Hi there,
Since we’re currently on the subject, here’s a little info on honor killings (just to clear up some misconceptions).
Definition: When a man attacks and kills a female relative of his (using the “heat of passion” defense), whose indiscretions or misfortunes (i.e. alleged pre-marital relations, adultery or rape) have brought shame onto (some of) her family members.
Non-Islamic and/or non-Middle Eastern origins - (practiced in):
Ancient Babylon (1700 BCE) – The Codes of Hammurabi (one of the earliest set of laws discovered) focus on the idea of how a woman’s virginity belongs to her family.
Peru (1200 BCE – 1532 ACE) – Alleged adulterers were punished by having their hands and feet tied to a wall and being left to starve to death. A man was allowed to kill his wife if he caught or suspected her of having an extra-marital affair, while if a woman caught or suspected her husband of doing the same thing and killed him, she was given the death penalty.
The Valley of Mexico (150 BCE –1521 ACE) – The punishment for female adultery was death by stoning or strangulation (only after a husband could prove the offence).
Ancient Rome – If a woman was caught having an extra-marital affair by her husband he was allowed to kill her, while she wasn’t allowed to lay a finger on him if she caught him in the process of committing the exact same “activity”.
Some past Jewish and Christian individuals/states – interpreted their scriptures as to prescribing death by punishment for alleged pre-marital relations and adultery.
Different countries in which honor killings are presently practiced to a certain extent:
(In parts of) Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Great Britain, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey and Uganda.
I would argue that individual non-“Muslim” men/women living within North America or any other region/country, whether or not its mentioned above commit (types of) honor killings (in reference to women) in this day and age as well, in order to “untarnish their dignity/reputations” after they find out that their spouse is having an adulterous affair. I can’t imagine how many stories I’ve heard of this type of activity taking place in especially parts of North America (i.e. when a man takes a shot gun and goes after his wife and sometimes even his own children or when a woman drives a car over her husband: after becoming aware of their mate’s extra-marital affair and killing them in the process).
The men (and sometimes women) who commit them: come from diverse national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and/or associate themselves as followers of different religions. In especially some economically developing countries, they usually come from “lower” socio-economic backgrounds (not to say that “all” financially poor individuals are violent in that sense), although there are a few exceptions and at times a middle-class or upper-class male could very well commit the act as well.
So in conclusion, honor killings are and have been practiced by individuals of especially different national, ethnic, cultural and/or so-called religious backgrounds presently as well as all throughout history (especially going back 2000 years). So honor killings are not: geographically confined to parts of Jordan, acts primarily carried out by some Jordanian citizens (or even “all” Bedouins for that matter), nor are they an Islamic practice in general. The Quran literally states that both a man and woman are not given the death penalty as a punishment for committing adultery (especially considering that specific verses speak of who an adulterer/adulteress should or should not be allowed to marry, which would ultimately mean that they would have to be “alive” in order to marry or not marry someone). In fact the Quran says that if accused of committing adultery, a woman must stand up for herself in court and if she states that she did not commit the act, then the court officials have no other choice but to take her for her word and she’s basically spared of a punishment. Some believe that the same method (in regards to the Quran) is carried out in reference to allegations of pre-marital sex as well.
And yes I agree, any royal and/or politician should attempt to abolish this practice, regardless of who commits it or which country it takes place in.
I got much of my info on this post from the following link:
The Biological Roots of Heat-of-Passion Crimes and Honor Killings