“honor killings” and the official peddling of negative ... · •the term “honor killing”...

“HonorKillings”andtheOfficialPeddlingofNegativeStereotypesAboutMuslims

Dog-whistletermusedbyhategroups

• The term “honor killing” makes frequentappearances in the speeches and writings ofprominent anti-Muslim figures and theorganizations with which they are affiliated,including Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, PhyllisChesler, the Center for Security Policy, ACT forAmerica,andmore.

• Anti-MuslimactivistsusethetermspecificallyasameansofdemonizingMuslimsandIslam.

• The term’s inclusion in President Trump’sExecutiveordersisnotcoincidental.Instead,itisclear evidence of the anti-Muslim animus thatexists,notjustintheoutsidecontext,butalsointhetextoftheOrdersthemselves.

Policydrivenbyprejudice• Thereisnoevidencesuggestingthat“honorkillings”areadistinctiveproblemintheU.S.—oronethatisinanywayrelatedtoU.S.nationalsecurityorthepopulationsofthecountriesidentifiedintheMuslimBan.o Forexample,in2014,astudycommissionedbytheU.S.DepartmentofJusticefoundthat“casesof

honorviolence[intheU.S.]appeartoberareincomparisontoothertypesofcrime.”o Muslim leaders have repeatedly and forcefully rejected the practice, and scholars have noted that

Islamiclawisnowmorecommonlyusedagainstthepracticeratherthaninsupportofit.• Ratherthanbeingguidedbynationalsecurityinterests,theMuslimBan’sreferenceto“honorkillings”is

guided by an interest in reinforcing a xenophobic and prejudicial stereotype of Islam and the Muslimcommunity.

Trump’sMuslimandrefugeebanExecutiveOrdersincludeprovisionsrequiringthecollectionofinformationabout“honorkillings”committedintheUnitedStatesbyforeignnationals.Andyet,honorkillingshavenoconnectiontoforeignterrorismornationalsecurity.SowhatcouldexplainthatreferenceinthetextoftheOrders?TheBans’inclusionofthesedirectivesinvoking“honorkillings”—atermwhosemainusehasbeentoattackMuslimsbyportraying themasuncivilizedand violent– is a classic “dog-whistle”and provides furtherproof that theseOrderswereintendedtotargetanddiscriminateagainstMuslims.

Selectiveandbiasedapplication

• Theterm“honorkilling”referstothekillingofawomanwhoisperceivedtohavebroughtshameuponherfamilybyherrelativesinthenameofrestoringfamilyhonor.

• Examplesofthisformofgender-basedviolenceoccur across a variety of demographicbackgrounds.Still,anddespiteMuslimreligiousleaders having repeatedly condemned suchcrimes, the term’s use in public discourse isalmostalwayslinkedspecificallytoIslam.

• The term is frequently applied post hoc tocrimes committed by men perceived to beMuslim—even in theabsenceofanyevidencesuggesting religion plays a role in the crime—reflecting observer bias rather than objectivefact.