“Whatever you do in your church or your mosque or your pile of sacred timber is your business, but if you kill someone or otherwise break USA law, your religion does not protect you.”
Generally yes, but the so-called cultural defense is making inroads even here. This is where the court will take into account cultural, including religious beliefs, in determining whether your crime meets all the elements for conviction. It has been raised in issues as diverse as honor killings and drowning your own kids, in murdering a rival or kidnapping a child from the custodial parent.
Honor killings in particular should be vigorously prosecuted. They should be prosecuted as what they are, premeditated murder, with every possible additional penalty added on. The “cultural” people need to know that they are going to fry big time if they try that in this country. If they want to kill their own wives and kids, GO HOME. Then they can take advantage of their “culture”.