Already a serious problem in southern Asia, so-called honor killings are growing in seriousness in the West as well. Britain in particular has a large population of immigrants from India and Pakistan, the regions where honor killings are most likely. Dealing with this issue is very difficult.

Fareena Alam writes in The Guardian:

Honour crimes have no relation to religiosity. Why is it then that such acts - along with practices like female genital mutilation continue to be linked exclusively with Muslims? It becomes increasingly difficult to tackle domestic violence in an environment of blame that borders on Islamophobia. Most migrant families, including mine, stay closely connected to relatives "back home". This is enriching and offers a safety net in the face of a hostile society. But too often these networks are patriarchal, stifle dissent and demand loyalty at all costs.

Young men are allowed to carry on a relatively unsupervised public life - socialising, drinking and womanising. Upholding honour, which is linked closely to social standing and upward mobility, falls to women. The mere allegation of impropriety - such as being seen with a man outside the family network - can damage a woman's, and thus her family's, reputation. Women who "deviate" from this moral code may encounter violence from partners, parents or relatives.

Honour killing is neither simply a gender issue nor an individual aberration. It is symptomatic of how immigrant families attempt to cope with an alienating urbanisation. ... Failed efforts to retain control can be devastating - enough to generate the unimaginable rage that it must take to kill one's kin. The same communities that are driven by honour and shame are also driven by gossip. ... Community workers say honour killings are the tip of the iceberg, and a symptom of a wider crisis: of masculinity, and socio-economic disadvantage. So many Muslims have told me they feel disgraced on behalf of Palestinians, Kashmiris and Iraqis, and in the UK, where the community suffers educational under-achievement, unemployment, poor housing and mental illness.

How will honor killings be stopped? They have become an ingrained part of culture in a certain region of the world — eliminating honor killings means changing fundamental aspects of culture. This needs to be done in order to save lives, but will anyone object by saying that even these cultural practices should be respected?

Read More:

• Guide to Ethics and Morality
• News About Ethics