Last week, a jury in Ontario, Canada found an Afghan father, his wife, and their son guilty of killing three teenage sisters and a co-wife in what the judge called a "twisted concept of honor."
The three sisters -- aged 19, 17, and 13 -- were killed because they "violated Islamic rules of dress, dating, and socializing." The co-wife was killed because of fear that Canadian authorities might discover the husband's polygamous relationship, and force his family to leave Canada.
The fact that the parents did not kill their 21-year-old son in this scenario conveys a double standard: Young Islamic women must not socialize with others, but it is all right for young men to socialize.
If the parents wanted to punish their three teenage daughters for living an anti-Islamic lifestyle, they could have done so by taking less severe action, such as not allowing them to socialize with others.
In the final analysis, the parents and son of these murders need to realize that in a civilized society there is no justification for murdering people -- even if the reason for murder may be sparked by a desire to support religious teachings.
