I told you last Monday that was relieved to hear that the jury in the Shafia trial had found the accused guilty of first degree murder. Finally, I thought, we might be headed towards a clearer kind of political discourse about the problem of honour killings. Anyone now trying to claim they aren’t happening in this country can safely be ignored, and we can move along to the question of how to deal with this backwards, uncivilized practice.

Well! Now I’m relieved again, but for a different reason. Something I didn’t think would ever happen. On the weekend, 34 North American imams and Islamic leaders issued a fatwa condemning honour killings.

Whoa. Apparently, I’m not the only one surprised by the event – our news story called the fatwa a “rare move” and a “bold step”. The point of it is to remind Muslims that “honour killings, domestic violence and misogyny are un-Islamic actions and crimes in Islam. These crimes are major sins in Islam punishable by the court of law and almighty Allah.”

After the events of September 11, 2001, I asked why you didn’t hear more condemnations from Muslims. I asked this question after every terrorist incident in which Muslims were involved. I also asked why we – and by “we” I mean non-Muslims – were routinely accused of Islamophobia every time we made a snide remark about Islam being the religion of peace… But you know, when someone commits a crime in the name of Allah, or tries to blow up a plane in the name of Allah, or plots to behead the prime minister in the name of Allah, it is sort up to those who believe in Allah to tell the rest of us that they don’t condone those evil acts.

So for this reason I’m pleased to hear those Islamic leaders condemning honour killings and anti-woman behaviour in general. Even if you suspect some of those leaders of being – how to put this? – less than entirely sincere. And yes, I know some of you object to the presence of fatwas in Canadian society. I understand why. Still, I say we take these issues one at a time and to my mind, making a clear statement against honour killings is a very necessary first step.