From a death sentence to a mere 10 year conviction - a young man who killed his married sister because he suspected her of having an affair simply because she was on the phone too long.
Court transcripts said the victim had been staying with the defendant at the time of the murder as her husband had been in prison for the previous two years for a criminal offense.
“The defendant noticed that his sister was talking on the phone for long hours and suspected that she might have been involved in an extramarital affair,” court papers said.
“He decided to get rid of her to defend his family’s honour and acquired a knife for that purpose.”
On the day of the incident, the court added, the defendant waited until three of his sister’s four children went to school, then entered her room and started stabbing her without a word. [source]
It baffles me - not the crime - but the way people think. Yes, to most men, talking on the phone for more than 4 minutes is a waste of time and any male who has long conversations on a phone is probably talking to a significant other (that’s just how we think) - but to simply apply this as justification, actually, worse, to apply this as reasoning is just. I don’t know. Is there a word for it? Has any language yet to invent the appropriate adjective?
I have struggled to understand the concept of honor in our society, and since I confess to living in an urban bubble where the same social and cultural dynamics are not as applicable as they are elsewhere in the Kingdom, I continue to struggle to understand how honor in Jordan is understood; is cleansed, and, more importantly, to what extent it is cheapened when it leads to death for the most frivolous of reasons. In these social environments when family honor is the most cherished of treasures, to what extent is it devalued when someone decides to kill his sister for talking too long on the phone, or even worse, for being abducted and raped?
Understanding it takes in to account that most Jordanians invest an immense sense of pride in honor and will destroy anything that tarnishes it. Thus, the young girl becomes the biggest liability - the biggest target and source of shame for a family. For all sexual transgressions are anchored to the young females of the family who are quickly married off in the name of preservation. And understanding that is, for me, difficult. I can’t claim to know what it’s like to live in these specific environments. I can’t claim to even imagine the difficulties that come with living in a community where your honor is essential to your co-existence. I can’t claim to understand how a 69-year old man could so easily shoot his daughter on her wedding day and…
…When the police and criminal prosecutor arrived at the scene, the father fired several rounds in the air, saying he was celebrating the killing of his daughter, an official source close to the investigation told The Jordan Times at the time of the incident.
“I have cleared the family’s name and cleansed my honour. Let everyone in my town know that I killed my daughter for this reason.” [source]
It just baffles me.
Perhaps the legal solution is no longer the right solution. Perhaps it is time to redefine honor. Perhaps it is time to shift mindsets by using the same weapon that motivates these killers: shame. Perhaps it is time to tie shame as the outcome of an honor crime rather than the crime being the path to overcoming or avoiding shame. For it’s not honor that is obviously the issue here, it is the shame that comes with that honor being tarnished.
It would be interesting to see a national campaign that takes the word “shame” to a whole new level. Something grassroots. Something simple and straight to the point. Something that creates an environment where someone who kills in the name of honor suffers more shame than he ever imagined possible. It would be interesting to see it applied to judges, tribunals and even any member of parliament who votes down any attempts by the government to change the law. It wouldn’t need to be a document or a petition - just a simple symbol. A brand. A brand that people can easily identify and will do anything in their power not to be caught dead being associated with it. A brand like a scarlet letter.
Anyways.
It baffles me.
36 Responses to “Dishonored For Talking On The Phone Too Long”
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Excellent! Thank you for the thought and detail applied to this problem which really is without suitable adjective to describe.
Ameen. Let’s play on the shame module. It is a shame on so many levels and these people need to feel that shame.
hmmm, is it Déjà vu? I remember having this shaming conversation with you a while ago
Actually, I think the solution lies in having some sort of vigilante organization, whose targets would be those who did honor killings. If these people themselves are shot and killed like the vermin they are, then that would serve as a deterrent. I don’t care about the social conditions and circumstances. When a man kills his daughter or his sister for something as harmless as talking on the phone, then that man deserves to die. No judge, no jury. Death. I have long wondered why someone doesn’t do it.
Has vigilante justice ever served any function other than escalating things and removing any trace of accountability? It’s ‘justice’ in name only.
I’d agree that it’s (also) a cultural problem, in the sense that you need to move from a culture where ‘honour killings’ are tacitly condoned by too many to a culture where it’s crimes such as these that are perceived as shameful.
What’s it like in the younger generation? At least in the west we mostly hear about fathers killing their daughters, although sometimes with the help of brothers. How prevalent is the idea of ‘honour killings’ with younger men?
I always wonder how these men feel after some time has passed…do they feel any remorse? The honour has been cleansed and they can “walk tall” in their community again…but back at home, behind closed doors - do they feel any regret? Do they believe it was worth it? They have justed killed their daughter or sister - do they feel nothing but relief that the family’s honour has been cleansed? Nothing else? Don’t they miss her or is she simply erased from memory? They should never be allowed to erase her.
I will never understand this and there is nothing to excuse it…in my opinion the least that should happen to these people is that they are left to rot in jail for the rest of their lives.
It is very baffling indeed. I know we disagree on what ‘grassroots’ means; you believe that it strictly applies to the people who start an initiative, while I believe that ‘grassroots’ is a process that defines the accessibility of an initiative regardless of who started it. As long as an initiative is open, accessible and flexible enough to allow different kinds of people to use different kinds of approaches to address a problem (ethically) then I consider it legit. I just had to say that up-front because I knew you would come back with this reply as a dismissal
Also, I apologise in advance for some blatant advertising for La Sharaf Fil Jareemah 
Reclaiming ‘honour’ is exactly what needs to be done. The fight, as you argued, isn’t about legal penalties, because deterrents may subdue an issue but they do not resolve it. Language, as an emblem of social and cultural significance, as you have argued is key; redefinitions of honour and shame, that grow from within our own cultural and historical circumstances, are much more apt to do so than the human rights lingo that ‘activism’ has thus far been engaged in.
This is exactly the kind of reasoning we have pursued at La Sharaf Fil Jareemah. In several focus groups and discussion circles we have participated in across Jordan, the first question we asked, without even mentioning crime or murder or who we are, was “What does honour mean to you?”. It is very baffling that the most common answers were “my sister”, “my reputation”, my “3ird” and only a few (males and females) defined honour using concepts like “dignity”, “chivalry”, “honesty” and “courtesy”. In fact, the issue remains so sensitive that whilst participants were willing to take part in closed discussions on the issue, they didn’t want to be filmed or video-taped doing so. The only group who agreed for parts of their focus groups to be filmed were your more ‘West’ Ammani university students (can be watched here: http://lasharaffiljareemah.ning.com/video/3179997:Video:303 might be interested to see that some female participants also believe that killing in the name of ‘honour’ is acceptable).
Another idea we have been pursuing at La Sharaf fil Jareemah has been creating a database for all information about such crimes, as well as wider issues revolving around domestic abuse. Opinions and perspectives, factual and fictional, have also been included in the blogpost section. While this online archive remains out of reach for many, the provision of information is, at least, a necessary step. Anyone can post articles, blogposts or videos they believe relevant here: www.lasharaffiljareemah.ning.com …. And 7iber has also published one of our blogposts which featured an interview with Firas, who stabbed his sister over 60 times to cleanse his ‘honour’: http://www.7iber.com/2009/10/%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%85-%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%aa-%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b3/
I have added this post to our site. I hope that in the future you feel welcome to do so yourself. We do appreciate all kind of feedback, critical most certainly, but not the kind that is dismissal because we can not learn anything from it :).
Nizar, I’d be afraid that targetted killings of those that commit honor crimes would just create “martyrs” to be celebrated as heros and thus would definitely be counterproductive.
“Perhaps it is time to tie shame as the outcome of an honor crime rather than the crime being the path to overcoming or avoiding shame.”
Now that would definitely be the perfect solution! I hope I’m wrong but I think it would be a very difficult thing to achieve though. For the most part you’re talking about communities that are a lot more resistant to change than others. If you visit these rural places a lot of them look roughly the same today as they did 10 years ago and even 20 years ago. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but my point is these communities are just harder to influence. It would difficult to replace old ideas with opposing new ones.
I especially know this because I have a parent that comes from there…as many of us do. In the village that my dad comes from there was an honor killing incident in a family that’s my dad is actually well acquainted with. My and my mom tried to bring it up with my dad to get his input and see what his thoughts are, he just totally ignored us. He won’t talk about it or address it at all, it’s very strange. I love my dad more than anything, but he has deeply rooted ideas that stem from the community he grew up in and I think that’s largely representative.
Convincing people from having strayed and dangerous views of what “honor” is, to being pasively accepting, to being sympathetic, to believing it’s wrong, and then to actively condemn is quite the challenge.
Excellent post!
asoom@I love my dad more than anything………..
It is difficult to explain the complicated emotion of love , but surely you cannot like or respect him very much……?
What baffles me is how can a person care more about how others see him more than he cares about a wife/daughter/sister he’s lived with for a lifetime, or maybe they’re just that good at pretending they have no emotions..
I think one new way to “attack” these offenses might be to create new systems and laws that basically create more grave consequences for the criminals even after they have finished their reduced sentences. What I’m talking about is something like this:
1- Establish a system in which the public has information to people’s criminal records, sort of like the US court records system. This way we create the notion of “background checks” that are based on documented records that are available to everyone as opposed to word of mouth that spreads and remains within a small community. A good primer for this can be establishing “credit history” records to get the people used to the idea that their actions are getting recorded and might backfire against them in the future.
2- In the law, define two categories of offenses: “sexual offenses” and “domestic violence offenses,” and create registries of people who were convicted of an offense in either category, even if they received a reduced sentence. Then, you can make it illegal for people on these registries to purchase or carry weapons.
These two systems can then be incorporated into institutions like marriage and employment. For example, when one of the people getting married is either a “sex offender” or a “domestic violence offender” the other family is informed of this and part of the wording that the shaikh (in Muslim weddings at least) will recite to the other party (usually the woman) will be something like or to the effect of “you hereby acknowledge that you agree to marry so and so who has been found in the past to participate in a domestic violence act and that you enter this marriage willingly and with no reservation, etc.”
the fact that jordan too often rewards murderers who kill in the name of ‘honour’ with reduced sentences is a national disgrace and shames jordan in the eyes of the world.
as an american, married to a jordanian, and who has lived in jordan for several years, i can only ask each time i read of yet another murder dressed in ‘honour’…where is his majesty the king?
we cannot depend on the jordanian parliament to have the courage to stop this disgusting crime.
jordan needs its king.
i humbly beg his majesty go on national television and radio and announce that from this moment, a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in honour killing is now in effect for jordan.
and that the excuse of protecting ‘family honour’ will not be considered a mitigating circumstance in any way shape or form.
only his majesty has the power to restore the honour of jordan in the eyes of the world…
and very probably save the life of the next innocent victim.
with greatest respect for his majesty,
jon steele
I often wondered why the late King, who was revered by many of his people, and enjoyed great stature within the Arab world, did not ensure that a couple of these murderers did not paid the ultimate price for their crime. In a country which has capital punishment, a few such executions would surely make a person think twice about comitting such unexcuseable crimes ? As it stands, these mosters know that they will be free in a few years . Hero status is not much use if you are dead.
@”Grace” WOW you definitely misconstrued the point I was illustrating when I said my dad wouldn’t discuss with me or my mom that specific incident.
Since you brought it though Yes I definitely like and respect my father very much. We don’t always understand each other but Asoom’s father is Definitely an honorable and noble man in many ways!
Make a note of that “Grace”.
@Mohanned: true. i think what you said about shame inspired that thought. although i still hold to what i said in that post.
@Nizar: kind of agree with matt on this, not sure that vigilantism ever brought about something good. in theory, i see your point about it and i’ve often been so frustrated with jordanian society that i was convinced vigilantism would be the cure for many things, including people who throw their garbage on the ground, but in practice we all know how vigilantism in jordan would eventually turn out.
@matt: very prevailent, but depending on the environment. most of the honor crimes are committed by very young men. most of those young men seem pushed to do it by older folk (mothers and fathers), others just take initiative. if they kill at 20 and are out by 25 or 30, it’s worth it for them.
@Deena: i hate to think that you believe i dismiss anyone’s comments, least of all yours. when it comes to “grassroots”, i too believe in the openness, flexibility and access elements you mentioned - i just don’t believe they should be instigated by one segment of society on another, especially when the former has little knowledge or awareness of the latter. but that’s not the point of this post in any case.
Regarding La Sharaf Fil Jareemah, other than focus groups i’m not entirely up-to-date on what you guys are doing, but i like that you are starting the conversation somewhere. I would like to see that conversation eventually being taken over and lead by the very people you interview. Collecting the information is important, but generally, most jordanians have a relatively standard definition of honor and yes, most women also agree with it.
@asoom: it’s possible that the rural areas are tougher to deal with - i see the reasoning there. my line of thought is that it’s actually a bit more manageable there than it is in urban centers, simply because of tribalism. we may be incline to blame tribalism for honor crimes but i would argue that it is a door to the solution for such crimes, whereby the dynamics of a tribe, specifically with regards to tribal laws and tribal leadership, can be wielded to create change. change the minds of the top-tier in a tribe, and it trickles down rather rapidly, especially since they are the implementers of the law within their own immediate realms.
@hamzeh: how do you see such a system making an impact? do you think it will make a person think twice before committing this crime with a common kitchen knife as his weapon? do you think they are worried that such a crime would tarnish their chances at finding someone to marry (probably a cousin) or finding a job where they dont need to have background check? it’s all about the environment…
@jon & @penny: i know that some will probably disagree with me on this, and that’s fine, but in my opinion this is not a matter the king can easily get involved in, nor, in my opinion, should it be one where he does. first, i am definitely not of the opinion that all of our problems should require direct monarch intervention - that is something which proves we are weak and powerless to move our own mountains. second, honor crimes are complex in nature. this isn’t something like the crime of kidnapping or robbery. it is something that is deeply embedded in various social and cultural mentalities that represent the majority. and yes, while something the majority believes in is not always right, in this case, touching an issue that addresses core values is dangerous and is likely to have an adverse reaction if their is monarch involvement. i would imagine that if the king got on tv tomorrow and said that anyone who commits an honor crime would face a death sentence, the number of such crimes would likely increase.
mentalities need to be shifted, and that can’t be done with a couple of speeches or even with a few laws. they help, but they’re far from being the whole ballgame.
Nas, I see it as part of creating the concept of shame and tying it to the act itself. The whole reason people commit these crimes is because “people talk” and by creating these registries and lists we create “talk” about the violent nature of the people involved in these crimes.
People will think more before committing an act that they know will be tied to their name wherever they go in Jordan. Right now, these stories remain within the confines of the small rural towns and villages in which they occur, we never even learn the name of the family involved, or even the first name of the victim or the perpetrator. The fact that the names are covered up means that there is still an element of shame involved, and we need to give it more visibility.
And this helps all domestic violence cases, not just the “honor” murders. I assume that a large number of domestic violence incidents go unreported in Jordan. When we establish records that everyone can have access to, the percentage of reported incidents will increase because the victims will feel more empowered to speak.
Asoom. I am glad for you that you love and respect your father. I just personally could love someone to whom I hold radically different views, but I would find it very difficult to respect anyone if they were not prepared to engage in a discussion of a difficult topic nor stick their neck out for what they believe, even if it went against the mainstream. Who was it who said something on the lines of ” all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing”?
@nas…
his majesty should not get involved in an effort to try and save the next victim of ‘honour killing’?
with all due respect, his majesty is the ONLY person in jordan who has the moral authority to define the very required ‘change in mentality’ you say is needed.
these murders are a national disgrace.
a national disgrace that is the cause of women and men being slaughtered.
it cries out for his majesty to take a direct hand.
yes, his majesty’s direct intervention will not stop the next killing, nor even the next.
but his majesty’s voice will be the rallying cry for justice for the innocent dead and return to them the honour that was stolen from their lives at the point of a knife or a gun.
his majesty’s voice will mark the moment when ignorance in jordan was overcome with the enlightened humanity.
unless, of course, the jordanian parliament suddenly discovers a sense of courage and acts with a unanimous vote for a ‘zero tolerance policy’ regarding honour killings…but i wouldn’t ask anyone to hold their breath on that one.
which is why i humbly beg his majesty the king, in the name of the innocent dead, to guide the nation from this barbaric darkness.
with deepest respect for his majesty the king,
jon steele
@jon steele You have to keep in mind the fact that his majesty has quite weak Arabic.
This is why we never see him address us in a more specific manner. He chooses words he could pronounce and remember easily over those that represent what he’s saying better. Thus, each of his speeches is lacking. If you ever noticed, he keeps hovering over general points. In English, on the other hand, you can quickly see how he grabs each of the topics and clarifies everything at once. It’s not his fault as learning any language at his age is somehow a challenge.
About the honor killings thing, some bad principles are implanted into the minds of many people. Only solution to this problem is TIME. Yes, with time, less civilized people are noticing how the world is changing and people are becoming more aware. Therefore, it’s awareness campaigns that we need, paired along with time. Eventually, it will disappear IMO. I Just don’t know how many deaths we have to endure until that happens…
Unfortunately, honor killings are here to stay for -apparently- a very long time.
The only time I can say that there is hope in ending this, is when the this issue can at least get mainstream coverage, in the media, the parliament and elsewhere, and right now that hasn’t happened at all.
If a survey was taken here in Jordan, about whether people disagree with the “fact” that honor relies in the female relatives body and her reputation, what do you think the results are going to be?
I would guess that the overwhelming majority of both men AND women would not disagree with that.
Even though most people will tell you that they are against murder, the real problem is how people think of honor, they say they are against murder but they fully agree that any interaction between the sexes, is an unforgivable crime, on the part of the female only, but the male is just an innocent person who was seduced by this girl and forced into this.
To blame for this is unfortunately religion, religion teaches us that women are all “3awras”, and they cause “fitnas”.
It’s no coincidence that honor killings happen in muslim countries and almost specifically where there are muslim communities anywhere in the world.
And of course I’m talking about the cases where there are real “honor” crime.
@Wesam I fully agree with you except on the part about religion. I am not entitled to talk about religion but I still do think that you completely misunderstood the meanings of both “3awra” and “fitna”.
Wesam@It’s no coincidence that honor killings happen in muslim countries and almost specifically where there are muslim communities anywhere in the world.
I believe that there are similar crimes committed in Greece and its neighbouring countries and parts of Italy such as Sicily. Maybe it is just coincidence that that there are an overwhleming number of these crimes committed in Muslim countries and that the real problem is the centuries old attitude prevelant in all these places that a woman is a chattel owned by her menfolk, combined with a false sense of propriety and a huge amount of sexual and other forms of frustration. There is huge poverty in Latin America but at least the young there are not bound by a straightjacket of hypocitical convention, and are allowed to live, love and be happy. I think that much that is said and done is because of a skewed inrepretation of the rights and wrongs of the religion adapted to suit the prevailing customs and conventions of a mysogisnistic, paternalistic and often very harsh society totally obsesses with not loosing face. The attitudes still are in force despite however many satellite dishes and mobile phone shops we see in the villages such as Asoom was talking about. I say skewed as I am no Islamic scholar but would like to think that much of what is done and said in the name of this religion is rubbish. I also do feel that all the Abrahamic faiths seem very concerned with finger wagging and being overally obessed with peoples’ private life styles and less about kindness and forgiving.
@jon: that’s very poetic, but unfortunately it does not speak to the reality. the king’s direct intervention in this matter will undoubtedly worsen it.
@wesam: “It’s no coincidence that honor killings happen in muslim countries and almost specifically where there are muslim communities anywhere in the world.”
that’s just silly in my opinon
@Grace:
I absolutely agree with you about Abrahamic religions.
@Nas:
How is it silly? can you care to explain please?
I don’t have exact statistics, but I’m guessing that at least 85%-90% of honor crimes are committed in Muslim countries, how can you actually believe that that is a pure coincidence?
The fact that I mentioned Islam here is not to insult anyone, but if you put your emotions aside -as a Muslim- and look at this objectively, you will at least understand where I and many others are coming from.
Yes, honor crimes are more cultural than religious, but our culture is severely influenced by religion.
Arabic culture and Islam today are almost inseparable.
Naseem,
It might be as well honoring the victims by an organization, something with publications on these ladies. To show that the society don’t share these values and will lobby against them as a counter balance.
For instance: interviewing friends and other family members of the victim to document her life, her work colleagues -if any-, to show that she is possibly a way better person than her murderer. Embracing them regardless of the allegations they were killed for.
@Nas: “that’s just silly in my opinon”
Well, not sillier that believing a man flew on a magical horse to heaven and came back.
Anyway…
Anyone who doesn’t see a connection between the religion of peace and honor crimes, considering the fact that 99.9% of honor crimes are committed by muslims needs to get his/her head checked.
Anony, you don’t have to get that pissed. You can debate as much as you like without insulting people…
There is no connection between religion and honor crimes. NONE. It’s just that most people in Jordan are Muslims, that’s why it’s statistically more reasonable to assume that mostly who commit these crimes are Muslims! Even if someone says he committed the honor crime because he was encouraged by religion, it’s because he doesn’t know anything about it. It’s just incorrect ideas he has in his head.
There is a connection definitely between what people misunderstand about a certain religion and these acts. But the base religion itself has nothing to do with it IMO.
And “anyone who sees a connection needs to get his/her head checked.”
@Yanal: Where exactly did I insult anyone? that was more to a joke than an insult.
But back to the point I still disagree with you.
In case you haven’t heard -by the way-, honor crimes do not only happen in Jordan,
and the countries on top of the honor crime list include: Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, The Palestinian Territories, Syria, Jordan and others.
and of course it’s obvious what these countries have in common.
Anony: Honour crimes are also committed by Christians. So their origins are cultural and not religious.
It’s very sad that we continue to have conversations like this, but thank you Nas for raising the issue again. If you do not advise the King to pronounce on this issue, may I respectfully suggest that some religious guidance against the crime of murder in the name of honour is definitely required. Time for our Mufti to make a stand on this issue - if fatwas can be issued against plastic surgery then surely a fatwa can be issued against crimes committed in the name of honour? Likewise the same should be done by the Christian religious community. Dishonour killings are against all religious norms - the national campaign that you suggest should begin where it is the most effective and where a grassroots movement can really take shape - in a place of worship.
Check out http://www.mathlouma.com/the-study
The stated mission is: “Removing “Honor” from Crimes of Honor: A project to change the Mindset of Jordanians”
It is a partnership between the Information and Research Center of the King Hussein Foundation under the directorship of Nermeen Murad, the Mafraq Center for Development, Economic Research and Analysis (MACDERA) / Dr. Yusuf Mansur, and the Jordan Centre for Social Research (JCSE) / Dr. Moussa Shteiwi, along with individuals and institutions supporting this nationally driven effort.
@ nas:
first, i’m not a poet, and the cynicism of the comment is not appreciated.
especially when the subject is the slaughter of innocent women.
second: as far as not understanding ‘reality’…i am someone who worked as a war photographer around the world. i have heard the screams, i have seen the terror in innocent eyes as they draw their last breath, i have smelled the blood and guts of mass death. trust me, i understand the ‘reality’ of senseless killing far more than you can ever imagine.
third: i am floored with the thought that his majesty’s direct intervention in issuing a decree to declare that from this moment on, a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards honour killings would worsen the situation. i mean seriously, innocent jordanian women are already being subjected to domestic violence, torture and murder in the name of honour. how worse can it get?
fourth: i grew up in the fifties i the united states. in a time when a black man could be lynched for talking to a white woman. i watched black americans beaten and killed for demanding equal rights under the law. and through those years i heard the same reasoning,…’oh, it will take time for attitudes to change’….or you don’t understand ‘reality’.
what a nonsense. if black americans (and white americans who could no longer accept the injustice of segregation in america) had waited for ‘attitudes to change’, then today barak obama might well be working in a car wash rather than the white house.
finally: i accept jordan is not my country and i realize the people of jordan (especially the women of jordan) must make their own decisions as to when to say, ‘enough’.
i can only wish jordan well…and continue to beg that his majesty the king inspire the women of jordan to unite behind him in beginning to stop this hideous and ignorant crime through a royal decree establishing a ‘zero tolerance policy’ for honour killings.
I agree w/you, Jon Steele - to wait for people to let go of this repulsive practice would take far too long, & women’s lives hang in the balance. The law has to change, the prison sentences have to be as long as they are for other murders. People have to be told that the status quo is not acceptable. After that, we can work on mentalities.
I’ve brought up the same example you have in discussions on this topic - that of African Americans. Without legal action, I’m convinced progress would’ve been far slower - painfully slow, lethally slow.
One more thing: If the law does not respect women and value their lives, how can we expect the citizenry to do so?
Family honor is an interesting concept in Arab society. An idiot kills his own flesh and blood because he’s too much of a coward to trust his female relatives, he and his name then get dragged through the mud because of court and everything else, and that’s considered honor.
A real man, an honorable man, treats all people - men and women - with dignity and respect and has faith and trust in the people close to him. Treating a woman like a dog is not honorable.
if you ask me, the punishment for honor crimes should be public castration. Let’s see what that does to a family’s honor when its men are no longer men!
I love the idea of creating a brand; and there is one, it’s called: “لا شرف في الجريمة”. I think that we all need to come together and work on building it…