ANAM+RAFI

Thousands of people are being killed annually, majority being women, for the name of honour, finding justification under the shelter of religion, however, honour killings routes from patriarchy that has had a strong foundation since centuries. Honour killing, an issue which has grasped attention over decades, seems to be at an escalating rate. It has been explained as the killing of an individual who has brought disgrace to the tribe or the family. The killing is usually done by the associates of the clan. People have provided reasons from unacceptable cultural; religious to social acts and a vast majority of the victims have been women. It is important to detach honour killings from religion. Patriarchy is the core element of honour killing which has had a firm establishment for centuries. Despite the gender of the victims, honour killings are an undeviating factor of patriarchy. Lack of liberalism for women contributes immensely to the mounting of honour killings. Usually honour killing has been observed amongst the Arab tribes or the migrant groups in the western societies. It has been witnessed in various different regions including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, and other Mediterranean and Persian Gulf countries. Several incidences have been stated in the western nations with the migrant clans in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Canada. In Pakistan, honour killing has been practised for decades with many victimized annually. In the province of Sindh, Karo-kari, a form of honour killing, is experienced vastly. Karo-kari is a world literally meaning black male or female, however, metaphorically referring to a male or female accused of adultery. So individuals who are blamed for having an illegal affair usually outside their wedlock or community are murdered. In Pakistan, patriarchal patterns and home violence against women is habitual amongst the rural and uneducated people. In the bucolic areas, a woman can only maintain or harm the reputation of the family but cannot enhance it, since the lady’s behaviour is perceived to reflect upon the family’s standing rather than that of her own. Men’s decisions are to be well respected and acted upon, even though according to the law, there is an equal distribution of rights and freedom of speech. However, recently several scenarios were seen when women refused to get into an arranged marriage and desired to tie knots with men of their choice. According to the tribesmen, this bought disgrace to their clan. Young ladies were shot and buried alive. This is the point where culture has overshadowed the religion. These people claim to be Muslims, but the religion allows marriages with mutual liking. In 2004, the data published by the Pakistani senate, showed that lives of 4000 folks were taken in the past 6 years under the social custom of karo-kari. This figure consisted of 2,800 women and 1,300 men. These statistics highlight the male dominance in the society. In 2008, interior ministry showed that 1,019 women were killed in the past 3 years in the name of honour. Honour killing got the spot light when a princess of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia was executed with her lover as she was considered to have bought shame to the family. Princess Masha’il bint Fahd al Saud fell in love with the nephew of the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Jordan, where she had went for education. They kept their affair a secret on their return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia however, they had acknowledged that religious, cultural and social bounds will not let them unite, so when the couple tried to flee from Saudi Arabia to give there love a destination, they were caught and were tried under the Sharia law (Muslim law). She was accused of adultery, though according to the Sharia law, eye witnesses has to be present in order to accuse the person for adultery or the blamed has to accept it thrice that he or she has committed adultery. The family tried persuading her not to accept her involvement in the sexual acts, promising not to meet her lover again, but on her return to the court room, with the sureness that if she escapes from here uncharged she would never be able to unite with her lover, so the heir decided to cause the union with the love of her life through death and accepted that she had committed adultery. This being the tale the world was made aware of. However, a docu-drama called the death of a princess was based on the story of Princess Masha’il. In it, another side of the story was revealed. A controversy arose in which Antony Thomas, the reporter and director of death of a princess, claimed that she was killed in the car by her grand father, the elder brother of then the King ,Khalid bin Abdul Aziz due to cultural empowerment and disgrace to royal highness. He researched a lot, traveled around the globe, and met various different people who could relate to the story in order to reach the core of the truth. In an interview he told the reporters that according to his research and trustworthy sources, Princess Masha’il was killed in the car to protect the grandfather’s and family honour. Princess Masha’il bint Fahd al Saud being a royal heir, the story gained global attention; nevertheless many other folks are being persecuted annually under the shelter of honour killing with the justification of protecting honour or pride. Another episode of honour killing which was massively publicized internationally was the stoning of Du’a Khalil Aswad, a youthful, juvenile teenager who was stoned to death by a rabble of approximately 2000 citizens in Kurdistan. She was of Yazidi faith and had converted to a Sunni Muslim to marry her boyfriend. Though, it was also stated that her boyfriend denied the news of her conversion, after her death. Women’s activists launched campaigns to stop the stoning of women in Kurdistan. Many feminist have been strongly condemning this and criticizing the social concept of the male superiority. Honour killing has been mounting in Iraq, yet this barbaric act is not considered a crime by the government. Another incident was highlighted when 19-year-old Iraqi girl, Shawbo Ali Rauf, was assassinated for having an unidentified number in her mobile phone. She was shot 7 times area in Dokan by her husband’s family. These murders, claimed under the name of honour, are just a few in a grotesque progression escalating from Iraq. This is simple genocide against women under the name of religion. Women are penalized consecutively. An additional occurrence of Honour killing amongst the migrant groups that grasped notice recently in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was of a young, Muslim girl named Aqsa Pervaiz who was beaten and choked to death by her blood father and brothers functioning to protect the family’s honour. The 16 year old, had refused to wear a head veil and had desires to dress like western high school girls. There is no doubt Islam does ask women to wear a head veil, but it is solely on the will of the person herself. Wherever on earth law is opposed by conservative social traditions and customs, the horrifying truth of honour killings will exist. UN has approximated that around 5000 people annually are killed under the name of honour. Just by the though of this dreadful nightmare, shivers are sent down our bodies. Under the unjustified notion of “honour killings” many innocent lives have been put to silence in this free world and has contributed in making this world a dangerous place to express desires. ** Bibliography  ** Honour killing, Wikipedia, retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing
 * HONOUR KILLINGS **

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