Recently, according to academic Taira Khan, there has been an upward trend in the number of ‘honor’ killings “’all over the Muslim world where honour killings were occurring before.’” (Lexington, 2003: 69) The reasons that these acts of violence are occurring more in the Muslim world may in part be due to increasing cultural tensions between the West and the Middle East. Not only has the United States exerted control and strict foreign policies on the area we refer to as the Middle East, but also the globalization of Western culture has sparked many changing opinions of the roles of women, and thus culture clashes have been ignited. More women in societies where ‘honor’ killings occur are rejecting arranged marriages and are breaking out of the strict roles that have been defined for them. (Lexington, 2003: 69) These changes, on top of the anger and frustration many in the Middle East have felt due to their marginalized political and cultural status, as well as suffering economies has caused some to rethink how they should be living. Looking back on the time of the Prophet Muhammad’s original Muslim community or the Golden Ages of the Islamic world, some believe that reverting to traditionalism or fundamentalism will solve the problems that Westernization has brought. Certain interpretations of Islam condone ‘honor’ killings, which would explain the rise in the occurrence of ‘honor’ killings in this part of the world.
If there can a blessing in disguise from the rise in ‘honor’ killings, it is that more ‘honor’ crimes are being reported. It is estimated that around 40% of ‘honor’ based violence are reported, which leaves 60% of victims who either are not aware of their rights, or are too afraid to speak out or seek help. ( Lexington, 2003: 69) Another positive byproduct of the rise in ‘honor’ killings is the increased awareness in societies where they occur as well as in the rest of the world, which means the world might take steps to end ‘honor’ killings. The obvious and terrible consequence to the rise in ‘honor’ based violence is that more people are being killed. However, another very worrisome spin-off of this is that some men are beginning to kill a female relative in order to over up the real reason he has killed another man, saying that he had found them in a compromising position, in what are now know as fake ‘honor’ killings. (Lexington 2003: 69)
In all of the countries where ‘honor’ killings occur, the practiced has been outlawed. The Pakistani government outlawed it in 1999. Atiyya Mehmud, the human rights director at the Foreign Office, stated that the practice stemmed from the economic hardship experienced by the country and also argued that it was “’contrary to the precepts of Islamic law.’” (Lexington 1999: 43). Unfortunately, the Pakistani government, as well as many others, failed to implement most of the laws that would protect women and keep ‘honor’ killings form occurring. (Lexington 1999: 43) The state government still gives local unofficial authorities the autonomy to carry out their own laws. Men that do get convicted for carrying out ‘honor’ killings, serve very minimal sentences. There have been small movements carried out by opening women’s shelters and safe houses. (Loewenstein 2001: 2) These steps, though very powerful, are still very small.
2003 Pakistan: Honour Killings of Women Constantly Increasing. Women’s International Network, Electronic Document, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=592582411&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientld=42576&RQT=309&VName=PQD, accessed February 22, 2009.
Lexington
1999 Pakistan: Government Takes Stand on Honor Killings. Women’s International Network, Electronic Document, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=59257244&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientld=42576&RQT=309&VName=PQD, accessed February 22, 2009
Loewensein, Jennifer
2001 Feminist Collections.Women in Islam. Vol. 22, Iss. 3-4: 15-16
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