Biomiast
Jedi Master
A very disturbing incident and it brought back some memories.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/198133-UK-Honour-Killing-Wake-Up-Call-
First, the shock that an Alevi family doing such a thing. I know it is a mostly corrupted system and such things aren't specific to a religous group, but it was also a wake up call for me.
This incident is really common in Turkey, maybe not the killing part, but the refusal of marriage and even though it doesn't affect my life, I see family members suffering from it.
Long held grudges dictates an Alevi can't marry a Sunni and vice versa. In my family's case, we can't marry both Sunnis and Turks since "the secrets" of the community must be protected. Not that there is no one who can marry, there are certain cases, but it isn't something that people show sympathy.
First memory is my father's. He was in love with a girl when he was at university, the girl was Turk and Sunni, he asked my grandfather's permission, but my grandfather refused to take such a girl as her daughter in law. The father of the girl also refused and poor girl committed suicide. She didn't die, but I think it had terrible effects on her and on my father.
Second memory is about my cousins who marry with Turks. My father, after going through such a thing himself, doesn't approve their marriage! The family doesn't tell them anything, but there is an unspoken agreement to stay away from the wife or husband of those people. Sometimes it works the other way around. My cousin has a wife who forbids him to speak with our family. I only saw that cousin one time.
Third memory, our neighbour who is an Alevi criticizing his son for taking a bride who is Sunni. Her other son took an Alevi bride. At first she was very offended to his first son, and after three years she admits her Sunni daughter in law is much better. Well, at least in this case she came to realize that being good or bad has nothing to do with nationality or religous groups.
Fourth memory is the most painful one. One of my favourite cousins who is a very intelligent person and very concerned about state of world, Zionism etc. is looking for a girl who is "suitable for his mother." When we meet, sometimes he mentions the other girls in his life with whom he was very happy. Now he is alone, searching a suitable girl instead of pursuing his heart's desire. I talked with my aunt saying this isn't necessary, there are other girls in the world. She loves her son, but I think she is afraid of her father's and sisters' reactions, so she claims it is possible to find someone suitable in our group. Well six years have passed, and she couldn't find anybody, she is still searching.
This is my family, they are generally peaceful people, they don't carry guns or attack each other like the family above for something that they don't approve. On the other hand there is a social pressure among Turkey that shuns such marriages. This is my experiences just around my family circle, I can't imagine what else have happened in other families, especially more violent ones.
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/198133-UK-Honour-Killing-Wake-Up-Call-
First, the shock that an Alevi family doing such a thing. I know it is a mostly corrupted system and such things aren't specific to a religous group, but it was also a wake up call for me.
This incident is really common in Turkey, maybe not the killing part, but the refusal of marriage and even though it doesn't affect my life, I see family members suffering from it.
Long held grudges dictates an Alevi can't marry a Sunni and vice versa. In my family's case, we can't marry both Sunnis and Turks since "the secrets" of the community must be protected. Not that there is no one who can marry, there are certain cases, but it isn't something that people show sympathy.
First memory is my father's. He was in love with a girl when he was at university, the girl was Turk and Sunni, he asked my grandfather's permission, but my grandfather refused to take such a girl as her daughter in law. The father of the girl also refused and poor girl committed suicide. She didn't die, but I think it had terrible effects on her and on my father.
Second memory is about my cousins who marry with Turks. My father, after going through such a thing himself, doesn't approve their marriage! The family doesn't tell them anything, but there is an unspoken agreement to stay away from the wife or husband of those people. Sometimes it works the other way around. My cousin has a wife who forbids him to speak with our family. I only saw that cousin one time.
Third memory, our neighbour who is an Alevi criticizing his son for taking a bride who is Sunni. Her other son took an Alevi bride. At first she was very offended to his first son, and after three years she admits her Sunni daughter in law is much better. Well, at least in this case she came to realize that being good or bad has nothing to do with nationality or religous groups.
Fourth memory is the most painful one. One of my favourite cousins who is a very intelligent person and very concerned about state of world, Zionism etc. is looking for a girl who is "suitable for his mother." When we meet, sometimes he mentions the other girls in his life with whom he was very happy. Now he is alone, searching a suitable girl instead of pursuing his heart's desire. I talked with my aunt saying this isn't necessary, there are other girls in the world. She loves her son, but I think she is afraid of her father's and sisters' reactions, so she claims it is possible to find someone suitable in our group. Well six years have passed, and she couldn't find anybody, she is still searching.
This is my family, they are generally peaceful people, they don't carry guns or attack each other like the family above for something that they don't approve. On the other hand there is a social pressure among Turkey that shuns such marriages. This is my experiences just around my family circle, I can't imagine what else have happened in other families, especially more violent ones.
