Sharia Law In Blackburn: No Honour In Saheel Ahmed’s Murder
WHEN Naeem Butt murdered his estranged wife’s lover Saheel Ahmed in Little Harwood, Blackburn, he got 25 years jail. Butt severed Ahmed’s jugular vein with a foot-long knife. He then stabbed him six times.
The report in the Lancashire Telegraph contains two passages of note. We get to hear from Coun Salim Mulla, of the Lancashire Council of Mosques:
“My view is that the community will always try to deal with minor incidents rather than involve the police, and that is something that I agree with. Things should be resolved within the community, but only on a minor scale. But in very serious cases, as this was, the criminal justice system must be allowed to run its course.”
That he feels need to say that murder must be dealt with by the country’s rule of law seems odd. The United Kingdom is an enlightened society, where the legal system exists to uphold the universal rule of law. Has this rule of law becoming circumscribed in Blackburn?
The other passage comes from the thoughts of Detective Superintendant Neil Hunter:
“The murder was borne out of a combination of factors including rage, jealousy, revenge and also an element of honour.”
Honour is a watchword in matters of Asian crime in the UK. And it is good that Mr Hunter is sensitive to the views and backgrounds of the people involved in this case. The law must be. But did honour play any part in this vicious murder? Is honour now a part of the legal lexicon?
No, it is not. Mr Hunter’s mention of it smacks of intellectual cowardice. He mentions honour without debate or explanation, as if it is a truth we should accept. Democracy and open debate will decide if honour should be part of the legal system. And if it is, the law will exist for everyone equally…
Spotter: Karen
Posted: 28th, January 2011 | In: Reviews Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
