the OP article -- an honor killing.

Honor killings are simply not tolerated here in the US or Europe as they appear to be in Pakistan.

[niyad]

10. it happens everywhere. but, there are so many who will prat on about how much

better women have it here, as though it were some sort of contest, and wasn't all horrible.

[uawchild]

12. I take your point, and amended my post to acknowledge it.

Thank you for your feedback. I feel its important to own up and admit mistakes on forums like DU, so, again, I am sorry for my lack of clarity in my rush to post.

[niyad]

15. understood. it happens to all of us, especially when things are moving so quickly.

[Statistical]

19. Well certainly women are better off here (and in most first world nations)

That isn't to say the US is a shining example of perfect equality but let's not make perfect the enemy of good.

It is possible for the situation in the US to be less than perfect and the situation in Pakistan to also be be far far worse.

[oberliner]

9. Have you looked at the numbers for Pakistan?

If not, I would urge you to do so.

According to a study carried out by Human Rights Watch there is a rape once every two hours, a gang rape every hour and 70-90 percent women are suffering with some kind of domestic violence (via Wikipedia).

[niyad]

11. have you looked at the numbers for this country? I urge you to do so.

[oberliner]

20. Yes, they are not even in the same ballpark

The situation in Pakistan is much worse.

[Throd]

24. Things are much better for women in the USA by every measure than in Pakistan.

Nice try at whataboutism.

[tblue37]

60. Take a vote among all thecUS women you know. Ask how many would be willing

to live under the laws and cultural factors that impact women in Pakistan compared to those in the S. If you offered my a choice plus $5,000,000 to choose Pakistan, I would stay here, and so would most US women.

[Democat]

16. Some peopel think America is the most evil thing in the world

And extreme right winger murderers and rapists in other countries are only doing it because America is so evil.

It's a shame DU has some many people who think like that.

[niyad]

21. those are your words, and nobody else's. but do keep trying.

[oberliner]

23. This article might be of interest

The Stigma of Reporting a Rape in Pakistan

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-stigma-of-reporting-a-rape-in-pakistan/

[niyad]

65. unlike the stigma of reporting rape in this country. deliberate and willful blindness

about the reality of rape culture in this country is not helpful.

[SkyDaddy7]

64. I could not agree more...

And that sucks! Why this thought process goes into overdrive when it comes to incidents that in anyway involve Islam or Islamic countries is so confusing to me but it is what it is.

[apcalc]

35. Grrrrrrr

[Democat]

14. You are minimizing honor killings

That is not a liberal position.

[niyad]

17. not minimizing anything, but keep trying. I am just sick of people minimizing the treatment

of women in this greatest, bestest, most wonderfulest country in the world. that minimization is not a liberal position either.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. rape and domestic violence...

are punishable by law here.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

3. Hmmmmmm.

Maybe it's high time that the men who kill women, in defense of their family honor, should be arrested, tried by justices ( NOT by juries that may be tainted by their own cultural traditions ) and then these men should be PUBLICLY HANGED. Leave their bodies up for a week.

Bet you anything the incidence of honor killings will fall.

[oberliner]

7. This is horrific

Feminists everywhere ought to be making noise about this.

Perhaps even Black Lives Matter could take on her cause.

[bdwker]

13. Agree

[GummyBearz]

26. That woman sounds like she would be very happy under sharia law

As a scientist by training, the only way to be sure is to test the theory. Who wants to make a kick starter page to ship her to Saudi Arabia, where her views will be fully listened to and accepted?

[dhol82]

40. No, I don't agree

I think she was just trying to be a polite Canadian.
She actually agreed at the end of the bit with what Maher was saying about some things.

[christx30]

51. She didn't really say much, to be honest.

Just countered Maher's "There are some things that just aren't good ideas." with "We shouldn't criticize them..." But no one on the panel was saying that all Muslims are bad. They were saying that the ideas, like killing rape victims, were bad, and those kinds of things have no place in secular society.
I wish they had allowed her to complete the thought. I wanted to know where she was going with it.

[Democat]

18. Good luck, check this thread

There is at least one poster who is sure that America is far worse.

[oberliner]

63. It is dispiriting

What else can one say.

[leftynyc]

45. I wouldn't count on that

It seems being pc is far too important to some.

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. ..

[Warpy]

27. Why can't they be civilized like Christians and just throw her out onto the street?

The result was often the same up to 60 years ago, only strangulation is quicker.

At least Pakistan is trying to make it illegal.

[GummyBearz]

31. ...

So not letting someone who disobeyed the house rules stay in the house is the same as murder? Think on it for a while. Also think on the whole 60 years ago thing. I'm sure you are smart enough to see the difference.

[Warpy]

32. I'm sure people who think the world came into being at their birth

find it impossible to think about how the world was 60 and more years ago, but let me explain:

The laws were very different. Women were barred from being anything but (in order) wives, waitresses, maids, secretaries, schoolteachers, and nurses. The last five were only tolerable as a woman waited to become the first. Being thrown out on the street as a pregnant teenager often meant having absolutely no options to support oneself, it's why baby selling operations like the Crittendon Homes were so profitable here and the outfits like the Magdalene Laundries were able to exploit slave labor in the UK and Ireland. The young girls who went there were the lucky ones, the rest had to start turning tricks to survive, something limited by the growing pregnancy. Life expectancy was short and miserable.

The boys, of course, were labeled studs.

I'm afraid it is you who is sadly in need of education.

(Note: the Crittendon organization has cleaned up its images and practices in the past 60 years and they now offer services instead of shame)

[GummyBearz]

33. I guess you didn't think too hard

60 years ago that happened. Today, worse happens in countries with certain religious based laws. Which are you more concerned about: 60 years ago, or the present day? Unless you have a time machine that you can use to correct the wrongs of 60 years ago, you may have misplaced priorities. But that is ok. I'm sure women have it way better in SA today than they had it in Ireland 60 years ago. Moral relativity is great when you include time traveling possibilities

[awoke_in_2003]

38. If you want to think that way...

then we can't criticize Iran for hanging homosexuals because 60 years ago we were lynching people, too.

[PatrickforO]

28. There is no honor in this so-called honor killing.

None. A culture that treats its women and girls thus is loathsome. Period.

That said, your signature line quote should actually be attributed to Max Ehrmann, who copyrighted his poem 'Desiderata' in 1952. Here's a link to the entire poem. It has always been one of my favorites. Ehrmann wrote some other really good poems as well.

http://mwkworks.com/desiderata.html

[Cal33]

30. And this type of attitude towards women is largely based on "What will people think!!!"

[Cal33]

29. And to think, Pakistan was the first and only Muslim nation ever to have a woman

prime minister - Benazir Bhutto - in 1988. She had studied at Harvard and Oxford. She
was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 2007. I had great hopes for Pakistan
at that time. They had a female leading their nation some 3 decades before we would be
having one. It turned out that my hopes were premature.

http://www.biography.com/people/benazir-bhutto-9211744

[ErikJ]

34. Nations can regress quickly from Abrahamic religions.

Iran after the Ayatollah took over is best example. The Christian Dark Ages is another.

[awoke_in_2003]

39. And they assassinated her. nt

[7962]

37. Obviously just an isolated incident; not indicative of the religion.

At least thats what our resident apologists will tell us.
Oh, wait:
"Hundreds of women are murdered, often by relatives, for “honour” every year in Pakistan"

But if Christians were doing this stuff as often and openly, they'd be screaming form the rooftops about it

[Eugene]

41. Pakistani Social Media Star Killed by Brother After Scandal

Source: Associated Press

Pakistani Social Media Star Killed by Brother After Scandal

By MUNIR AHMED, ASSOCIATED PRESS ISLAMABAD — Jul 16, 2016, 4:22 PM ET

Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, who recently stirred controversy by posting pictures of herself with a prominent Muslim cleric, was strangled to death by her brother, police said Saturday.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Most recently, Baloch became embroiled in public scandal when she posted selfies with Mufti Adbul Qavi, a prominent cleric, in a Karachi hotel room during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. In one picture, she is wearing the cleric's trademark fur-lined hat.

Qavi maintained that he only met with her to discuss the teachings of Islam. But the government suspended Qavi and removed him from the official moon-sighting committee that determines when Ramadan starts and ends in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.

In the wake of that scandal, Baloch said she had received death threats and asked for Interior Ministry protection.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistani-model-killed-offending-conservatives-40629657

[uawchild]

42. "Qavi maintained that he only met with her to discuss the teachings of Islam. "

Good lord. So her BROTHER killed HER. Sick.

[Democat]

59. America is much worse according to some in this thread

So you can ignore this horrible crime.

[uawchild]

61. I disagree with your assessment

of other posters in this thread.

[bdwker]

43. Juuuuust lovely.

strangled by her own brother.

Family get-togethers will never be the same.

[Kurska]

44. This is our fault

Something something Iraq

[Skittles]

46. where have you seen honor killings blamed on the war in Iraq?

sources please

[Kurska]

47. It has to be our fault

Otherwise we'd have to criticize Islam.

Don't worry, I'll do it for you.

We are very very sorry.

[Skittles]

48. ridiculous

and religious nuttery IS to blame for this kind of garbage

[Kurska]

49. Oh "religious nuttery"

Not Islamic fundamentalism for sure. As good liberals when we ware forced to blame something on a Islamic religious motivation, just avoid using the word Islam.

Word games to pay lip service to the point. Across the entire middle east gay people are executed and women are treated like dirt, yet we still can't call a spade a spade.

[Skittles]

52. I think ALL religion treats women as lessers

it's all nuttery; it's just a matter of degree

[Kurska]

53. Except that is objectively not true

Many religions have started to treat women more equally.

Some religions are fundamentally matriarchal.

And none treat women as badly on as large a scale as modern Islam. If it is an issue of degree, then Islam, as it is practiced, is on a separate planet.

Again you're hiding behind criticizing all religion, because for some reason you can't criticize a particular religion. Wiccanism had nothing to do with this and you know it.

[Skittles]

54. started?

LOL...........sure

[Kurska]

55. Way to ignore my larger point.

And yes, most of the world has seen an increasing push toward gender equality (even within religions). Sadly in many areas of the world regressive forces like Islam have repressed that progress to a startling extent.

You'd rather make a laughable argument that "all religion treats women poorly", than address the elephant in the room.

[Skittles]

56. I GET IT, YOU WANT ME TO TRASH ISLAM

and I have already told you, IT'S *ALL* A MATTER OF DEGREE

*DONE HERE*

[Kurska]

57. No I want you to have the intellectual honesty

To not trash all religions, when both know that the vast majority of world religions had nothing to do with this.

Libeling every single faith in existence is clearly more acceptable to you then calling out a single one, for reasons we both understand and know.

[MariaThinks]

58. i feared this would happen to her.

[madokie]

62. Early on in life

I realized that the most important people on this planet were the mothers, sisters, aunts and grand mothers. To be protected from any and all harm.