Dana
2004-10-24 23:42:35 UTC
http://www.secularislam.org/women/honor.htm
Women's Tragedy under Islam & Tribal Customs
By Azam Kamguian
Every year, in countries in the Arab world, Turkey, Iran and some south and
central Asian countries, many hundreds of women who do not accept the tribal
and Islamic traditions; refuse forced marriages; marry according to their
will; or live independently, are murdered by their family member, to save
the 'honour' of the family. The practice is widespread in Islamic countries
and is known as honour killing. Women, who have brought 'shame' to family's
'honour', are sentenced to death by family courts and the sentence is
usually carried out by male members of families. Under special laws, the
killers are given light sentences, sometimes with little or no jail time at
all. The killers mainly defend their act of murder by referring to the Koran
and Islam. They say that they are merely following the directives set down
in their Islamic beliefs.
The tragedy of women living under Islam and tribal customs is documented in
news, reports, articles and documentary films in recent years. "Crimes of
Honour", is a recent documentary which was broadcast on Cinemax in honour of
the International Women's Day. This documentary exposes some of the hideous
truth of honour killings in Jordan.
In "Crime of Honour", the narrator walks viewers through the tragic lives of
three Jordanian women, brutally murdered by their own family members. It
also includes interviews with three women activists who try to enlighten the
society about honour killings and protect women's rights. These women are
Rania Husseini, Asma Kheder and Nadera Shalhoub - Kevorkian who are
campaigning by writing, helping and protecting the victims in different
ways.
One of the most tragic stories is that of a 23 year old Rania Arafat, whose
plight was broadcast live on national TV in Jordan. Rania was promised to
her cousin as a very young child. Rania repeatedly told that she doesn't
love him and she is in love with someone else. She pled with her family to
allow her to marry him, instead. She ran away twice, including two weeks
before her forced marriage. She wrote to her mother and pled for forgiveness
and understanding. Her parents promised that she would not be harmed and she
could return home. On August 19, 1997, Rania returned home. The same night,
her younger brother, Rami, shot her five times in the head and chest,
killing her immediately. Her youngest brother was chosen to commit the
murder not only to allow his defense to find protection under the laws
protecting so-called honour crimes, but also because he was a juvenile. Rami
served six months in jail for his crime.
This documentary is heart-wrenching. It includes video clips of scenes of
stoning of two victims in Tehran, Iran by the Islamic Republic, the Islamic
State of Iran. The two people, presumably a young woman and her lover,
huddle in the middle of a street covered only in a white sheet and stoned
until death.
Life of Amal, another Arab woman and victim of honour killing is also
documented in this film. Amal was run away because she insisted on her
independence. Her family said that they were ashamed because of that and the
gossip of neighbors. One night, when she returned home and went sleep, her
brother accompanied by Amal's father, strangled her. He said: "I strangled
her. She didn't fight back. I recited the "Holly Koran" as she was dying. it
took a few minutes and she was dead." He and his father both given light
sentences.
Cases of rape is also described where women are punished even when they are
the victims of rape, not only by strangers, but also by their own fathers
and brothers. In the case documented in this film, the family believed that
Kefaya, their daughter, the victim, who was raped by her own brother,
deserved to die, because of the intense humiliation they experienced as a
result of neighbors' gossip.
"Crimes of Honour" walks viewers to the deeper layers of the tragedy of
women's lives. It goes to the darkness of the minds of killers, and to the
society that condones this cruelty against women. It is powerful and
emotional and exposes some of the realities of women's tragedy in Jordan.
However, despite the killers' outright reference to Islam and the Koran, it
denies that this inhumane practice has anything to do with religions and
Islam. While the Koran is full of guidelines on how to control women's
sexuality, and Islamic Law; Sharia, rules harsh punishments including
lashing and stoning to death for women's voluntary sexual activities, this
denial is nothing but an apology for Islamic misogynism.
In Jordan, the "plea of honour" is recognized as a legitimate defense. After
failed efforts, and active campaigns launched against honour killings by
women rights activists and progressive forces; as a result of a legislative
amendment to Article 340 of the Penal Code, perpetrators of honour crimes
are not exempt from the death penalty, anymore. Although, judges are still
allowed to commute the sentences of the convicted. Article 97 and 98, which
reduce the sentence of crimes committed in a fit of fury and are frequently
referenced in honour crimes cases, were unaffected by the amendments.
Death penalty is not the solution to honour killings, and it doesn't stop
women killings and practicing misogyny. The only effective strategy to
abolish this rotten anti - woman practice is to safeguard and advance
women's rights and status; by fighting against Islamic, patriarchal and
tribal traditions; by separating religion from the state; and by forming
secular and egalitarian governments in the region.
Women's Tragedy under Islam & Tribal Customs
By Azam Kamguian
Every year, in countries in the Arab world, Turkey, Iran and some south and
central Asian countries, many hundreds of women who do not accept the tribal
and Islamic traditions; refuse forced marriages; marry according to their
will; or live independently, are murdered by their family member, to save
the 'honour' of the family. The practice is widespread in Islamic countries
and is known as honour killing. Women, who have brought 'shame' to family's
'honour', are sentenced to death by family courts and the sentence is
usually carried out by male members of families. Under special laws, the
killers are given light sentences, sometimes with little or no jail time at
all. The killers mainly defend their act of murder by referring to the Koran
and Islam. They say that they are merely following the directives set down
in their Islamic beliefs.
The tragedy of women living under Islam and tribal customs is documented in
news, reports, articles and documentary films in recent years. "Crimes of
Honour", is a recent documentary which was broadcast on Cinemax in honour of
the International Women's Day. This documentary exposes some of the hideous
truth of honour killings in Jordan.
In "Crime of Honour", the narrator walks viewers through the tragic lives of
three Jordanian women, brutally murdered by their own family members. It
also includes interviews with three women activists who try to enlighten the
society about honour killings and protect women's rights. These women are
Rania Husseini, Asma Kheder and Nadera Shalhoub - Kevorkian who are
campaigning by writing, helping and protecting the victims in different
ways.
One of the most tragic stories is that of a 23 year old Rania Arafat, whose
plight was broadcast live on national TV in Jordan. Rania was promised to
her cousin as a very young child. Rania repeatedly told that she doesn't
love him and she is in love with someone else. She pled with her family to
allow her to marry him, instead. She ran away twice, including two weeks
before her forced marriage. She wrote to her mother and pled for forgiveness
and understanding. Her parents promised that she would not be harmed and she
could return home. On August 19, 1997, Rania returned home. The same night,
her younger brother, Rami, shot her five times in the head and chest,
killing her immediately. Her youngest brother was chosen to commit the
murder not only to allow his defense to find protection under the laws
protecting so-called honour crimes, but also because he was a juvenile. Rami
served six months in jail for his crime.
This documentary is heart-wrenching. It includes video clips of scenes of
stoning of two victims in Tehran, Iran by the Islamic Republic, the Islamic
State of Iran. The two people, presumably a young woman and her lover,
huddle in the middle of a street covered only in a white sheet and stoned
until death.
Life of Amal, another Arab woman and victim of honour killing is also
documented in this film. Amal was run away because she insisted on her
independence. Her family said that they were ashamed because of that and the
gossip of neighbors. One night, when she returned home and went sleep, her
brother accompanied by Amal's father, strangled her. He said: "I strangled
her. She didn't fight back. I recited the "Holly Koran" as she was dying. it
took a few minutes and she was dead." He and his father both given light
sentences.
Cases of rape is also described where women are punished even when they are
the victims of rape, not only by strangers, but also by their own fathers
and brothers. In the case documented in this film, the family believed that
Kefaya, their daughter, the victim, who was raped by her own brother,
deserved to die, because of the intense humiliation they experienced as a
result of neighbors' gossip.
"Crimes of Honour" walks viewers to the deeper layers of the tragedy of
women's lives. It goes to the darkness of the minds of killers, and to the
society that condones this cruelty against women. It is powerful and
emotional and exposes some of the realities of women's tragedy in Jordan.
However, despite the killers' outright reference to Islam and the Koran, it
denies that this inhumane practice has anything to do with religions and
Islam. While the Koran is full of guidelines on how to control women's
sexuality, and Islamic Law; Sharia, rules harsh punishments including
lashing and stoning to death for women's voluntary sexual activities, this
denial is nothing but an apology for Islamic misogynism.
In Jordan, the "plea of honour" is recognized as a legitimate defense. After
failed efforts, and active campaigns launched against honour killings by
women rights activists and progressive forces; as a result of a legislative
amendment to Article 340 of the Penal Code, perpetrators of honour crimes
are not exempt from the death penalty, anymore. Although, judges are still
allowed to commute the sentences of the convicted. Article 97 and 98, which
reduce the sentence of crimes committed in a fit of fury and are frequently
referenced in honour crimes cases, were unaffected by the amendments.
Death penalty is not the solution to honour killings, and it doesn't stop
women killings and practicing misogyny. The only effective strategy to
abolish this rotten anti - woman practice is to safeguard and advance
women's rights and status; by fighting against Islamic, patriarchal and
tribal traditions; by separating religion from the state; and by forming
secular and egalitarian governments in the region.