An appalling matter
12/06/07 19:45 Media
issues
I was distressed to
hear of the death of Banaz Mahmod at the hands of her
father and uncle, as I'm sure were the vast, vast
majority of people. Its implications are way beyond
the remit of a small and self-appointed media blog
like this.
What I do consider my business, though, is the reporting of it. Why is the media dignifying this and other filthy little murders with the term 'honour killing'? Every time a report mentions it this seems somehow to validate it, to give it a title it doesn't merit. Even if used in inverted commas, the term puts it into some sort of special category as if we have to understand something about the culture of these people before passing judgment.
It was murder, pure and simple. I suggest it's time to stop calling it and cases like it anything else.
What I do consider my business, though, is the reporting of it. Why is the media dignifying this and other filthy little murders with the term 'honour killing'? Every time a report mentions it this seems somehow to validate it, to give it a title it doesn't merit. Even if used in inverted commas, the term puts it into some sort of special category as if we have to understand something about the culture of these people before passing judgment.
It was murder, pure and simple. I suggest it's time to stop calling it and cases like it anything else.
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