Traci Birge, There are people that are born blind. Some become blind.

And then there are people that close their eyes because they just don't want to see. I think you are of the latter type. I think I know why you close your eyes, because you do not want to appear racist. You write: "My point would be that honor killings take place in western societies, too, but they are classified as violence against women or murder, not as honor killings. Yet, when a man kills a woman for a perceived slight (infidelity, for example) is that not an honor killing?" "If honor killing is repugnant (and it is) because it is the ultimate example of male control over female lives and bodies, then the term should be applied to all such killings in which someone is killed by someone they know specifically because a desire to control that person and because of gender." Your writings just confirm your lack of understanding what the difference is between honor killings and domestic violence. Honor killings is the most extreme form of domestic violence. Honor killings are acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, wearing unacceptable clothes, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorceeven from an abusive husbandor (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life. The perpetrator in honor killings is the family. The actual killer can be the father, a brother, a cousin or some other relative. The family supports the killing and get support from the community. The female victim is left totally without support. In Western domestic violence the perpetrator is the husband/partner. The female victim's family does not close the eyes to the violence. They support the victim. And so does the community. Why is it most important to discriminate between domestic violence and honor-related violence? The reason is that a victims of honor-related violence need much more support and help from the society. Support that we do not offer them today because of arguments like yours. Here are some statistics from Brottsfrebyggande rdet, BR (Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention). http://www.bra.se/download/18.cba82f7130f475a2f180009403/2007_6_utvecklingen_dodligt _vald_mot_kvinnor.pdf page 19. During the period 1990-2004 a total of 53 women were murdered within the family by a relative other than the man she had a relationship with. This is most likely the closest we can

come to honor-related killings. During this period there were 4 honor killings. The prevalence is 7,5%. A very high number compared to the 5% "Muslim" population. What you are trying to do, by conveniently closing your eyes, is ignoring a serious problem. About five percent of youths aged 16 to 25 years in Sweden, about 70 000, feel they do not have freedom to decide whom to marry. More are girls than boys and the majority are of foreign origin. The problems are more common in religious families. A high proportion of young people of foreign origin even say that they would be punished by their parents if they were homosexual or bisexual. Arranged marriages are linked to standards of innocence and to control of the sexual life, especially for girls. The girls are limited in what they are allowed to do and the boys are educated to control their sisters. The gender-specific expectations affect these young people's entire life situation. You think you are so good being anti-racist. You are in effect ignoring the most extreme form of gender specific domestic violence. You do not acknowledge the existence of victims of honor-related violence. And by doing so, you are not only blind, you are racist.