HONOUR KILLINGS

JORDAN, PAKISTAN & CANADA

SNEHA KULKARNI PCOM 640

FEBRUARY 20, 2011

An Equal Right to Life?

An Equal Right to Life?

An Equal Right to Life?

5000 women killed each year in the name of honour (UNCPA, 2000)

“Honour killings are murders carried out by family members against girls and women, who are believed to have committed a sexual indiscretion, or to have caused gossip related to sexual behaviour that besmirches the honour of the family “ (Warrick, 2005)

The Victims

Samia Sarwar 1999 Pakistan Shot and killed in attorney’s office as she filed

for divorce from her abusive husband Murder organized by her own parents

(Warrick, 2005)

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/909948.stm

The Victims

17 year old Jordanian girl shot eight times after revealing she was raped and impregnated by her father’s friend

Family could not afford

abortion

Killed by father & brother

(Arnold, 2001)

What constitutes “honour”?

Socially constructed concept

Warrick (2005) describes the concept of honour as being largely associated to social standing on the basis of moral behaviour

In Arab countries a man’s honour is closely intertwined with the chastity of his female relatives

CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All forms of

Discrimination Against Women

CEDAW is the most comprehensive women’s rights treaty in the world

Ratified in 1981 and has support of 186 nations

Mandates countries to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, including discriminatory customs or religious practices (Arnold, 2001)

Upholding CEDAW?

2002 UN report on Violence against Women found honour killings still take place in

Pakistan JordanTurkey SyriaEgypt

LebanonIran

Morocco

JORDAN

Jordan’s Hypocrisy

Signing member of CEDAW

Pre-meditated murder punishable by death

BUT

Article 340 – provides exculpatory or mitigating excuse for defendant who kills, wounds, or injures a female relative, who is

found to be committing an act of adultery

Research shows men convicted of honour killing in Jordan receive one month to one year in prison

(Arnold, 2001)

PAKISTAN

Pakistan’s Policies

Pakistan is signing member of CEDAW

Former President Pervez Musharraf publically condemns honour killing

Calls on courts to investigate honour killings as the same as pre-meditated murder

(Knudsen, 2004)

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf

Pakistan’s Conflicting Laws

1998-2004 – 4000 Pakistani women/girls killed in honour killings (Amnesty, 2006)

1990 Qisas and Diyat Law – allows victim’s heirs to close criminal investigations, facilitate a pardon, and accept monetary compensation from an accused, instead of trying the alleged killer in court (Knudsen, 2004)

Private compensation versus the public administration of justice

(Knudsen, 2004)

Crimes without Borders

Canada’s Crimes of Honour

17 year old Amandeep

Atwal Stabbed to

death in B.C. by father in 2003. He

disapproved of her

relationship.

20 year old Khatera Sidiqi and her fiance were shot to death in Ottawa in 2006 by Sidiqi’s brother. Her brother claimed she was disrespectful of her brother.

Asqa Parvez 16Killed in Mississauga in 2007 by her brother and father over arguments about hearing a hijab.

Shafia sisters, ages 10, 9, and 17, were found dead in a submerged car in Ottawa in 2009. The girls’ parents and brother were charged with first degree murder.

Source: CBC, 2009

Canada’s Stance

Investigation, prosecution, and sentencing for killers

Immigration information booklet amended in 2009 to clearly state the country’s views…

“Canada’s openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, honour killing…or other gender based violence.”

(Carlsen,2009)

Upholding CEDAW

Recognizing Women’s Rights

Recognizing Women’s Rights

Moving Forward

International community must intervene and pressure states to uphold CEDAW obligations

Tangible government commitment to repeal gender-biased laws

Honour killings must be viewed as cold-blooded murder

Awareness efforts to educate men and women about women’s rights

References

Amnesty international (1999). PAKISTAN: Honor killings of women and girls.

Retrieved from http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA33/018/1999

Arnold, K. (2001). Are the Perpetrators of Honor Killings Getting Away With

Murder? Article 340 of the Jordanian Penal code Analyzed Under the Convention on the Elimination

of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. American University International Law Review. 16, 1343-1409.

Chesler, P. (2010). Worldwide trends in honor killings. Middle East Quarterly. 17 (2). 3-11.

Caplan, G. (2010). Honour killings in Canada: even worse than we believe. The Globe

and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/honour-

killings-in-canada-even-worse-than-we-believe/article1650228/

References

Carlsen, K. (2009). New citizenship guide says no to 'barbaric' practices. The National Post Retrieved from

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2216251#ixzz1DR7D7u2Z

Human Rights Watch (2004). Honoring the Killers: Justice Denied for “Honor” Killings in Jordan. Retrieved from

http://www.hrw.org/en/node/12141/section/1

Knudsen, A. (2004). License to Kill: Honour Killings in Pakistan. Chr. Michelson Reports (Working Paper). Retrieved from http://

ebookbrowse.com/1737-license-to-kill-honour-killings-in-pakistan-pdf-d16959785

UN Women (2002). Facts and Figures on VAW. Retrieved form http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/

violence_against_women/facts_figures.php?page=4

United Nations Populations Fund (2000) State of the World Population: Chapter 3 Violence Against Women and Girls http://

www.unfpa.org/swp/2000/english/ch03.html

References

United Nations Development Program. (2002). Human development report. Retrieved from

http://www.undp.org/hdr2002/

Warrick, C. (2005). The vanishing victim: criminal law and gender in jordan. Law & Society

Review. 30 (2), 315-348