One of the stories by author Nicole Pope in her book “Honor Crimes in the 21st Century (2012) deeply moved me. It tells of a 2002 interview with a Kurdish girl named Rojin, who was under twenty years old and had limited education due to poverty in her hometown of Mardin, located in southeastern Anatolia near the Syrian border.
One day, Rojin was raped in her home by a married man with two wives and children while her brothers were busy farming in the field.
She kept the incident a secret after he threatened that blood would be shed between their families if anyone found out. However, when her pregnancy became visible, she had to tell her older half-sister who lived in a bigger city 40 kilometers away. Her sister quickly took her in to protect her from being killed by their brothers and then informed them, urging them to handle the situation wisely.
The brothers were enraged and felt dishonored, almost killing her despite her innocence. The older sister eventually convinced them to seek justice through the courts. They filed a case against the rapist, who denied the incident.
DNA test results proved he was the father, so he changed his statement, claiming the intercourse was consensual. The judge rejected his change of testimony and sentenced him to eleven years in prison.
Rojin was not allowed to hold her baby even for a moment. Her family forced her to place the child in an orphanage immediately, focusing on marrying her off as quickly as possible to a distant man.
They found an older, poor man living near the Iraqi border and convinced him to marry her in exchange for money.
They found an older, poor man living near the Iraqi border and convinced him to marry her in exchange for money.
Individual Experiences Are Not Enough
A person undergoes two intensely unique experiences that never repeat: birth and death. In between, they must interact with others, as no one can survive without food, clothing, or sexual fulfillment, all of which require adherence to societal financial rules and legal regulations to maintain social peace and security.
Stealing food or clothing cannot be overlooked by society, as it would lead to widespread hunger, nakedness, lack of security, halted production, and market closures due to unchecked theft.
Communism failed to build successful economies due to state monopoly over production tools and suppression of individual economic ambitions, unlike capitalism, which promotes individual ambition, economic transparency, and discourages monopolies.
However, both communism and capitalism are similar in their views on sexual needs, with little regulation, allowing even incestuous relationships to be nearly common.
From both perspectives, maintaining birth rates that balance death rates is crucial to sustain insurance and pension systems across generations, regardless of marriage. The child is seen as a product from the womb, and its legitimacy is often overlooked.
Due to the permissive sexual attitudes in secular societies, where adulthood and consent are the only requirements, marriage has become secondary, and the responsibility of raising children is often avoided. This has led to declining birth rates over a few decades, causing demographic aging, economic downturns, reduced labor forces, intellectual minds, purchasing power, and threatening healthcare and pension systems, potentially leading to societal extinction.
In contrast, Arab and Islamic societies, with their social structures rooted in religion, impose regulatory constraints on sexual fulfillment, mandating marriage and its responsibilities. While there are limited individual cases of non-religious sexual freedom practiced secretly, they remain isolated and do not significantly impact societal growth and movement.
For What Sin Was She Killed
Author Nicole Pope recounts another tragedy in her book involving a young Kurdish girl named Pinar.
After her father was sentenced to eight years in prison for killing a man in a gambling dispute, Pinar was forced to leave her small hometown of Bismil in southeastern Turkey and move to Diyarbakır to work in a textile factory. She did this to support her younger siblings and assist her mother, who worked as a janitor in a hospital.
Pinar rented a simple room with a colleague near her workplace and would return to her family every weekend, bringing gifts and whatever savings she could from her modest salary.
After eight years in prison, her father was released. Her mother, due to his violent behavior, initially refused to take him back, but eventually relented under pressure from her own father.
It wasn’t long before conflicts arose between the parents, leading the mother to expel the father after he threatened her with a knife during an argument. He moved to another city to live with relatives.
Harmful rumors about Pinar’s behavior spread, prompting her father to decide to kill her without any evidence. He even convinced his fifteen-year-old son to help him with the murder, giving him money to travel to Diyarbakır where Pinar worked.
As Pinar crossed the street towards a bakery, her father and brother opened fire, killing her instantly. The brother collapsed at the sight of his sister bleeding on the asphalt and was immediately arrested. The father fled to another distant city but was captured eighteen months later. The brother was sentenced to eight years in prison, while the father received a twenty-year sentence.
The news devastated the mother, who lost her loving daughter and the son who killed her, effectively losing both.
After three and a half years, the son was released but never returned to the family home, starting a new life consumed by the remorse for a sister whose death he could never undo. The father was released after six years.
Pinar’s exact age at the time of her death is unknown, as it was customary in her town to delay issuing birth certificates for a year or two. However, the forensic report confirmed she died a virgin and had not yet turned twenty.
Honor Crimes
The United Nations defines honor crimes as “acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are perceived to have brought shame upon the family.” A woman may be targeted by her family for a variety of reasons, such as stepping outside her socially assigned role, refusing an arranged marriage, being a victim of sexual assault, seeking a divorce (even from an abusive husband), committing adultery, or even being suspected of inappropriate behavior. Thus, merely the perception that a woman has acted in a way that “shames” her family can endanger her life.
Honor Crimes in Islamic Law and Arab Laws
Honor crime rates are high in India, Pakistan, some Latin American countries, and Turkey. In the Arab world, they are notably high in Algeria, Morocco, and Jordan.
Lenient secular laws that contradict Islamic Sharia in many Arab countries regarding honor crimes are a primary reason for their lack of deterrence. The tribal male perspective that views women as part of a man’s honor, warranting their killing for misconduct, contradicts clear Islamic teachings, which do not permit the husband or family to kill an adulteress, let alone for lesser violations. Islam does not allow individuals to bypass judicial and executive authorities in issuing and executing judgments.
Some Secular Laws on Honor Crimes In The Arab World Contradict Islamic Sharia.
The Egyptian Penal Code contradicts Islamic Sharia regarding adultery punishment and the inequality between the penalties for men and women in cases of adultery and honor crimes. Article 237 of the Egyptian Penal Code states, “Whoever surprises his wife in the act of adultery and kills her immediately, as well as the man committing adultery with her, shall be punished by imprisonment,” instead of the harsher penalties stipulated for premeditated murder.
Article 273 states, “The prosecution of an adulteress is only permissible upon the husband’s complaint,” and Article 274 states, “A married woman proven to have committed adultery shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, but her husband may suspend the execution of this sentence by agreeing to cohabit with her as before.” Article 277 states, “Any husband who commits adultery in the marital home and is proven guilty by his wife’s complaint shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.”
This means that adultery cases are only accepted upon the spouse’s complaint against the other party, and a man’s adultery outside the marital home is not considered, while a woman can be accused of adultery whether it occurs inside or outside the marital home.
Similarly, the Jordanian Penal Code contradicts Islamic Sharia regarding adultery punishment and the inequality between the penalties for men and women in cases of adultery and honor crimes.
Article 282 states, “An adulterer and adulteress with mutual consent shall be punished by imprisonment for one to three years. The punishment shall not be less than two years for a married adulterer or adulteress. The punishment for adultery in the marital home for either party shall be three years.”
The Jordanian House of Representatives approved the Legal Committee’s decision to reduce the punishment for consensual adultery from one to three years to six months to two years. They also approved reducing the imprisonment term for married adulterers from two years to a minimum of one year and reducing the punishment for adultery in the marital home from three years to two years.
Article 98 of the Jordanian Penal Code No. 16 of 1960, which benefits perpetrators of honor crimes by reducing their punishment, states, “The perpetrator of a crime who committed it in a state of intense anger resulting from an unproven and dangerous act by the victim benefits from mitigating circumstances. The perpetrator does not benefit from the mitigating excuse mentioned in paragraph (1) of this article if the act occurred against a female outside the scope of Article (340) of this law.”
Article 340 states, “Whoever catches his wife, or one of his female ascendants, descendants, or sisters in the act of committing adultery or in an unlawful bed and kills her immediately, as well as the man committing adultery with her, or kills them both, or assaults one or both of them, resulting in injury, harm, permanent disability, or death, benefits from the same excuse. Similarly, the wife who catches her husband in the act of committing adultery or in an unlawful bed in the marital home and kills him immediately, as well as the woman committing adultery with him, or kills them both, or assaults one or both of them, resulting in injury, harm, permanent disability, or death, benefits from the same excuse. The right of self-defense does not apply to those benefiting from this excuse, and the provisions of aggravating circumstances do not apply to those benefiting from mitigating excuses.”
On the other hand, the Saudi Code of Criminal Procedure and its implementing regulations align with Islamic Sharia regarding adultery punishment and equality between men and women, as well as honor crime punishment. For example, Article 165 states, “It is not permissible to bind or restrain the person subject to the punishment of adultery or intoxicants during the implementation of the prescribed punishment if it is established by confession. If he withdraws his confession or escapes, the execution procedures must be stopped, and the papers referred to the court that issued the judgment to decide what it deems appropriate.”
Baashiqa
The stories of honor crimes mentioned by writer Nicole Pope in her book continue. In 2007, the city of Baashiqa, in the Mosul district of Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq, witnessed the tragedy of 17-year-old Dua Khalil Aswad, a member of the Yazidi faith.
Dua was deceived by her uncle to leave the house where she was hiding. She was then quickly taken to the outskirts of the city to be stoned by around 2,000 angry people, including some of her relatives. Her cries and pleas for help did not stop the frenzied stoning, which lasted for more than half an hour and was recorded on mobile phones by some of those present.
In the end, someone threw a concrete block on her head, causing her to take her last breath. Her body was discarded in a dump for dead animals. The forensic report showed that Dua died a virgin.
A year after her death, her father complained to the authorities that no one had been charged, despite his daughter committing no crime. Her only fault was falling in love with a Muslim boy who wanted to marry her. The father couldn’t protect her after receiving threats from his brother and the tribe that they would kill them all if he stood against them.
Islam is Innocent of Honor Crimes
Islam sets strict and nearly impossible conditions for proving adultery, requiring four just male witnesses to describe the act in complete detail. This makes it almost impossible to convict someone unless they confess or the act is done openly.
It appears that the true purpose of the punishment for adultery in Islam is not to prevent the act itself, despite its severe prohibition, but rather to prevent it from being openly displayed so that it does not spread in society and destabilize the family structure. Those who commit it secretly in private do not have a harmful impact on society that warrants pursuing or spying on them. Therefore, Islam prefers to leave the door open for them to repent and return to proper conduct, even if it takes time.
In Islam, the crime of murder is one of the gravest sins, punishable by retribution (qisas) in this world. Allah says in Surah An-Nisa: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, their recompense is Hell, to abide therein; and the wrath and curse of Allah are upon them, and a great punishment is prepared for them.” This applies unless the murderer repents or the death penalty is enforced according to the majority of scholars.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, in his book “Madarij al-Salikin,” says: “The correct view, and Allah knows best, is that if the murderer repents sincerely for the sake of Allah and voluntarily surrenders to the heir to allow them to claim their right, both rights (Allah’s and the heir’s) are waived. However, the right of the deceased remains with Allah, and He will compensate the victim as part of His forgiveness for the murderer, because the victim’s suffering is not remedied by the execution of the murderer. Sincere repentance erases what came before it, so the victim is compensated for their grievance, and the murderer is not punished due to their complete repentance.”
Ubadah ibn al-Samit said: “We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in a gathering, and he said, ‘Pledge allegiance to me that you will not associate anything with Allah, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor kill anyone whom Allah has forbidden except by right. Whoever among you fulfills this, their reward is with Allah. Whoever commits any of these sins and is punished for it, that serves as their expiation. Whoever commits any of these sins and Allah conceals it for them, their matter is with Allah; if He wills, He will forgive them, and if He wills, He will punish them.'”
There is no basis for honor crimes in Islam, even if a woman is proven to have committed adultery. None of her relatives bear responsibility for her actions. Allah says in Surah Az-Zumar, “…and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another…”
It is not permissible for a husband to kill his wife caught in adultery, and he would be punished by death if he kills her or the person she is committing adultery with.
In Sahih Muslim, narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Sa’d bin ‘Ubada said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I found a man with my wife, would I not touch him until I bring four witnesses?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘Yes.’ Sa’d said, ‘No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I would strike him with the sword before that.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘Listen to what your leader is saying. He is very jealous, and I am more jealous than him, and Allah is more jealous than me.'”
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned this issue in his book “Zad al-Ma’ad fi Hadi Khayr al-‘Ibad” (5/362), saying: “This indicates that if a man kills someone in his home and claims that he found him with his wife or family, he is to be killed for it, and his claim is not accepted. If it were accepted, blood would be wasted, and anyone who wanted to kill a man could bring him into his home and claim that he found him with his wife.”
Islam permits a husband who catches his wife committing adultery to use the process of “lian” (mutual cursing) in front of a judge if he does not have four just Muslim male witnesses to the act. If the wife denies the accusation, the judge permanently separates them, disowns the child from the husband, and attributes it to the mother if it is proven she is pregnant. No worldly punishment is imposed on the wife, and the curse in the afterlife falls on whichever of them is lying.
Allah says in Surah An-Nur: “And those who accuse their wives [of adultery] and have no witnesses except themselves, then the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful. And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars. But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the liars. And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful.”
Honour and Killing Do Not Coexist
In many societies, an offense to a person’s honor or dignity often triggers a violent reaction, sometimes leading to murder. But why is the concept of honor tied to the behavior of a man’s female relatives in some cultures, while in others, like Japan, honor is linked to a man’s responsibilities and their fulfillment?
A samurai commits seppuku (ritual suicide) by disembowelment with a sword if he is about to fall into enemy hands or face defeat. This practice extends to some Japanese corporate executives who commit suicide if they fail to manage their companies or incur losses, and tragically, some children commit suicide if they are bullied by their peers.
Killing due to a perceived or actual offense to dignity is not a solution but an unjustifiable escape towards oblivion.
