Muslims in Major Damage Control Mode

Realizing that the Shafia case is causing all sorts of PR difficulties, local imams have embarked on a campaign to do away with, ahem, "domestic violence":



Oh, sure, it would have been more honest had they called it a "Call to Action to Eradicate 'Honour' Murders," and had they acknowledged the, er, problematic passages of the Koran that lend it credence, but at least they've mentioned the "honour" angle in the copy:

As October, the Domestic Violence Awareness month, has ended and we now approach December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, Muslim Canadians reflect on the reality of domestic violence within our own communities, compounded by abhorrent and yet persistent pre-Islamic practices rooted in the misguided notion of restoring family honour.

As Muslims, we base our ethics and behaviour on the teachings of the Quran and the authenticated example of the Prophet Muhammad, who never hit a woman and taught the men that “the best amongst you is he who treats women the best”. The Quran unequivocally emphasizes the sanctity of all life, forbids all forms of coercion in matters of religion, and reminds us all that each of us is accountable for our actions directly to God, the only Judge.

There is no room within these teachings for any person, by virtue of gender or position within the family, to seize control over the life and bodily security of another. Domestic violence and, in the extreme, practices such as killing to “restore family honour” violate clear and non-negotiable Islamic principles, and so we categorically condemn all forms of domestic violence...

We the undersigned declare our commitment to intensify our efforts to eradicate domestic violence from our communities through:

Alas, that's going to be well-nigh impossible given the Koran's palaver sanctioning having your way with your wife whenever you want to (she's your "titlth," after all) and being allowed to employ corporal punishment so long as you don't leave obvious marks on the uppity chick. Also, the stated desire to do away with the "domestic abuse" may only be a cover for the real goal of this effort: to sever the connection between "honour" and "killings" in the same way that they've managed to get the kafirs to stop affixing the word "Muslim" to "terrorist." Here's point #3 of the imams' action plan:

Morally opposing the use of the word “honour” when describing such killings to ensure no positive connotation is implied directly or indirectly in connection to such heinous crimes.

Though they've sought to bury the above point in the body of the text, it--and not the eradication of the crimes per se--strikes me as being the crux of what they're trying to achieve: They want to sever the "honour" from the "killings"--and the killings from their Islamic moorings--in order to collapse these particular killings into the larger, generic category of "domestic violence"--and pretty much say so here:

As a first step, starting immediately and specifically on December 9, we commit ourselves to addressing this issue at all levels, including and especially within our Friday sermons, which must highlight Islamic perspectives on domestic abuse, perspectives that condemn all forms of violence against women and children, most especially threatening, abusing, and killing women in the name of protecting the family’s honour. As Muslims and as Canadians, we stand with all Canadians and pledge to combat domestic violence in all its manifestations, wherever and whenever they arise.

Just don't call 'em "honour killings," 'kay kafir?