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IN BRITAIN I have practised as an expert witness in cultural, religious and ethnic issues in litigation since 1992. I compare the English culture with other cultures, all religions and all ethnicities (races), in relation to a particular legal case.
I know something about everything and everything about some things in my area of expertise. In writing reports and giving evidence in courts, the following points were very helpful to legal teams and courts. I trust that readers will find them useful in their work.
Cultural customs related to guns
In Britain:
• The public, routine police and majority of criminals do not carry guns.
• Guns are carried as hidden from the public, so as not to alarm anyone.
• A gun is carried mostly with an intention to attack; rarely to warn.
• Guns are strictly licensed. Police can check the population, which is small.
• Gun dealers are strictly licensed and controlled; smuggled guns are rare.
• No one but no one can have security guards who are armed with guns.
• No street has any nightwatchman armed with guns.
• Guns are not used in family conflicts except very rarely.
• Men and women both may use a gun.
• A gun is not a symbol of manliness.
• Mostly, a person would shoot to kill and hit head, chest and abdomen.
• Rarely a man may go out of his mind and go on killing innocent people.
In other countries (eg Pakistan, India, USA):
• The public, most police and most criminals carry guns.
• Guns are carried in a visible form, to warn potential criminals.
• A gun is carried mostly to warn and in self defence; rarely to kill.
• Guns are licensed but police cannot check what is often a large population.
• Gun dealers are licensed but there are many unlicensed gun dealers.
• Many businessmen and landlords have private armed guards (army).
• Most streets in big cities have night-watchmen armed with guns.
• Guns are often used in family and tribal disputes.
• Mostly men use guns.
• It is considered manly to carry a gun.
• Mostly, a man would shoot to disable and teach a lesson, on arm and legs.
• The incidence of persons going mad and on killing rampages is not known.
Religious requirements to carry knives and swords
Only Sikhism requires every devoted Sikh man and women to carry a real knife in a leather case, hanging round one’s neck. It is called a kirpan. Only men may carry a sword instead; it is mainly for self defence purposes.
In Britain Sikhs carry this ritualistic knife or sword but keep this weapon hidden from multiethnic public, so as not to alarm anyone. In India and other countries they wear this ritualistic symbol openly.
People with other faiths and seculars respect the ritual. No other religion requires their followers to carry any gun, sword or knife.
The list of cultural, religious and ethnic contradictions is long. In my opinion, every effort should be made to take every person’s culture, religion or persuasion and ethnicity (race) into account with respect, as their age, gender and social class are being considered already in making decisions to deliver justice.
It should also be remembered that in the Human Rights Act 1998, enforced in October 2000, Article 9 ensures everyone the freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Dr Bashir Qureshi FRCGP, FRCPCH, FFSRHRCOG, AFOM-RCP is the author of Transcultural Medicine.