Last month, a Kurdish teenage woman named Dua Khalil was beaten to death in what is often called an "honor killing." According to CNN, Khalil's religion is Yahzdi, and she was in the company of a Sunni Muslim man. Her relatives thought she may have married this man, or converted--either of which is against Yahzdi teaching--and because of this, they beat her to death.
To me, the most horrifying part of the story is what comes next. There were several people there who were merely watching, and who filmed the entire attack and murder on their cell phones. You can see the video on the CNN site; I'll be honest--I didn't watch it, and I have no desire to.
When hearing this story, it's easy to think, "But that's not our culture. We don't do that in the United States. I would never do anything like that." And yes, it is likely that most of us will never participate in an honor killing in our lives. But what about the statistics that 1 out of every 6 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime? Violence against women--particularly sexual violence--does happen in the United States, and all too often, it is unreported and unpunished.
And what about the other aspect of the story--the standing by and watching it, even viewing it as entertainment? It's harder to brush that off, particularly when there are movies out there like Captivity, starring Elisha Cuthbert, which puts forth her gruesome torture as entertainment, meant for the American public's viewing pleasure. In this case, how is the group of men who filmed Khalil's murder different from those who filmed Captivity? While one is fact and one is fiction, it's a very thin line between the two, particularly when both demonstrate the same mindset that viewing the torture of those weaker and different from you can be entertainment.So I'm asking those of you who read this to work for a change. Violence against women was the impetus for writing, but this certainly extends to violence against others who are persecuted because they are different, whether because of their sexuality, religion, race, or other quality that sets them apart. Start small--challenge those who degrade or mock, even in fun, those who are different. Choose to not see movies that glorify sexual violence, and don't be afraid to say why you're not going. What you say does make a difference--protests to the MPAA got a series of graphic ads for Captivity pulled off billboards. Even small actions like these can help challenge the mindset that the torture, persecution and mockery of those who are different is an acceptable part of life.
Don't be the one who sits there, watching, filming, and condoning, while Dua Khalil is beaten to death. It's time for a change.
