Research undertaken by ComRes for the BBC has found that nearly one in five – 18 per cent – of young British Asians support acts of violence against those who had shamed their families.
The research also found that more than two thirds of Asians between the ages of 16 and 34 believe that communities should live according to 'honour'. Some three per cent believe that murder can be justified in some circumstances to protect ‘honour’.
The findings will be presented by Panorama tonight at 8.30pm.
Honour
Honour attacks are usually carried out against Muslim women who have been accused of bringing shame on their family.
Having a boyfriend, wearing make-up or Western clothes, refusing to marry someone chosen by the family or leaving an abusive husband can all be seen as dishonourable acts. Honour-related violence can include acid attacks, abduction, mutilations, beatings and even murder.
Last week, the mother of a teenager stabbed to death by her Asian boyfriend claimed her daughter was the first white victim of an honour killing.
Laura Wilson, 17, was repeatedly knifed in the head on a secluded tow path by Ashtiaq Ashgar in 2010 after their relationship ended. He has now been jailed for at least 17-and-a-half years.
A study of police data by the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation discovered that there were over 2,800 honour crimes a year in the UK.
Panorama
Jane Corbin, who will present the BBC programme, wrote:
“All the women I meet have put their lives in danger by coming to a refuge. They all came from Pakistan as young brides, had their passports taken away and were often locked up, not even allowed to learn English.
“They suffered in silence, cut off from the outside world. They were treated as virtual slaves, doing all the housework, and none of them understood what they had done to deserve such treatment.”
Sharia in the UK
The report comes amidst concerns over the use of sharia law in the UK, which is used in both sharia councils and Muslim Arbitration Tribunals in the UK.
Rulings under sharia law are enforced through the 1996 Arbitration Act, which states that any form of agreement can be used if both parties agree to adhere to its decision. But a report by Civitas found that the decisions of Sharia courts in the UK are likely to be unfair to women and backed by intimidation, and that Sharia rulings transgress human rights standards as applied by British courts.
On 7 June 2011 Baroness Cox introduced a new Bill in the House of Lords intended to outlaw the use of sharia where it conflicts with English law. The Bill is being supported by the ‘Equal and Free’ Campaign.
Under sharia law:
- The testimony of a woman in court only has half the weight of a man’s;
- A man may unilaterally divorce his wife and may only need to ‘declare’ the divorce three times in private to do so. By contrast, a woman faces more stringent conditions, perhaps including permission from her husband, payment of money and an application to a Sharia ‘court’. Moreover, a divorced man is entitled to re-marry. A divorced woman is not;
- Regarding inheritance law, men and boys are entitled to receive twice what women and girls receive;
- In cases of rape, four male witnesses are required by a Sharia court to substantiate a woman’s complaint;
- No female evidence is admissible in the case of rape in a Sharia court;
- Upon divorce, custody of any children passes automatically to the man once the children have attained the age of seven and the mother has no rights of access; and
- All jurists, court officials and judges must be Muslims; non-Muslims are not allowed to take part in any way, shape or form, and no woman may become a judge.
Source:
Resources:
Video: Introduction to Sharia in Britain
Video: The Impact of Sharia on Women