Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Celebrity Honor Killing

One of the few good things about the War in Iraq is that it has forced some Americans to learn about the so-called Middle East. One of the many things I’ve heard up for debate is honor killings: women killed because they have transgressed sexual mores in some way, many times not through their own choice. In this story, a woman named Afshan Azad, most famous for her small role in the Harry Potter films, who was attacked by her brother and father for dating a Hindu man. (She herself is Muslim.)
What I personally find most frightening about this story is her age: twenty-two. I am twenty-two, and I cannot imagine being attacked by my family for my dating choices. If what they say is true, and this woman was attacked, my heart goes out to her. I would be traumatized by knowing my family saw my life and happiness as unimportant in comparison with societal norms.  There has been some talk that this story is a misunderstanding, and for her sake, I hope that's true. 

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