Things could easily get disturbing. Honor killings and ritual suicides are both incomprehensible from our 'right and wrong' grid. However, in a culture that places the same emphasis on shame that we place on guilt and the same emphasis on honor that we place on innocence, then we must begin to realize that these acts actually do make sense. They are not merely 'trying to get away with murder' and so concealing it behind talk of honor and shame, rather, honor and shame indeed do demand such actions.
It is at precisely this point that the Western mind screams, 'are you trying to tell me that you are justifying this? Do you really believe it is right for the rape victim to be imprisoned!? Do you really think it is right for people to commit suicide because they failed a test?' Here is where the rubber meets the road: they wouldn't say it was right! They don't care if it is right or wrong! They aren't even asking that question! And what is more, our cries on behalf of the oppressed are not to our credit, the fact that we are fixated on the question of justice is simply a product of our cultural heritage.
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