Canadian fatwa condemns 'honour killings'
Edict made in response to Shafia trial
CBC News
Posted: Feb 4, 2012 6:04 PM ET
Last Updated: Feb 4, 2012 5:58 PM ET
Imam Syed Soharwardy of Calgary reads a copy of a fatwa at the Jamia Riyadhul Jannah place of worship in Mississauga, Ont., on Saturday. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
A Canadian imam issued a fatwa Saturday officially condemning honour killings and family violence.
The edict is an official reminder to Muslims, coming from the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and signed by 34 imams across Canada and the United States.
The official decree was made in a Mississauga, Ont., mosque and was initiated by Calgary imam Syed Soharwardy, who founded the council. The fatwa condemns honour killings, domestic violence and misogyny as "un-Islamic."
It was made in response to the recent Shafia family murder trial in Kingston, Ont., in which a Montreal couple and their son were convicted of killing four female relatives.
The Crown alleged the three Shafia sisters and their father's first wife in a polygamous marriage were killed in an effort to restore the family's honour.
The trial captured worldwide attention and cast a shadow over Canada's Islamic community, prompting many to speak out against domestic violence.
Soharwardy said he felt compelled to push the issue, both to remind Muslims that honour killings are not Islamic and to explain to other Canadians that violence against women is not part of the religion.
He said he's received anonymous threats since coming out strongly against domestic violence, but that it only convinces him and encourages him that action is needed.
With files from The Canadian Press and CBC's Lorenda ReddekoppShare Tools
Latest Toronto News Headlines
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'not even dieting anymore'
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he is not dieting, just weeks before the scheduled end of his Cut the Waist Challenge. more »
- City considers revitalization of Exhibition Place
- The city is considering revitalizing Exhbition Place in conjuntion with the the province's plan to revamp Ontario Place. more »
- Ontario knocked for special-needs student support
- The province should conduct a review of how it serves special-needs students and improve a policy to support connections between schools and the community, a new report urges. more »
- Fire chiefs want sprinklers in all seniors' homes
- Ontario's governing Liberals are under pressure to require sprinklers in all retirement homes after a fire at a seniors' home near Ottawa killed an elderly couple. more »
Top News Headlines
- Canadian Pacific strikers face back-to-work legislation
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Railway strike if necessary, after both CP and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt says she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Quebec students and province to resume talks
- Quebec's university student federation has confirmed negotiations between student leaders and the provincial government will resume Monday afternoon. more »
- Tropical storm Beryl strikes southeast U.S. coast
- Tropical storm Beryl has arrived at the southeastern U.S. coast, bringing heavy rain, winds and the possibility of flooding. more »
- Vatican corruption scandal widens
- One of the Vatican's biggest scandals in decades appears to be widening with reports that an Italian cardinal may be part of a power struggle involving leaked documents, corruption and intrigue. more »
- Baby boomer data will highlight upcoming policy challenges
- New census data is expected to show how old Canadian society is becoming, effecting massive changes to the country's health-care and retirement systems. more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'not even dieting anymore'
- Man hits car driven by nun, has iPhone stolen
- 'Save me' last words of Mount Everest climber
- Brampton family seeks woman missing since Thursday
- Chinese student drowns in Niagara River
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- Toronto councillors expense $117K in first quarter
- Thousands participate in downtown charity walk
- Truck dangles on overpass after 401 crash in Ajax
