Zulfiqar Ali says in "Girl killed in Pakistani-administered Kashmir acid attack" that Pakistani police have arrested a mother and father, who killed their 15 year old daughter in a traditional Kashmir honour killing because, according to one officer, the father saw her " 'looking at two boys' riding on a motorcycle outside their home" (2012, ¶ 9). Suspecting her of being interested in one of the men, the father first beat his daughter before he and his wife used acid to kill their own child "in the name of an honour" (¶ 1), which was only made a serious criminal offence in Pakistan earlier this year.
When I saw this story, I immediately made the connection with Anthony Ham's travel article praising the unspoilt traditional ways of thinking and acting of Mali's Dogon people (2011). What these "loving" parents have done is to act exactly according to their traditional culture, and I think it is evil. Killing young women because they look at a boy is not OK just because it's an ancient tradition, but apparently Anthony Ham would disagree with me. Of course, Ham cannot reply to my disagreement here, but since a majority of the class seem to agree with Ham, you might like to respond in a comment on his behalf - why would it be a good thing to preserve the sort of traditional thinking and culturally approved behaviours that teach parents to murder their own children? I think that is grossly immoral for any reason, but for something as trivial as "looking at two boys riding on a motorcycle" it is monstrously evil. If that is what some culture and its traditions teach, then that seems to me to prove the culture and its traditions monstrously evil. It should be pushed to extinction as quickly as possible. The remote village in Kashmir where this atrocity occurred seems very like Ham's description of the Dogon in important respects: it is isolated from other cultures and communities, it is poor, traditional ways of life are still strong in the community, and so on.
You might think my language here is bit strong, but I really was angry when I read Ali's story. If you think anything I've said is wrong, please present your reasons. I will probably defend everything I've written here. Of course, you are also welcome to agree with me.
But I am wondering whether it's possible for you to agree with me and with Ham, with whom I strongly disagree.
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As I mentioned in class, I actually wrote this a few days ago, on November 5 according to the retrieval date. I saved it as a draft and didn't publish it then because I wanted to see the final drafts of your essays on the Dogon before you read something I'd written that might prejudice your own answer one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteBut responses are certainly welcome now.
First, I have to confess, that I misunderstood the question of the essay. I thought that the question asks me whether Ham's suggestion ( keep Dogons isolated) is a good solution to maintain their culture and not whether it is good to maintain their culture unchanged. Anyway, I didn't think about the question well, because I focused only positive part of their tradition; unique masks, dances, mud huts, and so on. I thought it is too sorry, if these things would disappear as if there had been nothing there. However, when I reviewed Mo's essay, I noticed the negative side of keeping tradition. Thank you, Mo. There are some customs which oppose human rights strongly and really terrible, but still remains merely because they are tradition; honor killing, child bride, the caste system, prohibition of girl's education and more. When I read the article you cite, I became angry, felt very verry sorry for the girl. What we can do to stop such a brutal crime? I wrote in my essay that people should be well informed to know whether their tradition is worth keeping. But I think it is not enough to stop people who believe strongly in their tradition. Even punishment can’t stop them. Is there anything we can do? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry and sad to hear the news. it's morally wrong to do that with "their own child". Animals are love and protect their puppy, so why they do that badly. This traditional culture make me surprised that you don't have another way to teach her daughter better than punish like that.
ReplyDeleteYes, I strongly disagree with Ham. Some traditional culture must stop and cancel from the society like Female genital mutilation and too much Masculine society. Couple weeks ago, I read the news from BBC about African nephew cheated his aunts to be owner of their father's house. Because in some tribe, woman don't be allowed to own the house and the stuff. Everything belong to man only. Why african woman has no right like this? Should this tradition be keep?
I'm so sorry and sad to hear the news. it's morally wrong to do that with "their own child". Animals are love and protect their puppy, so why they do that badly. This traditional culture make me surprised that you don't have another way to teach her daughter better than punish like that.
ReplyDeleteYes, I strongly disagree with Ham. Some traditional culture must stop and cancel from the society like Female genital mutilation and too much Masculine society. Couple weeks ago, I read the news from BBC about African nephew cheated his aunts to be owner of their father's house. Because in some tribe, woman don't be allowed to own the house and the stuff. Everything belong to man only. Why african woman has no right like this? Should this tradition be keep?
I'm so sorry and sad to hear the news. it's morally wrong to do that with "their own child". Animals are love and protect their puppy, so why they do that badly. This traditional culture make me surprised that you don't have another way to teach her daughter better than punish like that.
ReplyDeleteYes, I strongly disagree with Ham. Some traditional culture must stop and cancel from the society like Female genital mutilation and too much Masculine society. Couple weeks ago, I read the news from BBC about African nephew cheated his aunts to be owner of their father's house. Because in some tribe, woman don't be allowed to own the house and the stuff. Everything belong to man only. Why african woman has no right like this? Should this tradition be keep?