Honour Killing
Written By: Luma A’jlouni
Translated By: Omar Halaseh
Edited
By : Juneid
Alan-Canada
Contents
Preface
Chapter I: Honour Murder
Section I: Introduction
Section II: Rationale
Section III: Woman in Palestinian society
Chapter II: Major Determinants of Honour Murder
Section I: Religious perspective on Honour murder
Section II: Role of law
Section III: Influence of the Palestinian Authority
Section IV: Recommendations & solutions
Section V: Anecdotes
Chapter III: Statistical Data & Analysis
Section I:
Gender comparison
Section II: Geographical comparison
Section III: Comparison of Religiosity and education
Conclusion
Preface
Crime is considered a serious
phenomenon which threatens society and hinders its progress. This old phenomenon exists in all societies
and is a reaction to social, psychological, environmental, educational,
economic and cultural factors. The
perceptions of criminality vary, from one society to another in accordance to
differences in social, psychological, environmental, educational, economic and
cultural contexts. Thus, a certain crime
is denounced in one society whereas it is accepted in another.
Similarly, honour murder, the focus of this study is a product of uneven societal criteria for criminality. Honour murder is the preservation of family honour through murder of a female family member that has violated societal norms, typically pertaining to sexual acts. Throughout this research paper the following topics regarding honour murder will be dealt with:
·
Definition of honour murder
·
Its historical roots
·
Reasons & causes for this crime
·
Remedy for this crime
· Remedy and solutions for other sides related to the subject in particular
This crime still exists in all Arab societies and likewise
In order not be
misunderstood, the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG) would like
to emphasize that it does not encourage women to make relations with men
outside marriage. However, PHRMG is
concerned that women are killed without any right to self-defence or trial,
which is in contrast to Islamic law that states that only a court can sentence
a person to death.
A significant
contextual element of this study is the political situation of Palestinian
society which distinguishes itself from other Arab societies. The effort of the
Palestinian people to establish an independent state and prosper can be
hindered if this crime is not abolished.
Explaining its reasons and causes shall contribute to the elimination of
this crime.
Chapter
I: Honour Murder
In its simple sense, the term honour
murder refers to murdering a woman by her family, particularly in an Arab
society, because of the suspicion that she has committed obscene actions. The
woman is considered guilty without substantiated evidence. The pretence is
wiping out shame and thus maintaining honour.
There exists a gross double
standard when men commit the same sexual acts for which women are put to death.
When men commit such acts they go without notice or reduced punishment. Men are
regarded as innocent because society regards male illicit sexual behaviour as a temporary lust and not a serious violation of
societal norms. This double standard has nothing to do with religion or law.
The despiteous nature of honour
murder urges the analysis of societal factors surrounding its origins. There are seven factors causing this crime:
1.
A great number of people are ignorant of the
Islamic rules dealing with adultery and fornication.
2.
Families act upon wrong traditions and customs
which pressure the family of the suspected young woman to kill her.
3.
Weak family ties and the absence of parental
supervision lead teenagers to deviate from cultural norms.
4.
Gender biased upbringing causes parents to
disadvantage girls. This goes as far as discriminating against a female fetus where less care is taken during pregnancy.
5.
The absence of sexual education: parents never
discuss sexual matters with their children or teenagers because of its
culturally inconspicuous nature and because many parents do not have sufficient
and correct knowledge regarding the issue. Moreover, sex is partially dealt
with in the Palestinian curriculum. This situation weakens open dialogue and
trust between adolescents and their parents.
6.
The absence of shelters for abused women.
7.
Palestinian law provides men with opportunities
to avoid or receive reduced punishment for the homicide of a woman accused of
adultery or fornication.
Section
II: Rationale
The
Arab family is a productive unit that relies on the interdependence of the
family members. Any member can advance
or undermine the family; it depends on a member’s behaviour. If the community accuses a female of
committing obscene acts, her family is disgraced. Therefore, the family kills
her in a desperate attempt to recover honour.
Before Islam,
female infanticide was common among Arab communities: the father used to bury
his female infant to avoid possible future shame from a daughter’s extramarital
loss of virginity.
Murdering a girl does not wipe
out shame but rather confirms it. This
crime proves failure in child rearing.
On the other hand, most of the murdered girls are killed only because of
suspicion. Thus, an innocent girl loses
both her life and her reputation.
Moreover, several men make honour murder their excuse to kill a wife,
sister or daughter in order to escape punishment, while their real motive is to
receive greater inheritance or to conceal sexual abuse.
Excluding the Palestinian
political situation, the conditions of Palestinian women are similar to the
conditions of other Arab women. In this
situation, men have priority over women, producing unfair treatment of
women. This stand towards women is
historic. In discussing this unequal
relationship, the position of women has been subject to both conservative and
liberal analysis.
Some claim that Islam
equalized women and men in many respects.
They also contend that female oppression stems from societal, political
and economic conditions as well as misinterpretation of Islam.
The prominent
Egyptian writer Ameena Saaed noted that Islam was the greatest feminist
revolution in humanity. This revolution was
not only regional but global. According to
this school of thought, before Islam women had no rights. Women’s position improved because of a
religion that appeared in a desert where there were tough people. The new religion liberated women; gave her
extraordinary rights such as education, work, trade;
and even assigned her political roles.
In this analytical strain, religion liberates people and not human-made
laws.
Another
conservative and Muslim scholar, Hamza Shukr mentioned in The Islamic Thought magazine, issued
in
The liberal trend
Researchers often refer to
writer Qasim Ameen who authored
Woman’s Liberation in 1899. Ameen explained that reform must start with women; the then
Arab society was based on oppression; the strong oppressed the weak; and men
oppressed women. In her view, woman’s
position can be improved through education and qualification for
employment. A dependant woman is in the
bonds of a man that does not trust; he limits her role to sexual pleasure,
reproduction, and domesticity. Ameen mocked the veil, which women were forced to
wear. She suggested that so far as men
claim women easily surrender to male appeal, men should wear the veil. In addition, Ameen
said that a wife should be granted the right to divorce her husband.
Another liberal author, Khaleda Saed diagnosed Arab women as a dependant whose identity is determined
by their relationship to men, specifically wife, daughter or sister.
An Egyptian physician, Nawal Saadawi discussed the double standard regarding the
relationship between men and women in contemporary Arab society by noting “The
father who beats his daughter because she talked with a male colleague betrays
his wife; the brother who pretends to be devout during the day abuses his
sister during the night” All these crimes occur on the pretence of honour. This double standard is exemplified by Arab
popular culture which compromisingly depicts women while an Arab girl requires
modesty.
These criticisms are an evaluation of a woman’s position in
an entire cultural system consisting of a tapestry of traditions, customs, values and Islamic though, which is further discussed in the
following sections.
Existing traditions and
customs
Traditions and customs play a
leading role in society, acting as unwritten law. Thus, they greatly influence parenting.
Method of parenting &
female inferiority
In preferring boys, parents
discriminate against girls.
Discrimination is even prenatal, causing less care towards female foetuses. There is a double standard in rearing boys
and girls: a male newborn is accepted with care and joy while a female newborn
is received with negligence and sadness.
On the other hand, a male baby receives adequate breast-feeding while a
baby girl’s share of breast milk is insufficient. This inequality continues through adolescence
and aids in female underdevelopment causing dependency.
Portrayal of women in proverb
Most proverbs reinforce female
inferiority, associating her to evil and betrayal. Understandably, there are proverbs equating a
‘good woman’ to a ‘good housewife.’
Values
Two very salient values in
Arab society are opposites: ‘honor’ and ‘shame.’ These two contrasting concepts are based on
female behaviour. Author Dodd (1973)
noted that: “We can understand most aspects of Arab family by understanding the
term ‘honor’ as it implies societal surveillance and gives legitimacy to a
family structure which is hierarchically patriarchal.” Similarly, writer Abu Zeid
(1965) said, “Shame is a classical Arab concept which indicates that a girl has
violated sexual norms and thus, has offended all her family members who are
pressured to kill her.” Thus, female
sexual activity is a cornerstone of family shame.
Position of women in Islam
According to author Layla Abed Al-Wahhab, the
thoughts, principles and concepts which produce female oppression are
religiously upheld. Religion is
instrumental because it is the ethical basis for family law. However, there are two opposing Islamic
trends regarding the position of women: the moderate and orthodox
trends .
The Moderate trend: moderate
interpretations of the Quran and
Sunna
This school of thought
maintains that Islam is a comprehensive doctrine from God. It regulates all aspects of life, including
women’s issues. Historically, Islam
saved and liberated women. It made women
equal to men in many fields, such as education, trade, work and even holding
state posts. In some fields Islam made
men senior to woman, for example a man is entitled to twice the inheritance of
a woman. The moderate advocates’
justification is that men must also supports their elder parents.
Advocates also
defend the holy verse “Men are superior over women” by saying that it is not
literal superiority but means that men are responsible to financially support
women and their family.
The Orthodox trend: literal
interpretations of the Quran and
Sunna
This school of thought gives strict interpretations of holy texts dealing with women. The philosopher Al-Ghazali, a prominent founder of this school of thought claimed that women must completely submit themselves to the men and obey him on the basis of Prophet Mohammad’s Hadith (teachings): “If I thought od ordering a person to kneel to another person, I would have ordered a woman to kneel to her husband.” In his book, The Woman in Quran the Egyptian writer Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad had a similar degrading