Western civilizations are not aware of the phrase honor killing. In fact most Americans will disagree with putting a word such as honor and connecting it with murder. Nonetheless honor killing is common mostly within the Muslim and Middle Eastern world but also branches out to countries such as India. Honor killing is mainly cause by women being involved with fornication- engaging in sex before marriage.
“Annually their is 5,000 honor killings a year most being in the Muslim world.” (Kristof,82). This number is not accurate however because governments such as the Sudanese punish women who report rapes or seek out for medical treatment. Also a high number of honor killings are disguised as suicides or accidents to keep organizations such as Nation Organization for Women and Women's Advocates, Inc from bringing awareness outside of their country.
In Darfur Janjaweed militias gang raped women within three african tribes followed by cutting off their ears to mark them as rape victims forever. Rape is also used as a way to punish a family’s rival. A student Hawa, was gang raped and beaten by the Janjaweed her friend carried her to a clinic. As two french nurses were aiding her serveral police stormed into the clinic and arrested Hawa. The crime she is charged with is fornication. Her seeking treatment was acknowledging she had been engaging in sex before marriage.
Within the Muslim world and Middle East killing a women for the sake of a families name is most common. Most often the family is doing the killing themselves because their daughter has behaved immodestly or has fallen in love with a man of a lower caste.
Honor killing in India is caused mainly by women marrying outside their religion and a man in a lower cast or seeking divorce. If men marries a lower cast they can at times be recognized as a hero for standing up to their family. Other causes of honor killing include to camouflage murder, greed and want for money, to obtain property and land or to un pay loans. Most honor killings take place in countries in poverty.
Women living in fear with their life in the hands of family or a man. Honor killing violates the most basic rights, the right to life. Religion and Culture can not be excuses to kill women.
How is a government going to punish a rape victim for fornication? Being raped is not having sex. A government cannot claim that their goal is the well being of their citizens if they are punishing citizens for being assaulted. Obviously as a westerner this idea is completely foreign to me, but being unfamiliar with this "tradition" does not stop me from wanting to take action. I understand the importance of arranged marriages in these cultures but does interrupting such a marriage really deserve the punishment of death? Can men be killed in "honor" as well? Westerners complain about the double standard between men and women where the woman's reputation is usually the victim, but how can we argue this when double standards elsewhere are leading to women being killed?
ReplyDeleteHonor killings also happen in western countries. I remember reading a news story about a girl in the UK who was killed by her father and cousin for dating outside of their religion.
ReplyDeleteThese stories about murder and rape are making believe that humanity in a sense is becoming extinct. I get it, poverty,land disputes, and the need for money, but what is happening to this world? Has it always been like this? I would like to say that honor killing is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard of, but it's like every other story, senseless hate and murder throughout the land. And it's not like you can sit these people down and speak sense to them, even having the idea of raping or murdering someone is crazy so since these people actually commit these acts their beyond help. I don't even believe there is a standard for men there, it's like they walk around like gods while these women hope they are not their next victim.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of makes you think about the death penalty in the United States. Technically under the death penalty, the government kills someone for doing something that they define as a crime. Although the death penalty makes it look more "official" is it really any different? It's crazy how being educated often leads to making bad actions look less severe when in fact these people are doing the same thing, killing someone because they committed a "crime". In my opinion, they both have the same hateful intentions.
ReplyDeleteHow can people blame the victim when it clearly was not their fault? Even the government punishes the girls for getting raped. Would they rather the girls pretend it never happened and not get medical help? I did know that honor killings occurred in western countries as well. It's a shame families will go to such extremes to keep their name unsullied.
ReplyDeleteI feel like calling this act an "honor killing" isn't fitting at all. Many people who die in war believe that it is dying for honor, but there is nothing honorable about murdering someone, ever. The choices that one makes strictly effect them, and I understand that looking at life that way is very western and naive but it is still an outlook on life that i feel should be spread throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteEverything about "honor killings" truly saddens me. A girl gets rapped and she can be arrested or murdered because of it, that is insane. How is a young girl suppose to defend herself against a full grown man, and even if she is capable of defending herself that will probably make the whole situation worse and the outcome will be the same. What is the solution to this crazy problem? Is there even a solution?
ReplyDelete