We are relieved to hear that the hate speech event called “honour killings are morally justified”, which was due to take place on 30 August 2014 as part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas at Sydney Opera House, has been cancelled. But we are disgusted that Sydney Opera House and the other event organisers ever thought it was acceptable.

Not only was the tittle “honour killings are morally justified” so dangerous, but so was the description of the talk which suggested that “honour” killings are “allegedly wrong”. “Honour” killing is murder, it IS wrong. FULL STOP.

Thousands of women are murdered in so called “honour” killings every year and it is only weeks since the “honour” killings of Farzana Parveen in Pakistan, Dunya in Iraq, Fatma in Turkey and Rania Alayed in the UK were well publicised. We must all ensure that human rights are promoted and protected and that justification of so-called “honour” killing, hate and violence against women is NEVER tolerated.

If the event organisers are looking for danger, they should consider the very real danger that women’s rights activists and survivors fighting “honour” killings face every day. They should give us the mic.

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