Honor Killings: Islamic Perspective

Group members:
Rohma Nasim
Ayesha Hassan
Maheen Majid
Seemal Arif
Mahnoor Quddus

Introduction:
Honor Killings, also known as "shame killings", are the murder of an individual or a member of
the family trying to protect the dignity of their family. Most cases show that a woman or a girl is
murdered by their male family members in the name of honor. Honor killings are often
associated with religion, caste or creed, etc. as the culprit believes that the victim has somehow
brought disrespect upon the moral values of a family. Victims of honor killing include men as
well, who are often accused by their family members of having inappropriate relationships.

This issue has evolved over a long time starting from 1780 B.C, Babylon (modern-day Iraq)
prescribed a set of rules which were enacted by King Hammurabi which later become a way of
life. Under the code, the sexuality of a woman was made the property of her husband and if
caught in the act of adultery, she was tied to her lover and cast into the water to drown. Then in
17 BCE, Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, introduced the Julian Laws under which adultery
was enforced as a public and private crime. Under this law, the patriarch of the family could
legally kill his wife or daughter on the allegation of adultery. In 510 CE, widows were often
encouraged to set themselves on fire along with the dead bodies of their husbands to ensure that
they can have a "peaceful life" after death, this practice was common in the area known as
Madhya Pradesh in Central India. In the Pre 7th Century, in the Arabian Peninsula before the
spread of Islam, female infants were buried alive so that they would not be a source of shame
towards their tribe. Furthermore, in the 17th century, honor killings locally known as "Karo
Kari" were done to those who have disgraced their families by committing adultery with the first
incident recorded in Sindh during the Talpur reign.

To stop the increasing trend of honor killings in the 20th century, Saddam Hussein, President of
Iraq took a further step by implementing a law that banned men from prosecuting and punishing
their female family members and at the same time, India saw an increase in female feticide in
states like Punjab and Haryana. Similarly, in 2004 Pakistan took a further step by introducing the
criminal law that prevented an individual from committing honor killings and the law stated that
no pardon will be given to the accused if found guilty, which was punishable by a prison term of
seven years or death penalty in extreme cases. Prime minister Shaukat Aziz's advisor mentioned
in 2003 that more than 1261 women were victims of honor killings, furthermore the laws of a
hudood ordinance passed by General Zia ul Haq reduced the legal protection of women which
made it riskier for many women to come forward and attest to being a rape victim to nullify this
in 2006, women's protection bill was implemented. Moreover, in 2014, the Anti-Honor killings
law was introduced to bridge the gaps that were in previous laws to bring more offenders to
court. In 2016, Pakistan revoked the loophole which allowed the offenders of honor killings to
avoid punishment by seeking forgiveness for the crime from another family member and thus be
legally pardoned.

https://herald.dawn.com/news/1153470/the-evolution-of-honour-killing#:~:text=17th
%20Century,in%20areas%20across%20the%20country.

In Pakistan, honor killings are done in gruesome ways, some of them are as follows: lethal acid
attacks, stoning to death, burning alive, beheading, strangulation and shooting to death, etc.
Ignorant and backward-minded communities kill women in the name of honor despite the laws
that have been passed, a decrease has not been observed and the killings have continued. There is
a dominant patriarchal culture that leads to double standards between both the sexes, males and
females, as males are instinctively given the upper hand. This gives them more opportunities in
comparison to females as they are allowed to socialize more and even if they commit an offense
against the moral values of their family nothing much is done. However, if a female does the
same, she might be killed in the name of honor, and in those cases when violence occurs, Islam
is often dragged as a justification.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2311429/honour-killings-religion-or-culture

Honor killings in Pakistan often happen due to multiple reasons such as refusal of an arranged
marriage and seeking a divorce. An allegation against a woman creates a negative image of the
family which could trigger an honor killing as the family fears ostracization. Rape victims face
severe violence, including honor killings, from their families and relatives. These victims suffer
from emotional and physical abuse by their family members especially if a victim becomes
pregnant. Lastly, having forbidden relationships with men or vice versa, who are of different
religious backgrounds and castes also leads to honor killing.

This issue is significant, and more people should be aware that honor killings still take place in
this modern-day age. As 95% of victims are women, they should be aware of their basic human
rights. Women are often not given education and are deprived of their basic needs ultimately
being discarded whenever men feel like it. Condemning this would not only spread awareness
but would provide sufficient funding that would aid the victims of honor killings. Efforts have
been made when an awareness team consisting of males and females would be sent to different
villages where sessions would be held alongside influential people and the heads of each village.
Leaflets with information against honor killings would be handed out as well for greater impact.

One of the most remembered cases of honor killings was the murder of Qandeel Baloch 2016,
who was a Pakistani model, and actress. She was strangled to death by her brother who believed
that she was dishonoring the family by not following the family values. Over time many
documentaries and movies have been made to spread awareness of honor killings for example
the Pakistani television drama "Cheekh" about the trials of a woman who seeks justice for the
murder of her friend and "Ghairat" another popular television drama that talks about Saba who
gets burned alive by her brother due to the restrictions imposed on her by the patriarchal norms
of the society. Lastly, "Baaghi" was produced in memory of Qandeel Baloch. Moreover, a
documentary called Honor Diaries was released that featured nine women's rights advocates who
talk about the right to education, forced marriages, and female genital mutilation to be a change
in their communities and hopefully inspire viewers to learn more about these problems and bring
about a change. Similarly, in 2014 a film called Honor was produced that depicted a British
Pakistani couple in which a young girl is threatened to be killed by her family as she did not
follow the prescribed family values when she wanted to be in a relationship with her own choice
instead of giving in to the demands of her family.

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-stop-honor-killing-through-awareness-program/
Even though the media pays attention to the issue of honor killings but so many people have
become desensitized that they turn a blind eye to it. This issue thrives mainly due to the silenced
community, slow-paced action against the perpetrators, and lack of sufficient evidence. Due to
these very reasons, change is slow, especially in the way people think. The mindset of
individuals can be changed if education is provided, human rights are given importance and the
offenders are legally punished.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/21582440211022323
In the Islamic aspect, the killing of any innocent soul is forbidden and honor killings without a
doubt are banned in Islam. Surah Furqan Verse 68, Surah Noor Verse 93 and 4, Surah Al
Ma'idah Verse 32, and Surah Al-Nisa Verse 34 are all verses of the Quran that mention how
Allah All-Mighty has ordained curse to those who kill for self-purpose, especially for self-
respect and honor.
"whoever kills a believer intentionally, their reward will be Hell, to abide therein forever, and the
wrath and the curse of Allah are upon them, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for them." (4/93)
The unlawful killing of a Muslim is a grave crime.
"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and The
Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him"
[al-Nisa' 4:93]
It is a transgression as an individual who does not deserve it gets killed. If a virgin commits
adultery according to the shar'i, she should be banished for one year and not executed. The one
who kills that person has killed a soul which has been forbidden to be killed.
"And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah
has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse ___ and whoever does
this shall receive the punishment.