The Glass Box for Monday
The Glass Box is the place where you can comment on what you heard on PM, interact with other listeners and get responses from the people who make the programme.
Just click on the "comment" link.
The Glass Box is named after the booth outside the PM studio where we all discuss the programme at 18.00 every weeknight. We try to be honest and constructive. Sometimes there is criticism, and the criticised get a chance to explain themselves.
The people who make PM will read the comments posted, and will sometimes respond. Unless it's Roger Sawyer editing. He's completely hopeless. Please feel free to post your thoughts. There is a link to previous Glass Boxes on the right.
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Ah, just in time, it becomes accessible, but I've got nothing to say....11 minutes to go...
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ed
Here's another of those language questions, sparked by the first item tonight.
Why should it be called an 'honour' killing? It seems as if the whole point is that there is no honour involved at all on any side, and it would seem so much more appropriate for this sort of murder to be called a 'dishonour killing'.
(And please don't anyone tell me that it is called an honour killing because an honour killing is what it's called.)
Somehow for once it doesn't seem appropriate to express sympathy for the family of the victim, does it... But for her sister, certainly, one might feel a lot of pity.
Okay Chris, I won't. ;-)
Good report from Hugh Sykes, as usual. Loved the quote from the Bulldozer.
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ed
Well, Chris (2), clearly it's called an 'honour killing' because 'honour' is the motivation, albeit a most disgusting, twisted, brutal and misogynistic concept of honour. But you make a good point: we probably could do with a better term for this vile crime, though nothing suitably succinct springs to mind. Perhaps we should simply refer to it as premeditated murder.
Chris,
I note the use of "so-called honour killing" in the headlines. Certainly that should satisfy us all.
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ed
Re: Jonathan Henry, the policw officer who was stabbed to death.
Finding out the number of police who were assaulted was a great angle to take. A shame that the reporter on the scene however, reffered to the killed officer as PC John Henry. Jonathan is a different name (yes I can also bee pedantic)
Another small point to whoever edited the Terry Dicks piece, (watch the editing and always leave the gaps) - unlike the Big Ben gap!
I was astounded at your interviewer's approach with John Cruddas suggesting 'an apology' for the murderous chaos in Iraq. Nobody really cares whether Tony Blair or his accomplices beat their chests and mouth their apologies least of all the 650,000 dead in that God-foresaken country.
A full, open inquiry is necessary as soon as possible regardless of the motives of the Tories not only to understand the so-called mistakes leading up to the war and afterwards, but also it must seek to investigate and expose the true motives behind this unprovoked and illegal act as well as the instigators of it.
I was disappointed to hear the murder of Banaz Mahmod described as a "so-called honour killing". It is murder full stop.
To add honour anyway in the description of this crime gives some sort of credibility to cultures in which males have so little respect for females that they regard them simply as their property. I was also, appalled, but not surprised that parts of the her community colluded with the family in that they gave misleading information to the police.
These murders are on the increase in this country and the police obviously need to take immediate action when threats are made. Sometimes cultural differences might hinder the credibility of the threat in the eyes of the police. I do hope lessons are learnt quickly from this case. I feel a great deal of sadness for her sister.
Your article on the use of the welsh language in the workplace brought the usual response from the Plaid Cymru propaganda department. The welsh language revival is a huge sucess and what wonderful benefits it brings.
If you look at the 2001 census figures for Wales you will find that only 15% (Yes - fifteen percent) of the people of Wales identified themselves a welsh.
If you look deep enough you will find figures that show that the number of children entering school speaking only, or mainly, welsh has dropped to below 5%.
Compare that with figures published this week that only 14% of Scots consider themselves british.
The welsh wedge is highly divisive in welsh society. Compulsory welsh lessons are only teaching people to hate the old language.
How is possible to blame Tony Blair for the deaths of Iraqi civilians who have been murdered by their Muslim 'brothers?'
The only war criminals in my opinion are those who are backing these murderers and of course the murderers themselves.
The Goverment has voted to continue the Nuclear weapon as a deterrant to rouge nations, is it not now time to have a deterrant to knife and gun crime, increase life sentances to mean life or even better still to bring back the death penalty for the murder of police officers and any terrorist act.
I was saddened to hear your newsreader refer to "so called-honour killings". There is no other word for this disgraceful act other than murder. Premeditated murder.
In my opinion when the 'H' word is used it gives inadequate people legitimacy, this is so wrong. No woman deserves this treatment under any circumstances for any reason. My heart breaks for the sister. The police must be more receptive towards women when they know they are at risk from within their own family and community.
I was saddened to hear your newsreader refer to "so called-honour killings". There is no other word for this disgraceful act other than murder. Premeditated murder.
In my opinion when the 'H' word is used it gives inadequate people legitimacy, this is so wrong. No woman deserves this treatment under any circumstances for any reason. My heart breaks for the sister. The police must be more receptive towards women when they know they are at risk from within their own family and community.
While I agree with what has been said about the so called 'honour killing' I must take issue with those of you who are berating the police for taking no action. I'm not sure whether it was in the PM report or in the one on the news at 6 which followed but it was stated quite clearly that although she had gone to the police and said that she thought her life was in danger, and that she had done that several times, she had also said that she wanted no action taken against her family at that time. in these circumstances the hands of the police are tied and it must be very frustrating for them. As well as being so awful for
Banaz herself. Who would really want to believe their father capable of murdering them? However much you thought it was true you would always hope wouldn;t you that you were just being paranoid. So if you got over the threshold of the police station I can see that you might suddenly back off when you saw someone writing your suspicions down.
Do any of you know anything about her other? Is she still alive? did she just sit back and allow this to happen? maybe she was too frightened to do anyting else. But I don't think I could do it.
I thought it was a great return for the programme. Stephen Fry was a particularly good guest and the robotic Mornington Crescent had me laughing out loud.
I certainly did not intend to berate the police especially on a day when a pc is murdered in cold blood simply doing his job. However, i had read that Bazan Mahmod "had warned officers four times that she feared her father and uncle wanted to murder her". My fear is that on occassions cultural differences are cited for inaction.
Individuals chose to settle in democratic societies for different reasons e.g, to escape persecution and vile regimes. Quite often many women remain oppressed within their family and community. They might be denied the opportunity for education, basic freedom of choice in most if not all aspects of life. Many face a lifetime of poverty, they are at high risk of sexual emotional and physical abuse and in some cases death.
In most cases to involve the police when threats are made means instant rejection by family and community. Who wants to lose all that in a potentially alien environment, bearing in mind the possibility of racism too. it a horrible dilema for any person to face.
It's very complex and I am not suggesting that it is only women who suffer. But these issues need to be addressed and confronted head on regardless of any possibler sensativities, these actions have no place in any civilised culture.
Perhaps a stronger deterrent to murder is required.
Eddie - Let us make the 27th June 2007 - ‘Blair E-Go’ day.
I refer to the programme on abortion on Radio 4 .
I would love to put the question to Anne Wittecombe as to whether she thinks abortion to be wrong in the case of rape being used as a weapon of war. Many children, particularly during the Balkan crisis, were born as a result of rape being used to destroy true ethnicity and identity. Many of these children and their mothers now face stigma and isolation - and finally commit suicide from depression. Many of the babies born of rape in Africa are HIV positive at birth and live for less than 2 or 3 years in pain and confusion unable to absorb milk or food. Miss Widdecombe's blanket lack of compassion and simplification of something so complex is truly shameful.