Unfortunately, in the Middle East there is premeditated murder committed by family against normally a female member in order to restore the family honor.
In Jordan it happens less often, but it still happens.
In the Middle East, the daughter's conduct mirrors the family religiousness, decency and values. Therefore, is very important that the girl dresses respectfully, don't flirt with boys, don't drink, don't smoke, not seeing boys without the family knowledge and approval.
By secretly seeing a boy is reason enough to dishonor her family.
Why would she want to meet a boy without the family knowing?
For the family, this action clearly shows that the girl is looking for intimate contact with the boy before marriage and shows that the boy has no serious intentions of marrying her.
Both are disrespecting the family. The boy may also be killed.
Even if the girl didn't not even kiss the boy, her reputation is ruined as well as the family's. Her actions by itself shows that she is a woman with no dignity and brought shame upon the family name.
In the eyes of the community, this girl has proven not be a decent girl and therefore not a good wife. Hardly she will marry.
If the family spares her life, most probably, she will be punished by beating.
If the family spares her life, most probably, she will be punished by beating.
And, if the family don't take action, their tribe will believe that they accept these inappropriate behaviors.
Post-mortem exams have proven that the majority of the honor crime's victims were virgins. But that doesn't prove nothing to the family. Cause the girls can have others sexual acts that do not compromise their virginity. Girls will always try to preserve their virginity for marriage. They know how important that is.
Other motives for the honor crimes can be refusal for an arranged marriage, seeking for divorce, homosexuality, being raped, and others.
The honor killing is extended to all the women of the family.
If a married woman cheats the husband, she will probably be killed by her husband or her family.
If a widowed aunt receives a man in home, that is not a relative, it is reason to be killed, by a family member.
The murder weapon normally is a gun or a knife.
The perpetrators can be the father, the mother, the brother, the cousin, the nephew, any family member.
The most common is to be a young male. "Families often get sons under the age of 16—legally minors—to commit honor killings. The juvenile law allows convicted minors to serve time in a juvenile detention center and be released with a clean criminal record at the age of 16".
A family women should have a decent life and behavior until her death. Honor killing is a way of inflict fear and to control female behaviors.
The Law and the Punishment
The Jordanian law doesn't forbid the encounters between single people, or punishes adultery with death but is lenient and benefits the killers with sentence reduction. Particularly, when the victim’s family doesn't present charges and ask for leniency.
According with the article 340 of the Jordanian Penal Code < "he who discovers his wife or one of his female relatives committing adultery with another, and he kills, wounds or injures one or both of them, is exempt from any penalty... he who discovers his wife, or one of his female ascendants or descendants or sisters with another in an unlawful bed and he kills, wounds or injures one or both of them, benefits from a reduction of penalty." In addition to this, Article 98 of the Penal Code allows a reduced sentence if a perpetrator kills in a "fit of fury".>
Considering that murder in Jordan is punishable by death...
There have been petitions to amend these articles.
The alternative
"In case of an unmarried girl associating herself with a man, losing virginity, or being raped, the family, may attempt to restore the honor with a quick marriage. The groom will usually be the man who has 'dishonored' the girl".
It's hard to imagine the victim of rape being forced to marry her rapist, instead of the rapist being punished by the crime... and the family forcing the daughter to marry her rapist.. So hard to imagine, so hard to believe.
After all, there is no punishment for the rapist, just for the victim.
After all, there is no punishment for the rapist, just for the victim.
Not only the family is satisfied with this solution, also the jordanian government.
The article 308 of the jordanian law pardons rapists if they marry their victims.
Fortunately, in August of 2017, this law was abolished. Hopefully, it will also be abolished this idea from the mentalities.
Fortunately, in August of 2017, this law was abolished. Hopefully, it will also be abolished this idea from the mentalities.
The Islamic Law
According the Sharia law, women shouldn't be alone with another strange male without a relative guardian.
Bellow, are the punishments provided by the Sharia law that must take place in public.
Note that those punishments are not applied in Jordan.
- Adultery of married people - Stoned to death when witnessed by two adults or confession
- Promiscuity of unmarried people - whipped 80/ P00 times when witnessed by two adults or confession
Although there is no killing in the islamic law for the unmarried people, the religious Jordanians families decided that they deserve to die anyway.
"Many cultures justify the oppression of women by attributing sexual power to them, that must be rigidly controlled, in order to maintain their own purity."
"Many cultures justify the oppression of women by attributing sexual power to them, that must be rigidly controlled, in order to maintain their own purity."
Help:
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/culture/2012/08/jordans-dishonorable-honor-killings.html
https://www.ecoi.net/local_link/183325/300726_de.html