A heartbreaking incident from Balochistan has shaken many of us to the core. A married couple, whose only “crime” was choosing to marry for love, was brutally killed in the name of so-called honor. Their execution, carried out in a barren desert by men blinded by ego and tribal pride, was not only a gross violation of human rights but a complete distortion of Islamic values.

Videos of the killing have gone viral, leaving behind a trail of grief, rage, and questions that demand answers:

How long will love continue to be punished?

When will we stop using religion to justify injustice?

*What Islam Actually Says*

Islam grants both men and women the right to choose their spouses. Forced marriage has no place in Islamic teachings. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ clearly stated:

“A virgin should not be married without her consent.”

(Sahih Muslim: 1419)

In another case, when a woman named Khansa (RA) objected to a marriage arranged by her father, the Prophet ﷺ immediately annulled it.

(Sahih Bukhari: 5138)

Islam values the sanctity of life. The Qur’an declares:

“Whoever kills a soul unjustly, it is as if he has killed all of humanity.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah: 32)

Where then is the justification for murder?

Love is not a sin. Choosing your life partner is not a crime.

But taking a life is a grave sin and in this case, it was a double sin: murder and injustice.

*Forced Marriages: A Silent Killer*

Forced marriages are emotional prisons. People trapped in such relationships often spend their lives carrying bitterness, silently enduring for the sake of social norms. But that silent suffering has consequences especially for their relationship with the very parents or elders who imposed that choice.

Where there should be love, trust, and warmth, there grows distance, resentment, and emotional emptiness.

*Let’s Talk About the Double Standards:*

The men who stood around as witnesses to this killing, can they swear their hands are clean? Have they never looked at a woman with desire?

Do they give their own sisters and daughters the rights Islam has granted them education, inheritance, financial care, the freedom to marry?

If not, then on what basis do they claim “honor”?

Before pointing fingers, it’s time to look in the mirror.

*Marriage Based on Love Is Sunnah:*

The Prophet ﷺ himself married Khadijah (R.A) out of love.

Islam doesn’t prohibit love, it sanctifies it through marriage.

So why do we, as a society, make it so hard for our youth to get married with dignity and simplicity?

We need to listen to our young people. Understand their feelings. Make nikah easy not a battlefield of ego and outdated customs.

*The Real Dishonor Is Injustice:*

Killing in the name of honor is not noble. It’s not manhood. It’s not religion.

It’s murder.

It’s oppression.

It’s a disease eating away at our society.

Let us remember: honor lies in protecting, not punishing. In love, not in hatred. In justice, not in tribal pride.

*A Call to Action:*

If we truly want to honor Islam, we must first practice its values: mercy, justice, and respect for free will.

It’s time to speak up against forced marriages.

It’s time to stop glorifying violence as honor.

It’s time to build a society where young people are heard not silenced, buried, or forgotten.

Let lives be protected.

Let justice be served.