Honor. Over winter break this word took on a whole new meaning as two high school women were gunned down in Texas and another woman was strangled in Canada.

These three women were executed simply because they did not agree with their culture’s religion.

In Texas, Amina and Sarah Said were executed for the way they dressed and dated boys. Apparently they did not adhere well to the Muslim tradition. This caused someone to be gravely embarrassed, according to their mother.

The women were on their way to high school when they died. They are believed to have been shot repeatedly by their father and left to die in a taxi. Their father is still on the loose.

While we may find shock and utter contempt in these actions, some leaders of the Islamic faith here in North America have condoned it.

The leader of the largest Mosque in Toronto, Canada, Igbal Nadvi, said it is the parents’ duty to “convince” their kids to maintain the faith. When the child strays from the path, shame and failure is put upon the parents, leaving them only one way to restore their lost honor.

This statement was released in response to the recent murder of Aqsa Parvez by her father.

Aqsa had committed the unforgivable act of not wearing a traditional headscarf. Police have also charged her brother with obstructing the investigation.

Let that sink in for a minute. Her brother helped cover up the murder.

However, Nadvi claims that Islam does not condone murder.

Putting this claim of non-involvement aside, let us look at what, exactly, an honor killing is.

Human Rights Watch defines honor killings as something that can be done to women for egregious crimes.

One might think that these killings should be saved for things such as burning an orphanage down or treason.

In reality, things like women refusing arranged marriages, women being sexually assaulted (some believe it is the woman’s fault), women trying to divorce an abusive husband or women being accused of committing (it does not have to be proven) adultery are just some of the accepted grounds for honor killings.

On another note, honor killings exist in various ethnic groups and religions in Africa and Asia. So do not just contribute this all to the Muslim faith.

Do not send me e-mails about me picking on the Islamic faith. I only write about these two incidents because they are extremely recent and are provoked only because of clothing and lifestyle choices.

While it may not be in the fine print of the Quran, the followers of Islam are getting these ideas from somewhere. Since the book does not actually say this directly, one only needs to look toward the major source of interpretation and guidance: leaders of the faith.

It is these same radical leaders that convince people being a suicide bomber is a good way to get into paradise. While these maniacs are overseas, they are starting to contaminate our shores with messages of hate.

Why is it that we have not heard an outcry of rage against these murders by the rest of the Muslim community?

Where are the rational, moderate and intelligent Muslims? I know they are out there. I also know they realize these insane tactics need to stop.

Surely in America, where people of all faiths are allowed to worship freely, some Muslims would realize the mockery that is being made of their religion.

Yet, at the funeral of the Said women, all we hear is silence, intermixed with messages of “working to keep the family strong.” We also hear chilling message that “all living things are condoned to die.”

So if one day someone is going to die anyway, it is acceptable to kill them? While we sit here, all we hear are messages like this.

What we do not hear is any condemnation of the men that executed these innocent women and the practices they used. We do not hear demands for reform and education to take place.

We hear nothing except approval through massive silence. This silence comes from the informed as well as the uninformed. How can one know of this injustice and not be outraged?

America needs to stress to those of differing religions that these barbaric practices cannot, and will not, be tolerated. America also needs to stress that the life and rights of women are worth more than the cultural value and significance of a headscarf.

We value moderation and tolerance, not the oppression and murder of women.

There is no place in this country for honor killings as a remedy for a perceived psychological or cultural slight.

There is no negotiation on this; either accept the values we all are entitled to, or leave.

This idea of “take it or get out” may seem intolerant to some of you reading this, but it is intolerance that killed those three women.

These women simply wanted to be themselves, and to some, that was unacceptable.