I just came across this bit of news :
Assailants have gouged out the eyes of three brothers in central Pakistan in revenge for a similar incident 16 years ago. The brothers were kidnapped by 14 members of rival clans from the village of Kabirwala in the central province of Punjab on Monday night, police quoted relatives as saying, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
They were taken to another village where their eyes were gouged out “with a knife one by one…the brothers were in critical condition in hospital. …The attack was apparently in revenge for an attack 16 years ago blamed on the brothers’ family. No one had so far been arrested.
I do not know whether such incidents get reported mainly because of the spotlights directed at islamic and muslim societies or whether they are normal ocurrance, part of the fabric of society. I find such acts abhorent, although in principle I support individual’s taking justice into his own hands where the state or appropriate authorities fail him.
Also, the right to retribution should not diminsh with time, so 16 year delay would not necessarily bother me. But exacting revenge in the form of mutilation that is sponsored by a clan and carried out in the context of collective guilt, undermines the right of individual in that society to fair trial and proportionate punishment. It is barbarism, pure and simple.
I agree with your analysis of the incident as disgusting, but I don’t think it’s intrinsically a muslim thing at all; incidents like these occur in non-muslim countries too; India’s seen it’s fair share of atrocities perpetuated by Hindus etc. etc.
To my mind, it’s more a matter of how well-developed, effective and respected your justice system is, & how much people condone revenge/taking the law into your own hands.
Yes. Shakespeare is full of this kind of thing, from Romeo and Juliet onwards. It’s a pretty human thing, in the end.
Worth noting that nasty, brutal ignorant people everywhere tend to regard nasty brutal local custom and practice as sanctioned by their religion, regardless of what (if anything) the religion in question has to say on the subject. Local mullahs, priests, usw (where they know any better) will generally go with the flow rather than risk their authority opposing it.
Clan vendettas and honour killings are scarcely limited to the Islamic world. I get the impression they survive more strongly in rural, and especially pastoral, settings though.
“La cosa nostra” anyone?
Actually this gives me an idea, when I have to have my bad eye out due to a torn cornea, can I take the eye of some *&^%ing p.o.s. civil servant who put me through hell?
The stress of the last 6 months certainly made my eye worse.
Actually, I never meant to associate such acts with a muslim society exclusively. However, note two things: such acts although common in the past, are no longer accepted in western democratic societies, morally and culturally, as it seems to be the case in Pakistan and other muslim countries. That leads me to the second point – no one was arrested and I will be surprised if anyone is.
Feuds dating to the times of Shakespeare have a good poetic value combining barbarism with high culture but this is not where we are now. The fact that society can be contemporary with ours is disturbing.
The interesting point here is, why did they wait the 16 years? Is that how long it took to wind through the Pakistani Jarndyce & Jarndyce? And then the court found against them? No wonder they were furious! Interesting that they kept that rage on the boil for 16 years. I think the 16 year gap is the key. Maybe they couldn’t get their hands on the judge.
Barbarism indeed, but that kind of shit happen in a lot of place in the world and it take time to change mentality… its sad.
I always thought that this kind of thing also happen in non-muslim africa and india, and south asia, etc… is that really that much relied to islamic world?