In recent years there have been a spate of killings in the UK characterized by the family members killing their own daughters or one of the female family members. These killings have one theme in common: a female member is generally killed by her family brutally for transgressing family code. These killings are referred to as ‘honor killings' for want of proper understanding and definition. On an average 12 such killings take place every year in the UK. The media has generally taken a misinformed attitude on these crimes. They have radicalized the issue of honor killing by attributing ‘honor killings' to a specific community and religion, thereby distorting the issue into us/them dichotomy. This paper makes a serious attempt to straighten the facts by addressing ‘honor killings' phenomenon at its roots. Islam doesn't favor honor killings as it is based on Quoran which not only demands strict proof before victimizing any one but also defends women who are wrongfully victimized by punishing the false accuser. Islam is also liberal in matters of faith and strictly prohibits adoption of Islam through compulsion. The obvious conclusion then is that there are other reasons than culture and religion accounting for the perpetuation of ‘honor killing'.
The paper discusses at length the factors responsible for honor killing. It also takes the stand that crimes of honor are universal and routinely occur among the White population of the United Kingdom. Only these crimes do not bear the stigma of ‘honor killing'. They could be the crimes of passion, or domestic violence, but the elements of jealousy and revenge might be seen in these crimes. The paper also makes an attempt to highlight the ‘human rights' aspect that is inevitable in such crimes even as the universal application of human rights might be problematic.
Contents
Executive summary
Introduction
Perspectives on honor killing
The context of family and the states pretext for non-intervention
Honor killings as extreme acts of domestic violence
The Quran and the freedom of religion
How Prophet Mohammad followed the spirit of freedom of religion
Quran: Democratic principle of freewill and free choice
The death penalty for apostasy in Islam
Honor killing in UK
The case of Christopher Hawkins
The case of Abdullah Yones
Global ramification of the problem
International issue of honor killing
Domestic Violence and honor killing
The distinguishing traits of honor killings not found in the customary domestic violence
Honor Killing and the Legal Position
The doctrine of habeas corpus
The Jordanian Penal Code
Contradiction for law enforcement agencies and the legislators in the West when treating honor killings
Extent of the problem in the UK
The case of Shakeela Naz and her son
The killing of Arash Ghorbani Zarin
The study conducted by the Centre for Social Cohesion
Media Representation of honor crimes
Generating media interest on the issue of violence against women in the name of honor
Their inadvertent fallacy on interpretation of honor crimes
The patronizing attitude of some of those western feminists
Honor killings and social perception
Pakistan and the victimization of women
The compelling force to enact the honor crime
The role of the family members
Does Islam permit honor killing
The erroneously belief that Islam permits honor killing
The case of Owamer Ijlani
International Human Rights Law
The charter of the UN
The principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex
Cultural contextualism and Human Rights
The 1948 UN declaration of Human Rights
Multiculturalism in its historical context
The tension between culture and individual rights
Remedial measures
The argument that honor killings shoud recieve benign treatment in the west
Training the law inforcement ageincies to deal with dometic violence
A plural and multicultural British society must uphold the rule of law
