-Honor- story,

I ve been considering how to respond to the students discussion of the "Honor" story, and I ve decided it may be best just to give my thoughts on some of the points raised. One seems to be, whether Islam condones or even requires punishment like what Uncle Nabeel believes in, in the story. No, I certainly don t believe that it does. From my study of the Prophet s life and mission, and what came afterward, I believe he had a rational and humane view of women and the way they should be treated, and he tried to convey this to his followers. Of course they were men of their times, and the patriarchal system was in effect throughout the Middle East (if not most of the world!); but there s a lot we don t know about the rights of women in 7th-century Arabia, how they were treated and how they lived. Maybe they were not particularly oppressed--and maybe they were. What does seem clear is that after the death of Muhammad, other people, with less enlightened minds, came into power (and struggles for power became quite violent at times). Maybe it s a characteristic of human nature, when societies are under stress such as warfare, deprivation, etc., for men to try to control with a heavy hand whatever they can control--and that s usually women. Also, as Islam spread to other societies (Persian, Christian, African), Muslims adopted some of the customs and beliefs of those societies, including seclusion and disrespect of women.

Uncle Nabeel, therefore, is reflecting not Islamic principles (especially as interpreted in modern times--and not by extremists, who are another problem altogether), but tribal traditions that may be quite destructive. I tried to research the origins of the idea of "honor killing," and could find very little, other than that it s tied to the importance of the idea of "shame," which is found throughout the Mediterranean world. The most likely explanation I ve come across is that in nomadic society, when the bare resources for life are scarce and just surviving may be very difficult, people felt that strong leadership was essential. For a man to be obeyed, he had to show control, starting with his family. If his women defied him by having sexual relationships that were against his wishes, it would weaken his power; and furthermore, those relationships might produce offspring that he would not want to support--especially if food was scarce. Whatever the origins, the idea that a man--and his family--must punish a girl or woman who defies his authority in this way has survived all this time. Even though educated people have long since abandoned this way of thinking, in some societies or communities where it still exists, it can still carry a lot of weight. And needless to say, it produces suspicion and misery in everyone, not just the girl and her family concerned. But people tend to cling even to bad ideas, when their world is being threatened by change that they don t understand and feel powerless to oppose. (The example of white racists who can t stand the idea of an American president with African roots, and who take out their anger, frustration, and confusion on other black people, is not too different!)

One of the students raised the very interesting and important point regarding community vis-a-vis individual rights. She or he wrote, "individuals as part of the community must have thoughts that bind them together and by which they live. They must also share the same emotions .... and must have one system to address all of their life s problems." Well, yes and no. If everyone believes in, or at least obeys, the same set of rules (thoughts, emotions, behavior), it does avoid friction and trouble. But who determines that thought system? What if it s a bad set of rules, or, over time and depending on who is in power, becomes bad? Then you have people living under tyranny, dictatorship, oppression; and nobody can say that that s a good thing, even if it does prevent some trouble. I believe that there s no one system that can satisfactorily "address all of life s problems." That system has to be devised by humans (usually men, whose interests are different from those of women), or at least interpreted by humans; and humans make mistakes and mess up--even when they re trying not to. I believe very strongly that educated, enlightened people have to be open-minded, question their own systems of beliefs, hold on to what they feel is good but look farther afield for better ideas that may be found in other systems. Thoughts, ideas, emotions, and resulting behavior cannot be chiseled in stone, determined for everyone and for all time. There has to be freedom for individuals to seek their own ways of believing and behaving--even if they do sometimes get into trouble and cause trouble for others. That s what "growing up" is all about.

Another student made the point that we must take responsibility for our actions, and accept punishment if we do something we know is wrong. Yes, I feel that way, too. But I also believe that mercy is always essential, and a merciful treatment of a wrong-doer may well do far more good than a strict punishment according to the letter of the law. I like the passages in the Koran about Allah being a God of mercy.

Well, maybe this is enough, at least for now! Please, if your students would like to discuss these or other points further, if they d like to say something or ask questions about any others of the stories in SANTA CLAUS IN BAGHDAD, I would be happy to hear from them (through you, Rima, or however you want to handle it); and I would try to respond more quickly. In the meantime, I am busy pursuing any possibility to speak and to write about my experiences and observations in the West Bank, and I HOPE, before long, to be able to start a new story--though probably for younger readers ... something about olive trees.

The people of this country, for a variety of reasons, have a very long way to go in understanding that the reality of what has happened and is happening to Palestinians and their country is not at all what they ve been led to believe; but more and more are learning.. And most of our politicians have a long way to go in learning to listen to those who say that the course of action the U.S. has been following for so long with regard to Israel is NOT in anyone s interest--other than extremists, who would willingly destroy everything in order to have their own way. But there is increasing evidence (in spite of the disgraceful behavior of the administration and Congress regarding the Goldstone Report) that many are beginning to see the light.

With appreciation for the very pleasant and interesting welcome you gave me--and my friends--at your university, and with every good wish for your courage, welfare, and hopefulness,

Rate the article
Bad	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Very good
Result : 73%							Participated in the vote : 3