ARTICLE: Defying a Clan Code of Silence on Unspeakable Crimes, By ISABEL KERSHNER, New York Times, April 20, 2007

The honor killings stuff isn't new to us. It's just something we got rid of a long time ago because it's so phenomenally backward and inefficient and medieval. Traditional Muslims who hold on to this practice do so because it's a basic way for males to dominate females--pure and simple. As modernity creeps into traditional societies--here, the proximity of Israel is the trigger--the ancient rule set is revealed in its barbarity and increasingly condemned by those parts of society who have moved on. Here, you get the classic yin-yang on Israel though: its very presence perturbs the Arab system and yet those within that community who see the extreme injustice want hated Israel to be the progressive agent of change. After decades of both that plus constantly being attacked and threatened with destruction for its "evilness," it's not hard to see why Israel builds a wall. And yet the wall won't bring the necessary change, but delay it. That's why I vote for anything that keeps the board in play. That's why I still support the decision to topple Saddam. But that's also why I want something far more imaginative outta Bush than just variation after variation on "staying the course" on Iraq. Thanks to Dan Hare for sending this.