What is an “honour killing”?
Aruna Papp, a brave Toronto-area social worker, offers a succinct definition in a recent paper, published by The Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a non-profit research organization.
“'Honour killing' is an ancient cultural practise in which men murder female relatives in the name of family 'honour' for forced or suspected sexual activity outside the marriage, even when the woman were victims of rape,” states the paper.
“Honour killing” should not be conflated with “domestic homicide”, Papp makes clear.
While the latter happens too frequently in Canada, it’s still a fortunately rare event that typically involves one victim and one perpetrator. Wife killers in Canada are not generally upheld as heroes nor do they commit their crimes with the tacit or active approval of their families, community and church.
By contrast, honour killing “stems from culturally approved codes around collective family honour and shame, is condoned and even facilitated by kinship groups and the community,” writes Papp.
Honour killing reflects a psychotic obsession with women’s chastity that goes far, far beyond concerns about premarital intercourse. In certain hidebound societies, virtually any inkling of female sexuality—from kissing a boy to innocent flirting—is seen as an affront to family values. This obsession makes no exception for crimes of violence; women who are raped are still subject to the strictures of honour killing. Women are also killed for showing any sign of independent behaviour, from daring to choose their own spouse to dressing in a proscribed manner (refusing to wear a headscarf, for example).
Papp’s report (bluntly titled, “Culturally Driven Violence Against Women”) avoids the politically correct trap of felonious relativism, in which commentators trip over themselves to avoid pointing fingers at any one community. Certain cultures, Papp makes clear, are clearly more fixated on issues of honour than others.
The United Nations, for its part, estimates 5,000 women a year are murdered by relatives for reasons of “honour”. The majority of these killings are in Middle Eastern or South Asian communities.
It should be noted that leaders in these communities don’t seem too concerned about killing for honour. Ramzan Kadyrov, charming president of the Muslim Chechen Republic, has gone on record in support of honour killings. The media has quoted him as saying that women with “loose morals” deserve to be killed.
Search Hansard long and hard to find any Canadian politician over the past two centuries saying something similar. We’re not talking about callous disregard of domestic homicide, but open support of murder as a way to restore family honour.
The tacit approval of honour killings in certain ethnic communities has to be confronted head-on by members of those communities, writes Papp.
The latter should ask themselves the following question: if someone's daughter is sexually promiscuous, are members of her family and community honour-bound to murder her?
For decent people, the only answer is “no”. Beware of anyone who equivocates and says “it’s not that simple.”
Because it is that simple.
Blood simple.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrfink/3525747846/
Women also become victims of "honour" killings should they choose to marry someone who is of a different religion, ethnic group or simply someone other than the husband chosen by the family. If she dresses in what the culture considers an immodest way such as refusing to hide her face, she can pay with her life. Worst, although this applies to both males and females, is to convert to a different religion or even to criticise Islam.
These are all premeditated murder and should be treated as such.
Alain, your comments are noted! I have updated the article accordingly
Nate H.