(Lebanon) We read and hear of so many incidents of where Muslims have taken to murdering their own in which to wash the shame of dishonour from their mindset.
Whatever the reason, the murderer feels that his/her honour has been stained and only blood will remove that stain. (Me, I use soap-powder, works a treat).
Yet for all this talk of ‘Honour’, I cannot get my head round how the very people who are convicted of the most odious crimes are deemed innocent and when released from prison are feted as heroes.
I mean, for example, Youssef Shaaban. Today he was released after 15 years of being locked up inside a Lebanese jail for his part in the assassination of Jordanian diplomat, Omran al-Maayta in Beirut in 1994. You see, Youssef Shaaban just happened to belong to Abu Nidal's terrorist outfit which decided that peace between Jordan and Israel wasn’t on, so in order to express their displeasure, they murdered an innocent man. (So much for killing a Muslim is like killing the whole world line.)
Anywhere else in the world, after getting released for murder, and boy would you keep your head down because quite rightly people point the finger of guilt at you for bringing dishonour onto your country, your family and of course yourself.
But for some strange reason, Youssef Shaaban was met by dozens of Palestinians who gave Shaaban a hero's welcome at his home in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in south Beirut. Well-wishers carried him on their shoulders and waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags.
Which brings me to ask the question: how can people refer to Islam as the religion of peace when for the sake of honour innocents are murdered and murderers treated like pop stars?
Whatever the reason, the murderer feels that his/her honour has been stained and only blood will remove that stain. (Me, I use soap-powder, works a treat).
Yet for all this talk of ‘Honour’, I cannot get my head round how the very people who are convicted of the most odious crimes are deemed innocent and when released from prison are feted as heroes.
I mean, for example, Youssef Shaaban. Today he was released after 15 years of being locked up inside a Lebanese jail for his part in the assassination of Jordanian diplomat, Omran al-Maayta in Beirut in 1994. You see, Youssef Shaaban just happened to belong to Abu Nidal's terrorist outfit which decided that peace between Jordan and Israel wasn’t on, so in order to express their displeasure, they murdered an innocent man. (So much for killing a Muslim is like killing the whole world line.)
Anywhere else in the world, after getting released for murder, and boy would you keep your head down because quite rightly people point the finger of guilt at you for bringing dishonour onto your country, your family and of course yourself.
But for some strange reason, Youssef Shaaban was met by dozens of Palestinians who gave Shaaban a hero's welcome at his home in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in south Beirut. Well-wishers carried him on their shoulders and waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags.
Which brings me to ask the question: how can people refer to Islam as the religion of peace when for the sake of honour innocents are murdered and murderers treated like pop stars?
