Honor or Murder?

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Honor: it is what holds together tribes in Jordan as well in other parts of the Middle East.  It is also the reason that some kill for.  According to Jordanian journalist Rana Husseini, honor crimes are reasons for male family members to persecute and kill their female relatives for dishonoring their family.  It is in a woman’s virginity and modesty that the family honor lies.  When that specific honor is violated, then the woman’s family believes that the honor is lost.

Honor crimes are not particular to any culture or religion.  There are many cases of honor crimes that happen in Arab and Islamic society, which is largely a tribal society tracing back before the time of Islam.  In Jordan, however, approximately 20 honor killings happen annually.  That’s a small number compared to the hundreds of honor crimes that happen in Yemen or in Turkey.  Many of these crimes are not mentioned to the authorities actually because it’s a family matter or people choose not to mention it.

There is a schizophrenia-like nature in the society behind the actions to commit honor crimes.  According to Rana Husseini’s research, men and boys would commit these crimes as encouraged and sometimes forced by their tribe or family, but then they would be shunned by their extended families and communities because of killing their family relative.  It has tainted their reputation for life.

According to Islamic scholars, Islam does not condone nor support honor killings; yet, there has not been any punishments for those from sharcia family courts or outspoken verdicts from Islamic scholars.  Christianity does not condone these actions either because all murder is the same.  Even if they know that their religion does not condone such actions, the perpetrating family places their family’s honor, their reputation in society and culture’s expectations above their religion. 

Honor crimes or honor killings are only of the issues that concern women in the Middle East and the Islamic world.  Women also undergo female genital circumcision, which is practiced more by women on other women, whereas honor crimes are usual perpetrated by a male relative upon his female relative.  There are honor crime cases of men murdering other men who they think to be the alleged participant in adultery; however, these cases are more rare in honor crimes. 

Women, particularly in Jordan, have seen honor crimes dwindle to hardly an existence, but they still do exist.  Jordanian women have rights to participate in Parliament, and the government does not enforce or prohibit religious practices like wearing the hejab.  For Jordanian women, religion is a family-influenced and personal choice.

Last week, I had the chance to witness a debate from University of Jordan’s English Department.  The affirmative statement was that the legal age for women to marry in Jordan should not be lower than 18.  I witnessed how Jordanian women and men are using their voices to speak on issues important to them and their families Jordan and how they know that there is legal action to protect women.  Yet, even in Jordan’s penal code, there still remains some lax punishments for those men that commit honor crimes.

What can be done for women elsewhere?  Change must come from within, but that does prohibit external resources in helping the fight.  Journalists can help bring light to issues in the Middle East and around the world concerning honor crimes, but there must be change in state laws in regards to punishments for the perpetrators of such crimes.  These women, victims of such honor crimes, must not be forgotten.
Location: Amman, Jordan

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