Read what others have said..

John Smith, Coventry
This is not Islam - its much much older than that and was common in Mediterranean countries and South America too. Its about the family being more important than the individual and is now totally incompatible with modern Western European life. Ways to address it must be sought.

Niall Cooper - Northampton
it is not an honour killing..its murder at the end of the day. god why dont they murderers get put in prison for life for this.they have taken another ones life, and i am appaled on how the indians/muslims/hindus woteva yu wana be called get away with this, as a white or black person would be banged up in prison forthi. you just call it an honour killing to cover up family secrets.sick of it to be honest!

ad, canada
whoever does honour killing is pure evil, end of story. personally, how can ppl kill their own children that's what really beyond me. If ppl want a living thing who will obey them all the time, why can't they get themselves dogs and other pets....

RN
honour killings r just another representation of how little asian women are respected. Not only is it illegal, immoral and shameful, honour killings enforce a subverse and negative attitude towards women ; as though they are pieces of property at the disposal of those men who commit these terrible crimes. Women are human beings who have the rights. No parent who loved their child would allow for them to be killed and no parent who truly loved their child would want to see them unhappy even if it would bring shame on their family.

Kim Llyang, New York
How could you kill anyone for being a human being and having feelings about another human who they feel is the one for them. How could you justify taking someones life away because they don't agree with you. How could you degrade, or dstroy a person and/or their life because you don't agree with what they are doing when it is not harming anyone else and then call what you are doing something that is honorable. Because you are maybe the "man", "father" of the house or a man period and you don't think someone is chosing the right guy for themselves, that gives you the right to actually take a life away? and this is forever because you can't just get a life back. So because they disagree with you, you have to take a human and kill them?! If that is what anyone is saying, I just want to say, you are not human and that you have no heart or sense of compassion. Another think why would you do that to your own family member and when you destroy your own family where is the honor in that?

p&s,brentford
honour killings are disgraceful. dis is actually worse them arranged marriages. people are intittled to marry and spend their lives wis hu dey want.. and they certainly do hav a ryt to live. we r no one to decide this. honour killings shuld be banned. fair enuf u spend ur hole lyf wid ur parents and listenin 2 dem, but now its ur turn to decide hu u want 2 spend da rest of ur lyf wid. and ur parents shuld be happi and accept the fact that this is ur decision. jus coz you lyk sum1.. doesnt mean u hav 2 sacrifice ur loved 1s lyf 4 ur honour and stubborness.

oliver (China)
Im a Asian person, may be such things happened in china or other places in Asia, but not very often i think, may be i think that people love his family too much so it is

bobby leeds
How do you choose your other half over parants who will sacirfice everything for you, how can you humilate them in front of the whole community after everything they do for you.

Taz - Manchester
The problem with many people is that they can't differ between religion and culture and then go lump it altogether as Islam.. but the interesting thing about it all is that it is the who are the "hunters" and it is the women who are "hunted". If the modern man followed islam the way he should then there would no sex outside marriage but as the western society is cool about all this then the modern man wants to try it out too; but usually it is the woman who suffers- Allah Tala is coming for his world so repent before it is toooooo late but the ethos of the story is old as time in that until we look inside ourselves then we should not too readily point the finger at others- none of are without sin.

Tiffany, Scotland
I think that this is repulsive-how can anyone say it is just to take someones life nomatter what the reason is? This 'honor killing' nomatter what race performs it, is an extreme example of ignorance and close mindedness. Love can come in any form, and I think its scary to think that anyone should have to pay with their life just for loving someone others think are 'unsuitable'. The idea of being confined to someone of the same race and ethnicy to mine is equally terrifying - its a free world and I think we should all have the option to mix with other people of different backgrounds...WITHOUT the fear of death!

Anoushirawan- UK
I am a Zoroastrian, {a Parsi) and in my religion there is no mention of taking anybody's life in an excuse to defend one's honour. The socalled dishonour they mention is only what the neighbours would say to them (and that is a state of mind) in the killer's mental attitude. Strangely, this only applies to the female of the family, but if it is a male, he probably will get a pat on the back and congratulated. In primitive societies, this belief is staunchly supported by the community. It signifies that a woman is not much worthy of honour than material goods and chattel. Even if, the woman protests her innocence in a case of rape, it is unfortunately misconstrude by the males as if it is her fault and she must have seduced him, and what is more unjust is that she will have to produce four witnesses in the court to prove her innocence. How very debasing for a female. Afterall it is the male ego that has to be satisfied. If this sort of honour killing ever happened in a Zoroastrian family, I am sure the remaining members of the family will kill the executioner. In conclusion, these primitivoes must learn to honour and respect their female members.

Rayla Birmingham
i think that those girls who go behind their parents back and break their trust deserved to be killed. at the end of the day your a musliim you know things like this arent allowed so why do it in the first place dont do it and you will be living today do it and the consequence is death!im sorry but this is the truth so get used to the fact.

Sham (Birmingham)
Im a mirpuri and ive recently started going out with out with a girl from peshawar (afghani). I dont have any problems with her, her family, not because they are shameless, its because i know my intentions are good. Her parents or family dont know about us as of yet. But i do hope we get on and non of us gets killed in the name of honour!

Angie, London
Even if my kids bring shame to the whole family, the least I could is to disown them really.....overall the whole honour killing is totally disgusting even for a British-Chinese like me!

Nadeem From Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I am appauled at what I have been reading. Can this be the same UK I used to visit? Since when did so many Al-Hakim been born? To me, I don't understand since when honour killing became a religious issue? I am a Muslim, in Canada, who used to live in Gloucestershire, but my gut feeling tells me that Islam is taking a wrong shift in the UK. Killing your brother, sister, or any family member is unethical and well as wrong in any religion. Open dialogue in the UK is necessary immediate before more disturbing actions are taken. More educated imams are needed to get the message out to the youths as well as traditional families on these issues. What is disturbing about this is that some of this is becoming a normal way of living. I am sickened about this. But my way of living is that I educate the people I work with and inform them that the Quran condemns this and these people who use Islam as an excuse to kill are nothing more than savage beasts just having a good time. There is no heaven for killers in any religion. That's my two cents.

Samara (Middlesex)
It's a cultural issue not islamic. We make society, community etc we create gossip an atmospher where tension excists so it's up to us to change the way society works break the norm. As an asian muslim I can imagin what the other asian would say if i was to go off with some white or black or non muslim guy for that matter. If family learn to stand up and shut others up it'll prevent this honour killing business. Yes parents won't be happy but sort it out some other way. Surly by killing your child is more shame on the family then your son/daughter going off with someone.

R Leic
These so called people who think honour killing is ok need their heads examined. At the end of the day who other then god has the right to take anyone’s life? Were is the common sense in these people who would condone such a horrific action. For anyone who would consider this a word of warning, what pain you inflict in this world weather its to another human or animal remember it always comes back at you weather you are alive or when you are judged by god.

jaz london
i think such behaviour is diabolical, i think issues like these should be discussed in parliament and local mps should condemn this rather then picking on someone who is wearing a veil or wearing other religious attire. Come on Britain straighten up!

Jeethi from Coventry
in my opinion i think its ridicoulous how your own blood and do this. I think it is appaulling. It is not a crime to fall in love with somebody. I am a Sikh and i fell in love with a muslim man but whem i told my family my dad hated the idea of his daughter with a muslim man and i didnt know wat to do. i couldn't live without my family and i wouldn't leave my family for no man, its just and experience young girls go through. But then i saw my partners true colours wen i told him we have to finish it. my family are very supportive of me, my dad loves me more than anything, yes i disgraced him but he didn't kill me and i am very happy now then i ever was.

Neil, Beds
The survey is linked above. Someone worried that Muslims were singled out - and thats not supported by the survey - all groups were similalry 'guilty'. Only 500 people interviewed - actually a small number given some need to be from each religious group (or religious or class group). Its general conclusion, for all 500 people lumped together is sad though. What happens if we look beyond the top line number? %-wise - (talking differences of one or two people here) Hindus and Christians came out a bit worse than other groups - but too few to call it a trend: infact the distribution across all religious types is similar. Men were twice as likely as women to think honour killings were sometimes justified (about 25 men in total and 17 women - from a total of 237 men interviewed and 263 women. I suspect thats a genuine trend. - People from higher social class were less likely to think honour killings were sometimes justified.

london
nobody has a riteto take another persons life coz there are other ways of sorting things out in a peaceful way.

Azhar SW
Responding to Zainab Latif I would like to say that hummanbeings are higher then animals and therfor must behave in a superior manner. Love and sex are two different things. Sex has been used for thousands of years by mankind to humiliate its enemies but same time it is an essential part of expressing love and creating a bond between the oposite genders. Unfortunately in todays world preachers of science, love, and secularism are pouring their brains into creating an atmosphare in which oposit genders are abusive of each others bodies and souls in the name of their humman rights. Lets start the debate about the morality of the modern definitions of rights and wrong in light of evolution of humman values guarding their bodies and souls for thousands of years from the exploiters and looters.

Faqir chand Germany
I strongly condem the Honor killing of women which ussaly practise in Islamic countries like Baladesh,Pakistan & Afghanistan.This is abig unfourtunat brutal act has took place in UK in Baglashi family.The responcible peoplesmust brought to justice .

Zainab Latif , keighley
100% unislamic and 100% inhumane. Even animals have love and affection for their offspring ??!! Something I will never understand.

TheBhangraDr
It is utterly disgusting how people can treat their own children. They are a part of them We need to look back and learn from those who have been Victims. We need to learn now, the figures tell us all. when will the madness of forced marriages and honour killings stop? Howmanymore Lets be united and fight against it, give help to Womans shelters

TheBhangradr in cardiff
I think we should take more notice of tauseef from, birmingham comments. I agree with her, and sadly this is a reality too. More should be done on this!!!! This is a very defining moment in the need for more education and the Priority to work as a united effort in the communities that are widely affected? Everything is just going round in circles, each time; each point made everyone is making the same point. The youth are not being educated and shown enough information about Forced Marriages, the effects of it and the destruction it is having upon people’s lives. They should have the chance to explore case studies of recent times. The youth (not all) are being fed the same misunderstood, ignorant and misguided information from their communities. Its ok talking bout educating, BUT the extension of that should be to get young people TO GET PROACTIVLY TO GET INVOLVED IN CAMPAIGNS

Raya, London
I find so-called "honour killings" totally disgusting and barbaric. It is uncalled for in today's society. It is an act that should not be justified under any circumstances. I can't vouch for other religions, but for muslims, it is an act that is wrong and unislamic. Islam does not tolerate such behaviour. For some, it may be culturally accepted but again that is a very backward outlook on life. If you don't want your child/sister to marry someone that is "unsuitable" then don't interact with them, disown them if you have to; but killing them is a cowardly and inhumane way to get your message through.

Anonymous Edinburgh
After listening to this shocking news, I was devastated. Under any circumstances, this is not Islamic, and is considered a sin. those parents who believe and act upon honour killings need a reality check, how could any parent kill their child for their own status/honour within the family/society? This is a much bigger problem throughout Asia, as I have myself witnessed this in Pakistan, where honour killings happen every day. There has to be an end to this, I encourage those who are in a situation like this, being forced to marry against their will, to stand up, and be heard, doing this could save your life, and many other innocent ones.

Areej, Melbourne
(cont from previous message)There was a documentary on the ABC about a Canadian girl from a Sikh background who married a Sikh guy from a poorer family in India and was killed in the name of honour. I am sure its not in the Sikh religion and the Quran condemns “burying your daughters alive” to mention just one of the many examples. So why make it a religious agenda? I was gobsmacked by the gentleman blaming the parents for sending their children to main stream British school for honour killings..are they forgetting that values come from home and the schools are just providing education? Or have they totally forgotten about the schools run by churches and Parsis in Pakistan? The other thing is that people should stop blaming religions for their cultural beliefs. My husband, a convert to Islam, is amazed how people pick and choose what suits them from Islam and then hide behind it to practise their cultural beliefs. I think BBC should do a documentary where they research how religion has been moulded to fit the local customs. That should be am interesting watch.

Areej, Melbourne
Being Pakistani and married to an Australian (Caucasian), I get the murderous stares Dave is talking about. Most people just judge that we are having a “Bollywoodesque” relationship and then come the “stares”...all within seconds. Now the interesting fact is that its not written on my face that I am from Pakistan and a Muslim and neither has the person giving “the disapproving” glances so its not defined to one culture or religion. We got these “glares” in England and still do so in Australia. What baffled me was that I did not feel the glares when we visited Pakistan. From what I gathered, people are more accepting to men marrying out of their ethnical background ...all the “ghairat” and “izaat” comes in when a girl wants to marry an outsider. What they forget is that a girls do uphold family values and can draw the line when it comes to relationships. My family trusted me and is now proud to have another son, the ethnical background did not matter. .to be continued

Dave, Lancs
Having read the presumptive comments made by Iftikhar below re. a British state education its quite apparent that he sees the reason for the girls father not being able to 'control his emotions' and murdering his daughter as being due to the daughter not being taught in a Muslim school, and as he purports her de-education in a state school.... His comments appear to suggest that it is the effect of a British state education on the young woman that caused her father to murder her. His comments show a deep suspicion and fundemental lack of understanding of the purpose of a British education. Although he condemns the murder he does not credit the girl with any right to independent thought and/or self determination and as such his views are an expression of the conservative cultural mindset so poigniantly alluded to in this programme, that is, the desire to control women's every moment, thought and action. To be continued....

Dave, Lancs (continued)
Let us have the debate, give your women equal rights, the autonomy to make their own decisions in life, to continue their education, to go to college should they want to, the right to an opinion, the right to disagree, allow them the civil liberties to express themselves and fulfill their potential without fear of retribution. All those rights that are yours in this British secular democracy, flawed as all societies are, but with rights that you would cling to should they be withdrawn. Let us have the communities within which these honour killings and abuse takes place actively condemn and expose this practice which is at present silenced by this conservative gossip grapevine and threat of violence. After all as Iftikhar states the father's un-Islamic action is liable for punishment under Islamic law as well as British law. So a question for everyone in those communities....What are you waiting for ?

anonymous
well my opinion on this situation is that this is NOT a problem amongst the asians of the UK or indeed the world. This is a problem that concerns religion and belief, and not race. many religions have many beliefs. i am not muslim, however, i do know that a muslim belief is its honour, and daughters hold the family honour. i think that this is completely wrong. i dont think i can ever understand why these killings happen, and i would certainly not justify. what is more important in the eyes of the parent; your honour or your childrens happiness? well if it were me it would be the happiness of my child. if you cant provide your children with wat they want or accept what they have, then you should never have had them. if i ever heard someone talk in favour of an honour killing, id be extremely worried if their childrens future.

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso: Miami Florida
Murder and Violence of any kind is Murder and Violence and should be condemned strongly.

Anil Watford
This is a problem within the Pakistani community where first cousin marriages are the norm despite all genetic evidence against such marriages. "We have to stop this tradition of first cousin marriages," Keighley MP Ann Cryer recently Newsnight. Some women who go against the grain have had to suffer honour killings. As usual the Imams will bury their heads in the sand and refuse any discussions on this matter. This not an Asian problem but a Muslim problem lets us not pretend other wise. I do not BBC to publish this because it may upset some people

Dave, Lancs
As a white guy who has had the all too brief and snatched conversations with Pakistani and Bangladeshi women it is very apparent that for the majority of these women they fear being 'grassed' up and punished or worse by members of their own families and their community, by the women as well as the men. Conversations are disrupted or asian men give murderous stares which are deliberately intended to intimidate, such is the state of mind control asian men excercise over asian women. These attitudes and 'criminal' behaviours are an infringement not only of these adult women's civil liberies and human rights to associate with whoever they choose as a British citizen but also of my human rights to do likewise. To be continued....

Dave, Lancs (continued)
I've seen young adult women removed from work which involves interacting with the public, women in tears being 'chaperoned' by other women back to their dictatorial parents and a forced marriage and have to stand there looking on feeling helpless. I know women who are denied access to information such as is available on the internet in a deliberate attempt to keep them unawares and who wont be reading this. I know of women who are made ill by the constant pressure to give in to emotional blackmail and control and the ever present 'observation' while at work, who are driven to work and collected from work so that there is no opportunity for them to interact. I am not a racist but I see alot of people who demonstrate abusive, controling and sexist behaviour of all skin colours and the fact that someone is religious is no protection against hypocrisy and nor should it be against criticism otherwise we are all co-conspiritors living under an element of Sharia law!

Dr Gill (Chair of Newham Asian Women's Project)
If certain Muslims have committed honour-related crimes, or if such violence has been committed in certain Muslim countries, it does not necessarily follow that these acts are prescribed, condoned, or tolerated by Islam. The murder of kin is frequent in many societies, including those of America, Italy and Greece, but this does not imply that Christianity encourages fratricide. To reiterate, the killing of women committed in the name of honour or reputation occurs beyond the limits of the Muslim diaspora, nor is it endemic in the religion of Islam or tied to any particular group. The subjugation, exploitation and the commodification of women are ancient and widespread. In diverse times and cultures, women have been viewed as the embodiment of sin, misfortune, disgrace, shame, and in most contemporary societies had hardly any rights or social position until very recently. Think that, in the United Kingdom, women only received the vote some eighty years ago!

Imran, Manchester
It's shocking to listen to the documentary and find out that such beleif's are being held of honour killing's what are the parent's thinking? do they not want the best for there children? Parent's should integrate more with their children and be open with their children and be happy for them.

Yajiv London
An incredible sorry mess of a programme. From the sample of people questioned on the programme they all seem to have some Muslim sounding name. This does not mean abuse to women in Christian, Sikh, Buddhist or Hindu family does no happen in the wonderful liberal BRITAIN? What is strange to note is that the entire programme was about Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women being oppressed and yet the word ASIAN always rears its ugly head? This is the usual BBC attempt of subterfuge. Sorry - it is a problem mainly with groups of people who see Honour as an issue - I leave it to you all to decide who you think they are? It is odd indeed that INDIAN girls are best performing group in the UK (apart from a few Chinese girls) of attaining 5+ GCSEs - gosh some oppression here? Get some facts right here before the over zealous BBC research departments goes on at a tangent. These muddling of views between the South Asians different socio political religious grouping is typically of BBC to obscure the real issues. Good programme sad about the dishonest presentation.

anonymous
I think people who think that such horrible acts as honour killings can be 'justified' need a reality check. i merely escaped being a victim. why? because i chose to be with someone who i love who's the same religion and cast as my family. religion and cast, they're the two main questions on the 'check list' for suitable son-in-laws/daughter-in-laws right? so what was the big issue!? that i had the guts to tell my family whats going on instead of going behind their backs? now tell me whats more shameful out of the two and do people who were in my situation deserve that!? to be harmed by the people who brought you into this world, brought u up in this country by choice and make u live by the TRADITIONS of the east. NO religion supports this act and if such people treasure their so called 'izat' (honour) over the teachings of their religion then they're nothing but hypocrites.

International Campaign Against Honour Killings
Honour killings are recorded amongst Christians in the Middle East, and by Sikhs here in Britain, for example Anita Gindha who was heavily pregnant when she was strangled by her father. We have records of many honour killings in India, so to characterise the problem as essentially Islamic is incorrect, although the situation is very severe in Muslim communities. No group can be complacent about these crimes; it's this criminal complacency that has allowed these repulsive attitudes to develop unchallenged.

Abdul Hye [Baadshah] London
I really hate the idea of honour killing. i just wish this happen once in front of me so i can kill the one performing the honour killing. how can parents do such thing. its just so wrong.

VMS, Manchester
1 in 10 of whom? Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Jews, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Indians, Tibetans etc. Use of non-descript terms like 'Asian' doesn't reveal much and if it doesn't apply to one section of this it's also known as defamation.

D. Fernandes
I am of Indian origin and come from it's tiny Christian community though I am now a fully paid up humanist. Honour killings are unknown in my sector of the Indian community. As emerged from the programme, it is clear that these practices or lack of them are a product of imbedded, irrational social conditioning, of cultural practices which often become suffused/confused with religious practice. Prior to our contact with the Portuguese and the British, Sati (the practice of the wife throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre) was not uncommon in the part of India I come from. The practice has now totally vanished. I use this to illustrate that behaviour can be changed particularly when one recognises a belief/practice to be barbaric or inhumane. Regardless of which community it happens in, one such honour killing is one too many. Surely, murder can't possibly be an honourable thing!! The solution lies in education, which has whole heap of connotations. For starters, community leaders and, more importantly, religious leaders must openly condemn honour killings and demonstrate that their teachings have nothing to do with such barbarity and have no divine sanction whatsoever.

Sacha, Brighton
It does happen in Christianity, killings in the name of honour have if I remember rightly happened in Coptic Christian households.

Shahida, London
In my personal experience the same boys that say they don't like to see their sisters with other boys are the same boys that do not deny themselves any girl they want to be with. This is not about honour but about control - it is an extreme form of domestic violence only it is not perpetrated by one partner on another but by one or more members of a family who feel they ought to be in control of some other members every move and action. It is a pity that these misguided individuals cannot think for themselves and are just puppets of values and actions set by those who influence them - who themselves are ignorant and misguided...my parents have always brought us up to think about things, even if they have existed since time began, and question what we don't understand, even if it alienates us from the "community". It is this abiltiy to think for ourselves that differentiates us as humans from savage beasts...

B. Kelly Kent
I too have never heard of an 'honour killing' among Christian, Sikh or Hindu Indians. Why was the story written this way? What were the actual statistics broken down by relgious affiliation? You have the details, you should publish them. Otherwise, you make it look like an Asian-wide issue.

Jennie Berkshire
If this survey is to be of value the statistics reported on Radio 4 need to be specific. Most people listening could assume that honour killings occur amongst all faiths. This is surely far from the truth. I have never heard of an honour killing by Christians.

Ray, Southampton
It is good that we are talking about this issue, but am afraid that no matter how much we talk about this issue nothing seems to happen. Why? Its not just in the Muslim Community this happening..it happens in the Hindu and Sikh community its just we dont get to hear about it, its a shame thing to families. I was in India last year and its sort of a common thing back home. But in India the situation is chaning slowly.

Kee - London
The report says "500 Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims questioned". However, it doesn't tell us how many people belonged to each of those categories. More importantly, what percentage in each of the categories believe that honour killings are justified? It doesn't say. I'd like to see the raw data. I'm willing to bet that it would show something very different from what is being reported. This is primarily a Muslim problem and to use statistics to "hide" this behind the Asian population as a whole is highly dishonest. I'll be happy to be proven wrong.

Nas, Midlands
Baz, I know of a few other asians besides muslims. You see a lot of people using Islam as an excuse to do things where if you actually look into Islamic marriages you'll have the right to get married to who you want. Arranged marriages are not an islamic thing, more a cultural thing. If you look at muslims around the rest of the world, it's not common at all to have arranged marriages. Most of these asians are uneducated and care only about their reputations, most of them probably don't have a clue about anything. It's people like this that give people like Baz the wrong impression. Infact women almost have more rights in Islam than men. But of course people twist things to suit them. Education in these circumstances is frowned upon for fear of learning the truth. If girl in that kind of family tells her parents she's read up and found she has islamic rights, she'll get beat. Also a lot (not all) of these people that goes to mosque and pray 5times a day do it out of habit, i doubt very much they know what they're doing or have any strong belief or anything.

TheBhangraDr (alex) cardiff
Forced Marriages are breach of gender inequality and human rights. This is what must be stressed! No one has the right to force an individual into a situation such as a Forced Marriage. Forced marriages ruin lives and will no longer be ignored Lets be united and fight against it, give help to Womans shelters It is vital we get the youth to work together, this is about them. This would mark a huge advantage in people gaining knowledge and awareness of Forced Marriages and Honour killings. Within this vital age group which is highly affected by this. This is a priority. This point cannot be re-iterated enough. The statistics prove that it is this age group that are most at risk.

Leanne, Sussex
I'm asolutely shocked! How can family's do such a thing? It's not right, and someone should definitely do something about it. It's not the end of the world if a member of your family, wants something different, it's their life. By the way, the BBC rocks!! From Lee Lee! Age:19

anon, bham
i think this is fantastic that not only are you highlighting long standing and very bad issues that exist in our community, but that you are also giving details of information and help for people to recieve. that is so important for our community where those in trouble dont always know where to turn for help. Thank you asian network