Honour Crimes

Just couple of days ago I received a picture from Pakistan of a newly born baby in the garbage, in black bin bag and title of the picture was “Because I am Girl”. It made me very upset and it wasn’t the first time and it will not be the last. Girls are considered to be liabilities for two reasons; Dowry and second main reason is to supervise her all the time. Dowry is Goods or money that girl’s family give to her which she takes to next house. Concept of dowry was to help with the marriage and starting new life but it has taken entirely new form due to our greed. Now a day dowries are so extravagant that it often puts girl’s family in debt . Dowry is one of many reasons which deprived girl from her basic right of education. Since family has to save for the dowry so they don’t spend on girl education. So they remain in home and are neglected most of the times.

I belonged to a very conservative society. Where sons are strength and daughters are weaknesses. Where gender discrimination is still a big issue. Where there is celebration on the birth of a boy and mourning on the birth of a girl. In my country boy bring security to family, Hope of better future, as they think he will grow up get a nice job and help the family. And above of all boys are the bearer of family names . Where as girl is considered to be burden, her place is in the house all the time. 

We Pakistani women live in a society which is based on strict self made religious, family, and tribal customs that forces us to live in submission and in complete fear. Women in Pakistan are subjected to discrimination and violence on daily basis due to our cultural and self made religious norms. Our majority of religious leaders who are mostly uneducated, preaches views which indicate that women are men’s property as a result of which women are physically, mentally and emotionally suppressed. Traditional Pakistani values depicts that women are considered to be property of male family members. Women are owned by their father and brother before marriage and after marriage husband and his family takes over. It’s obvious when men believes that women are just an object or property, they are feel that they can do whatever they want to, which results in increased number of domestic violence.

 In majority families in Pakistan boys are allowed to do anything, They are entitle to freedom ,rules are different and linear for them where as for girls they are not entitle of any freedom, rules are different and strict for girls. For example in many houses girls don’t pick up the telephone. Girls are not allowed to go out. Girls are not allowed to marry by their choice. Our culture is to get married girl as soon as possible. In few families girls are engaged as soon as they are born. Girl reputation is so delicate she is not suppose to be seen talking to any opposite gender as it shows loose character and it will ruin her prospect of getting married.

According to a survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Pakistan is the world’s third-most dangerous country for women, after Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 Although many people say for them their boys and girls are equal but gender discrimination exists almost in every house. In lower Punjab in average house hold its boys and men of the house gets the food first and then remaining goes to girls. And only boys get education where as girls stay at home.

 In lower Punjab where there is less education honour related crimes are more than other cities.

 This website is about actual incidents which happen in lower Punjab of Pakistan on a daily basis. Keep in mind that only a few of these cases get registered. Mostly honour killing cases remain unreported. Thousands of women get killed in Honour attacks in Pakistan every year. Sometimes the stories behind the honour killings cases are completely different, and they are no way linked to honour killing but are purely murder.

Honour Killings:-                                                                     

                               Honour killing takes place when someone is killed by their family or close relatives on the basis of saving family’s honour or respect. Here most important thing to be defined is Honour, What is honour? And why murder was important to save that honour, and how much they have become honourable after the murder?

Honour:-

           Honour refers to respect , sense of  highest moral principles where no power or influence can interfere human act. Under this context Honourable man is one who has strong sense of ethical conduct.

Honour Killing of a woman is murder by a family member or relative based on  any behaviour which could lead to damaging their honour. Sometimes the reason could be as simple as disobeying a husband, prank calls being received, clothing, marriage, disputes with in-laws, divorce etc. 

Sometimes the motive behind the murder is not just the honour, it could be getting rid of some opponent by making it look like honour killing. It could be revenge against any individual. It could be a property issue. It could be an ego issue and many more. Although it happens in almost all areas of the world, the  ratio is far higher in Muslim countries than in others. Especially in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan , Saudi Arab also India and Bangladesh.

                                                                               Honour Killings And Islam:-   
                          
    Before Islam people use to bury their daughter’s alive in Arab. It was Islam which gave women their rights. Islam does allow a woman to marry man of their choice. But somehow when a woman uses this right then sometimes her own family turn against them. Sadly many Muslim brothers misinterpret Islam and do things in the name of Allah when it has nothing to do with Islam or Allah but pure cruelty which is way of Savage animal and based on custom and purely ignorance. Unfortunately now a day most of Muslims fear their image in their community, their relative rather than fearing Allah. Their prime importance is to create an image in front of their relatives where everybody give them respect and take them an example. For this they would almost do anything to make their relatives and acquaintance happy no matter even it is against the teaching of Islam.  

In Holy Quran punishment for adultery is mentioned in Surah-e-Noor. Which is Chapter 24^th . According to verse 2 “ The woman and the man guilty of fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes:let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and last day: and let a party of believers witness their punishment”.

And then according to verse 4 “ And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations).-flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after:for such men are wicked transgressors:”).

Now the concept of lashes is apply the lashes not to break bones or cause death, but it should hurt the skin only.100 lashes done openly, which indicates the main punishment is the disgrace, not to brutally injured or kill the person. And it should be done after four people who happen to see the incident at the spot come as witnesses.  

No matter where in the world Pakistani families are, their concept of respect “izzat” is of prime importance and most of families tend to be very extremes. Many girls are taken back to Pakistan and forced to marry their as soon as family get any kind of suspicion of their daughters affair, or even simply friendship with boys, or dressing up like western girls. In some cases they take so extreme steps where about they take life of their own daughters in order to keep their faces, so they don’t have to face relatives or other community members. Thing which is not to be neglected is that Pakistani families live in a very close community. They still have cast system, so these families rather than getting criticised or disgraced, thinks the best solution is murder. That is the way people will not criticise them anymore and their honour is returned.

 Every year more than thousands of women get tortured, abused and killed in Pakistan on basis of honour. We all know most of cases goes unreported or recorded as having committed suicide or died in accidents. 
Sometimes both woman as well as man become victims of honour killing by members of the family of a woman with whom they are perceived to have an inappropriate relationship.
                  

KALA, KALI or KARO, KARI
     

Many people misinterpret ‘kala- kali’ or ‘kari- karo’ and honour killing as the same thing. ‘Kari-Karo’ is related to honour killing but is different. it is practiced in Sindh. A whole ‘Punchayat’ make the decision. (A Punchayat is a group of Feudal Landlords or people having the most land and power in an area). This group of people decide the fate of ‘kari’ women and ‘karo’ men who have extramarital relationships. Sometimes rather than killing, the ‘guilty’ are sold to some other person mostly out of the village or forced to commit suicide. Sometimes they have to leave the village. It all depends on the Punchayat.

For example, on April 07, 2009 a woman named Tahira Bibi from district Dera Ghazi Khan was declared ‘Kari’ by the Punchayat. According to details Tahira Bibi was 25 years old and married to Murtaza Mastoi. Her Husband had a suspicion that she was having affair with neighbour. On suspicion of adultery with her neighbour Ramzan Jalbani, the Punchayat decided to sold her to Hasil Khan Talpur for Rs. 200000. Punchayat also ordered Jalbani family to give Rs.800000 as compensation to the Mastoi family.

In another case a girl named perveen bibi resident of Moza Paran Sardar was married to Kaleem Abbas with the agreement of her mother and brothers, But her father Riaz Ahmad was not happy on this marriage because he wanted to get her marry somewhere else. Riaz Ahmad became enemy of his daughter and son-in-law and declared their marriage illegal. On this Punchayat confirmed them kara-kari and decided to kill them both.  Her father and other people were looking for both of them therefore they were compelled to hide in deserted place. She requested protection.

Organ Mutilations:-                                                          

                          Organ mutilation is another common practise in countries like Pakistan , Afghanistan, India. And this act doesn't represent  just extreme anger, but again control. usually it happens when woman ask for divorce or intend to leave her husband. An important fact is , in Muslim  countries man can divorce a woman easily by saying one word three times. " TALAQ" and divorce is done, but if women wants to get divorce she has to go through court which is very long process. 

Mutilation  of organs means leaving victim in agony forever, as its difficult to get a normal life after that, there is not many treatment free of cost for these victims. neither they are accepted by any other person, so far so sometimes even family doesn't except them for matter of their honour. so mostly these women end up living with their abusers.

                             

     

                                                                     

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