Revealed: rising toll of deaths before dishonour.

The London Telegraph has this article about the growing number of suicides in England among Asian women who resist arranged marriages.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/17/nhonour117.xml

Of course, Great Britain and its Asian community have a unique culture and relationship with each other. Something that is not replicated in the US, for the most part, and our Asian community. It is hard to argue with the British government enforcing British laws in Great Britain, but it does raise the conflict between protecting women and their rights as opposed to respecting the cultures of immigrants and their heritage.

From a progressive perspective it is not a difficult choice to protect the rights of the individuals, but we also try to respect the cultural identities of immigrants with respect to language, religion, and customs.

when people from Asia come to the West, the children often acculturate faster than their parents. Arranged marriages are culturally based rather being a "must" in religion, as I understand it. So I don't see anyone in the US who can hide behind "religious freedom" to justify forced marriage, especially for underage girls (two Muslim men were prosecuted for this a couple years back, if memory serves-they were in either NE or KS). I don't know the laws in Britain in regards to religious observances, but I would find it difficult to think it would condone or even wink at honor killings.