An honor killing or honour killing

[1]

is the killing of a member of a family or social group by other

members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. Honor killings are directed mostly against women and girls, but have been extended to men. The perceived dishonor is normally the result of one of the following behaviors, or the suspicion of such behaviors: dressing in a manner unacceptable to the family or community, wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage or desiring to marry by own choice, especially if to a member of a social group deemed inappropriate, engaging in heterosexual acts outside marriage and engaging in homosexual acts. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesstate that claims made by LGBT persons often reveal exposure to physical and sexual violence, extended periods of detention, medical abuse, threat of execution and honour killing."
[2]

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that perhaps as many as 5,000 women and girls a year are killed by members of their own families.
[3]

Many women's groups in the

[4]

Middle East and Southwest Asia suspect the victims are at least four times more.

Definitions
In the modern age, the term was first used by a Dutch scholar of Turkish society, Ane Nauta Nauta sought a term that could be used in distinguish honor killings from blood feuds. Human Rights Watch defines "honor killings" as follows: Honor killings are acts of vengeance, usually death, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorceeven from an abusive husbandor (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life.
[7] [6]

in 1978.

The loose term "honor killing" applies to killing of both males and females in cultures that practice it.
[citation needed]

[8]

For

example, during the year 2002 in Pakistan, it is estimated that 245 women and 137 men were killed in the name of Karo-kari in Sindh .

Some women who bridge social divides, publicly engage other communities, or adopt some of the customs or the religion of an outside group may be attacked. In countries that receive immigration, some otherwise low-status immigrant men and boys have asserted their dominant patriarchal status by inflicting honor killings on women family members who have participated in public life, for example in feminist and integration politics.
[9]

There is some evidence that homosexuality can also be perceived as grounds for honor killing by relatives. In one case, a gay Jordanian man was shot and wounded by his brother.
[11][12] [10]

In another case, a

homosexual Turkish student, Ahmet Yildiz, was shot outside a cafe and later died in hospital. Sociologists have called this Turkey's first publicized gay honor killing.

In Brazil, among rural regions but even in the metropolis, non-heterosexual children, specially boys or transgirls, can be killed if disclosed. It has roots in a more virulent version of Latin Americanmachismo. However, it is more common for them to suffer some psychological and physical abuse without deadly consequences, be driven from their homes or be accepted, in varying degrees. People with higher educational levels, higher income, younger, female (most of non-heterosexual Brazilians receive violence mainly from their fathers when it does occur), residents of urban areas, irreligious persons, non-Christian religious minorities or Christians who are European or Asian descendants and Roman Catholics who are Afro-descendants, and people from the Southern, Southeastern andCentral-Western regions, tend to better accept non-heterosexual children than other Brazilians. Anyway, the first time a non-heterosexual Brazilian suffers homophobia, biphobia or transphobia tends to be within the family among all social groups. Feminist groups characterize the dominant societal attitudes in Brazil as deeply sexist and homophobic, and this would be the reason for an abnormal number compared to more developed countries of non-heterosexual youth suffering bullying or committing suicide, and there is a number of homophobic extermination gangs even in regions where far-right and white supremacist groups being unimaginable. Brazil is already in #2 place of this kind of movement in Latin America after Argentina. Since this kind of violence which is usually motivated by extremist ideologies appears to have come with great strength and very quickly to the country despite its limitations within globalization and its unique features, homophobic extermination groups may have originated in a very homophobic culture native to Brazilian society. Men can also be the victims of honor killings by members of the family of a woman with whom they are perceived to have an inappropriate relationship.
[13

Forced marriage hell

Jessie was just 17 and on her first visit abroad when she realised the man she had been introduced to was not just her cousin... he was her future husband. He was a foreign stranger more than twice her age. The British teenager had flown from her London home thinking she was going on a family holiday to Bangladesh, but the shocking reality was her parents planned to force her to marry her 40-year-old cousin. In desperation, she phoned the British Embassy while her father was out at a prayer meeting. Officials rescued her just hours before the wedding.
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In name of honour, family kills daughter in Uttar Pradesh

SAHARANPUR: In a case of honour killing, a girl was shot dead allegedly by her family members for eloping with her lover in Sahankhedi village here, police said on Saturday. 20-year-old Rekha eloped with Yogesh, a resident of neighbouring village Mirzapur, on September 7, Circle Officer Vishal Vikram Singh said. On Friday, the family members of the two caught hold of them and took the duo to their respective homes. Later, the girl's relatives allegedly shot her dead and cremated the body, he said adding investigations were on.
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Honour killing: Court awards death to five members of family

NEW DELHI: Five members of a family have been awarded death sentence by a court in a case of honour killing in which the bride's brother-in-law was murdered by her brothers and close relatives in the national capital. The 'Shia' girl had married the brother of the victim, who belonged to 'Sunni' sect, against the wishes of her family.
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Bidar boy, girl victims of honour killing?

BIDAR: The charred bodies of a couple were found in Sicunderapur forests in Bidar taluk on Wednesday. The deceased have been identified as Vinod (25) and Renuka (22), both residents of Bakachaudi village. The police said that Vinod and Renuka were in love for many years. But both the families objected to their relationship because they were brother and sister in a blood relation. So, Renukas brother Omkarappa with help from a few of his friends killed the couple. The lovers continued their relationship even after repeated warnings from their family members, police officials said.
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Parents kill teenage girl

NALGONDA: In yet another case of honour killing in Nalgonda district, a 15-year-old tribal girl was killed by her parents as she was found to be in her seventh month of pregnancy. While the foetus was removed with a knife, the girl, Banothu Sunita, was allegedly buried after her parents throttled her to death. This shocking incident took place in Sakrunaik thanda in Devarakonda mandal.
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Shafilea Ahmed parents charged over suspected 'honour killing'

The parents of Shafilea Ahmed, the victim of a suspected "honour killing" almost eight years ago, have been charged with murder and appeared before magistrates on Wednesday. Shafilea, 17, disappeared from her home town of Warrington, Cheshire, in September 2003. Her badly decomposed remains were found in February 2004 on the banks of the River Kent in Cumbria, following a flood. She had hoped to study law at university and become a solicitor. Her inquest heard that the most likely cause of death was strangulation or suffocation.
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Two men claim victim in honor killing case

The case of a man who was killed by the relatives of a woman who falsely accused him of raping her has divided courts over whether or not the term honor killing applies solely to murders committed against women. The First Penal Department of the Supreme Court of Appeals first overturned a ruling issued by a local Istanbul court that refused to recognize the murder of smet K. as an honor killing.
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Gang rape victim sets herself on fire

SARGODHA: A woman, who was gang raped, set herself on fire on Saturday. According to villagers in Degwal, a young girl Mehreen was raped by three youths after being abducted from her house on August 8. She was taken from the fields where she was cutting fodder for the animals. She was there with her brother-in-law when the landlords servants abducted her, said a neighbour Laiba Bibi. We took her to the hospital and they issued a medical report stating the girl had been gang raped, she added.

According to Mehreens suicide note, she was being taunted and abused by women in the village. They told me that I was damaged and that after what happened to me I should never again be allowed to walk in the streets of the village. They told me that I had brought dishonor on my family, Mehreen had written. She said that this was when she decided to sprinkle petrol over herself and set herself on fire. I want to bring an end to my familys misery as well as my own, she said.
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Man questioned for murder of daughter

AMMAN - A 45-year-old man is currently being questioned in connection with the shooting death of his widowed daughter, 24, in one of the Kingdoms governorates, official sources said. The suspect, who was not identified by officials, reportedly shot his daughter in a hospital on Saturday, shortly after she delivered twins, a senior official source said. The suspect fled and was arrested by authorities shortly afterwards, Police Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Mohammad Khatib said.
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Sindhi women publicly announce free-will marriages

HYDERABAD: Honour killings and forced marriages in Sindh receive wide attention in the national media. What is less well-known is that young women from the province frequently publish announcements in Sindhi newspapers declaring their intention to marry of their own free will. As a way of fending off allegations that they have been kidnapped or have committed adultery, it is a bold move by these women but is known to few people beyond the readership of these regional papers.
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