# How does Christian killing of witches stack up against Islamic honor killings? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 25, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676 "2009-08-25T19:58:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/41 "2009-08-26T18:01:37Z")
I wonder if it is obvious to the average enraged honor murderer that the need to kill a defenseless victim is compelling evidence how fragile they themselves deem their honor to be? Nah, probably not. Tris ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/42 "2009-08-26T21:06:43Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Honor killings occur in many cultures, (Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Sicily, South America, several Middle Eastern countries, India, (Hindu as well as Muslim regions), and in a few places in the Far East), and tend to occur where clan associations are the strongest social ties. I’m curious what you mean when you say that honour killings occur in Northern Ireland. None of the cases of murder in the north that I’ve read about would fit into that category imho. FWIW Ireland’s last witch (more accurately the victim was described as a changeling) killing occurred [in 1895](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget_Cleary). ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/43 "2009-08-26T21:15:22Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > I wonder if it is obvious to the average enraged honor murderer that the need to kill a defenseless victim is compelling evidence how fragile they themselves deem their honor to be? > > Nah, probably not. > > Tris ? I can’t parse that sentence. I read it a couple of times but I don’t really understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/44 "2009-08-26T21:56:52Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > ? > > I can’t parse that sentence. I read it a couple of times but I don’t really understand it. I believe he’s saying that if you need to kill someone to protect it then your honor is weak. Rather like saying that someone who kills anyone who disagree with his faith or political dogma is as much as admitting that the faith or political dogma in question is so weak as to be unable to stand up under dispute. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/45 "2009-08-26T22:49:40Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > So that’s why Saudi Arabia sponsors terrorism, and that’s why most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis? Because Saudi Arabia is poor. That’s the ticket. Actually a rather large portion of the Saudi population is in fact poor, contrary to your stereotypes of rich Shiekhs. The Per Capita Income is around US$ 18k (WB) versus the USA at US$ 46k. Taking into account the very skewed wealth and income distrubtion - the rich Sheikhs who make the image eating the wider population’s pie… there is in fact real and extensive poverty in Saudi. I seem to recall the hijackers all came from poorer areas of the Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/46 "2009-08-26T22:52:34Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > What law? Honor killings are justified, by the perpetrators, with the Sharia, the cultural mores loosely based on Islam. Well actually Sharia specifically forbids extra judicial type killings as represented by what is typically called honour killings. Perpetrators I think generally make vague and dodgy reference to Islamic morality. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/47 "2009-08-26T22:53:10Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I believe he’s saying that if you need to kill someone to protect it then your honor is weak. Rather like saying that someone who kills anyone who disagree with his faith or political dogma is as much as admitting that the faith or political dogma in question is so weak as to be unable to stand up under dispute. Oh ok, I agree there isn’t much to disagree with there. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/48 "2009-08-26T23:14:15Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’m curious what you mean when you say that honour killings occur in Northern Ireland. None of the cases of murder in the north that I’ve read about would fit into that category imho. Sorry. When folks are relating the terror of the Troubles at places like the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival and similar gatherings, among the stories they tell are of brothers or fathers killing daughters, sisters (or sons/brothers), for dating the “wrong sort” (Loyalist or Republican) of person. I have not found an actual citation for this and it may be simply folklore associated with the Troubles. One of those things that “everyone knows” without it actually being true. I withdraw my reference to Northern Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/49 "2009-08-26T23:22:28Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Could you or someone else post appropriate Surah’s? Here is one examination of the issue. (Obviously, other people will have different perspectives.) [THE PUNISHMENT OF APOSTASY IN ISLAM](http://www.islamicperspectives.com/Apostasy1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/50 "2009-08-26T23:26:25Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Sorry. When folks are relating the terror of the Troubles at places like the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival and similar gatherings, among the stories they tell are of brothers or fathers killing daughters, sisters (or sons/brothers), for dating the “wrong sort” (Loyalist or Republican) of person. > > I have not found an actual citation for this and it may be simply folklore associated with the Troubles. One of those things that “everyone knows” without it actually being true. > > I withdraw my reference to Northern Ireland. I won’t say it has _never_ happened, although it hasn’t to the best of my knowledge, but in order for it to be cultural presumably you would need more than two documented instances of it. Are these the same people who think Danny “The Irishman” Green was an Irish freedom fighter? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/51 "2009-08-26T23:35:31Z")
No idea, really. I’m there for the music and the historical presentations and to drink some Harp or Guinness and I only encounter people talling about the current situation when I make a wrong turn and don’t back out in time. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676/52 "2009-08-28T15:48:55Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > No idea, really. I’m there for the music and the historical presentations and to drink some Harp or Guinness and I only encounter people talling about the current situation when I make a wrong turn and don’t back out in time. As you may or may not know my girlfriend is from Cleveland and attends various of these Irish festivals. She encountered an old guy who claimed that [Danny Greene](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Greene) was “our Michael Collins”! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-christian-killing-of-witches-stack-up-against-islamic-honor-killings/507676.md?page=2)