Viewpoint 38-3: bus ads target and isolate Muslims.

• Author: Sohi, Amarjeet
• Position: Reprint

We would like to provide some context and background surrounding the "honour killing" ad campaign on Edmonton Transit buses sponsored by the America Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI).

The term "honour killing" must stop being used. It needs to be called what it is: murder, femicide, wrong. Attaching the term "honour" to these crimes empowers the perpetrators, allowing them to justify their thinking and actions.

These ads ran on buses in late October and had the slogan "Muslim Girls Honor Killed by Their Families" and included the text: "Is your family threatening you? Is there a fatwa on your head?" The sponsors of the ads say their intent was to bring attention to the issue of honour killing. We are providing another point of view and key information regarding these ads.

The term "honour killing" must stop being used. It needs to be called what it is: murder, femicide, wrong. Attaching the term "honour" to these crimes empowers the perpetrators, allowing them to justify their thinking and actions. Religion, culture, ideology and chauvinism are no reasons to justify abuse and murder. Any actions of violence against women and girls must be identified as what they are: criminal acts.

No one is denying this happens. We welcome efforts by anyone to shed light on and help end the violence. However, by targeting Muslim girls only, the campaign singles out and separates a group of people based on their faith, thereby stigmatizing and isolating them. One result could be that victims might not seek help because they may feel compelled to defend their faith at the expense of their own well-being.

... the Canadian Council of Muslim Women has worked tirelessly to maintain equality, equity and empowerment for all Canadian Muslim women through education and advocacy. The Council has sought to promote an Islam that is humane, egalitarian and equality-driven.

Providing support, services and resources to women and girls who might be caught in these situations is important and necessary. If the ad sponsors are in fact concerned about the welfare of Edmonton women and girls, then working with and advertising the work of local organizations already addressing these concerns should have been their priority.

Organizations such as the Indo-Canadian Women's Association and the Edmonton Women's Shelter are examples of groups providing safe opportunities for confidential assistance. One such Muslim organization is the Islamic Family and Social Services Association...