CAIR-CAN Comments on the Shafia Verdict

No Islam to see here, folks. Best move along now:

“This a tragedy that started with the mistreatment of the women themselves, continued through the lack of an appropriate response from those charged with providing assistance and, ultimately, resulted in their tragic deaths and no verdict will change that sad fact. Our thoughts today are with the victims of this shocking crime and with the remaining children who must be protected and provided with a safe and secure upbringing” said Ihsaan Gardee, Executive Director of the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN).

“By all accounts those convicted have been afforded due process and must now face the consequences of their actions. This case sends a clear message to would-be perpetrators that these kinds of abhorrent actions will not go unpunished.

In November 2011, CAIR-CAN and over 70 other Muslim and non-Muslim organizations, as well as dozens of Imams, scholars and community leaders issued a Call to Action to Eradicate Domestic Violence. The Call to Action reiterates in no uncertain terms that Canadian Muslims unequivocally condemn the notion of ‘honour killing’ or other gender-based violence as un-Islamic and un-Canadian.

“CAIR-CAN and its partners are intent on continuing the critical work of educating families and communities about the unacceptability of violence on every level, and alternative ways to resolve conflicts and prevent future tragedies. Ongoing and new projects and initiatives aimed at establishing and supporting existing social services providers with the necessary resources to address gender-based violence must be supported and promoted. These include white ribbon campaigns, workshops and community round tables and, most recently, the Family Honour Project launched by the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration in London, Ontario which is modeled on the Chicago based anti-gang violence Ceasefire program.

“Despite this case being about people who identified themselves as Muslim, the statistics about gender-based violence tells us that no one religion, culture or ethnicity holds the exclusive franchise on this scourge and we are confident that our fellow citizens will recognize this and support the efforts being made by Canadian Muslims to tackle this important issue."...