Zafer Senocak on Islam's outdated view of women

German-Turkish author Zafer Senocak comments on a sentence passed in the trial concerning a so-called 'honour killing'. The sentence has triggered heavy debate in Germany. Three brothers - Ayhan, Alpaslan and Mutlu Sürücü – were accused of killing their sister Hatun for "tarnishing the family honour". The youngest brother was sentenced to nine years in jail, while his two older brothers were acquitted for lack of evidence. "It's true that the sacred sources of Islam do not justify murder as a punishment for living one's life freely and independently – and this includes living out your sexuality," Senocak writes. "And they certainly do not legitimise taking the law into one's own hand. But they foresee many punishments for those who stray from the 'path', particularly for women. The root of this evil is that women are treated like the charges of men. Woe betide the man who fails to keep his woman on the prescribed path of moral conduct. No, according to this way of thinking, women are not independent beings... Muslims must finally start at least to discuss this outdated view of women."

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Global
All available articles from » Zafer Senocak

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, April 18, 2006