Some background will enlighten you before you keep reading the rest of this blog. An honor killing is the homicide of a member of a family or a social group by other members, based on the murderer’s belief that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. It usually happens for reasons such as: refusing to enter an arranged marriage; being in a relationship that is disapproved; having sex outside marriage, being a victim of rape, Honor killings are especially targeted towards women. In some Middle Eastern countries, honor killings often originate from tribal traditions and often occur in rural areas. According to the United Nations, some 5,000 women are murdered by family members in honor killings every year. In Pakistan, 869 women were victims of honor killings last year, according to the country’s human rights commission. Human rights organizations have condemned this practice but it is still happening in 2014.
In Northeastern Pakistan, a young newlywed couple in northeastern Pakistan died a horrible death at the hands of the bride’s family in the latest honor killing in the nation. The couple, identified as Sajjad Ahmed, 26, and Muawia Bibi, 18, were married by a Pakistani court on June 18 against the wishes of the bride’s family. This past Thursday, the bride’s father and some uncles lured the couple back to the their home village, where the pair were eventually tied up and then decapitated. The family members that were responsible for this killing have turned themselves in to the police, despite there being no eyewitnesses to the crime.
Another example occurred in June, 18-year-old Saba Masqood was found left for dead inside of a sack in a canal in Pakistan, injured by gunfire. She accused her brother and father of shooting her because they didn’t approve of her marriage to a neighbor. She survived, but many aren’t so lucky.
Also last month, Farzana Parveen, a 25-year-old pregnant Pakistani woman, made news headlines around the world, when she was attacked with bricks by about 20 people, including members of her immediate family.
This is an issue that has been at the concern of most, if not all, the human rights organizations worldwide. However, this tragedy still occurs and there have been no significant efforts to solve this problem. Honor killings are clear violations of women’s human rights.
How can the human rights organizations around the world solve this problem when it seems that some nations are tolerating this type of act?
Can someone explain the several human rights that these type of killings represent?
Source: TheExaminer
Picture: AnsweringMuslim (blog site)
This practice is so disgusting and barbarian, not to mention terribly immoral. To kill a member of your family and call it an “honor killing” is ridiculous. Arranged marriages should have never been imposed, but in this day and age who would have known that these types of marriages not only still exist, but also have dire consequences. I am Albanian and Croatian, and my fiancé is from Uruguay, so I can not help but think that I would be tied up and decapitated too if my family opposed our union, and if this practice was the norm in the United States. It is so sad that over five thousand people die a year in these so called “honor killings.” Something must be done to quickly put an end to this revolting practice. The international tribunals must address the numerous human rights violations occurring, including the deprivation of liberty, and life most importantly before the time is up for more innocent victims.
What I think is the most troubling with this issue of honor killing is that the murderers find their actions to be completely justified. For example, the family that killed the newly married couple, whose marriage they did not approve of, turned themselves in without any eyewitnesses to the crime. Many fathers who kill their daughters who have premarital friendships with males feel that their daughters are now worthless and better off dead. Even if they truly love their children, they feel this is the best option for them. The whole cultural mentality must change and it is very likely that it will be difficult to do.
The first step would have to be increased legal penalties for these actions and monitoring of local courts to ensure that these acts are punished properly. Any leniency would indicate it was somewhat justified. Educational efforts would be a good start to try and change these cultural norms in these regions.