Book Review Beyond Honour: A Historical Materialist Explanation of Honour Related Violence by Tahira S. Khan

Abstract

In historical process we find a continuous clash between old and new traditions. The conflict becomes intense when the old traditions become weak and powerless to defend against the onslaught of the new. To conserve and preserve their existence they adopt different ways and means to face the challenges: for example, history is used to justify the continuity based on the past experiences; religion is used to make them sacred and holy; and culture is used to show them as an integral part of community life .However, when these methods fail to defend them, then conservative forces resort to violence to check new emerging forces of modernity. This drama goes on and either a society succumbs to violence and keep old traditions and customs or challenge outdated system and lay down foundation of a new world based on fresh ideas.