Pakistan Begins Inqury into Death of 5 Women

Alisha Casey/ Sept. 5, 2008/ 4:00 p.m.

Six weeks ago five women were buried alive in a "so called honor killing" in Baluchistan Province. Since this occurrence there has been widespread protest about the deaths. All the information being collected about this story is coming from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Yas Meen Shan, the senator, has accused the government of not helping the situation and "turning a blind eye" to the killings. Another senator by the name of Israr Ullah Zehri declared that the killings were a "norm" in the culture and felt that they should not be "highlighted" as such.
Three of the women were killed because they had decided to marry men of their own choosing instead letting their parents and family choose for them. The other two women were older women that witnessed the men beating shooting, and burying the 3 women alive. When they tried to help the women they too were buried alive. It has been noted that the men that buried the women alive were driving a vehicle with " provincial government plates".
There is such an uproar about this killings in Pakistan because each year hundreds of women are killed defending their honor. Most of these cases are not reported or are not taking care of properly. About 40 Human Rights activist protested because of senator Zehri's statement.

Personally, I did not know what to think when I first began reading this article. I understand that different countries have their beliefs but killing three women is unheard of. Most of the time when I was learning about different cultures when men or women decided to go against their culture's beliefs there were exiled from their homeland and their family. I knew that killing was a possible reaction but I never thought that it occurred so often.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/world/asia/03pstan.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Pakistan%20Begins%20Inquiry%20Into%20Deaths%20of%205%20Women&st=cse&oref=login