AMMAN, Jordan - A Jordanian man fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter whom he suspected of having sex despite a medical exam that proved her chastity, an official said Thursday. The man surrendered to police hours after the killing, saying he had done it for family honor.
A state forensic pathologist, who works at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Amman where an autopsy was performed, said in a phone interview that the girl had run away from home several times for unknown reasons.
Weeks ago, the girl had returned home from a family protection clinic after doctors had vouched for her virginity and the father had signed a pledge not to harm her, the pathologist said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case. more…
What I find more outrageous than the slap-on-the-wrist kind of punishment this man is going to get, is the fact that the father was not even angry when he killed his own daughter, no he planned the murder of his 17 year-old daughter! And whether he convinced those in charge at the family protection clinic that he would not harm his daughter or they were simply apathetic to what he was up to, as long as he signed that paper is another thing to think about.
6 months in jail and the honorless father will be out doing his normal things, like watching TV and keeping an eye on his other daughters and female relatives. Long live ignorance. I don’t believe that jail time gives people consciences, but for God’s sake if you must punish a cold-blooded murderer thinking he had just saved his honor by taking him to jail at least make it a bit longer so that he’d think twice next time.
I can not understand how can a father kill a daughter or a brother shoot a sister. Even if she wasn’t a virgin how could he kill her?!! end her life because he probably value what people think and say about him more. I wonder what goes through honor killers’ minds before they kill a female relative, what are their last thoughts, what do they tell their victims if they bother talking to them. “I need to kill you so that people will stop talking about us, torturing us with their eyes”, or maybe something like “I will kill you because it’s the only way to stop worrying about where you are and whether you’re still a virgin”. Very disturbing.
I agree. How deceived does one have to be to value one’s “honor” over the life of a loved one?
Agressive women movement is needed to make law makers in Jordan wake up …Wake up plzzz
It has got to stop.
Why does this continue to take place in Jordan? Well, simply because the cop who’ll take the honor-seeker murderer to jail, the judge who’ll issue the punishment, the officer at the police station, the driver of the police car, the neighbor next door, the guy standing by watching him getting caught, the one who’ll write the article in the newspaper, the Friday Imam, his father, grandfather, male cousins, relatives, and practically EVERYONE in Jordan would do the same thing if they were in his shoes! And simply because he who won’t actually pull the trigger will pull it every single day in other ways that would make his daughter wish that he pulled it the first time. It’s because 99% of Jordanians cannot stand the sight of their female relatives merely talking to any male stranger. This is why this continue to happen in Jordan.
I am shocked, I thought Jordan was a reasonably liberal country by Middle Eastern standards…
I agree with Arab Lady and Omar. It continues to happen because people let it happen and passively stand by (the punishment seems to be similar to tax evasion…).
This reminds me of similar stories from Saudi, where heinous crimes against women go pretty much unpunished.
I can only imagine the hellish realities that too many women have to live through.
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Interestingly, women in Indonesia have been increasingly making their voices known on women’s rights issues - and now for example laws banning polygany are being mooted, some politicians and Muslim preachers have been outed and shamed for polyganous practices. It’s sounds about time similar movements started growing in the Middle East.
Arab lady, in reply to your post: http://arablady.blogspot.com/2007/01/i-woke-up-this-morning-trying-to-be.html
please know that honor killings are not exclusive to Muslims, they were committed by Christians before but the reason why the number of Muslim killers is more is because Christians are a minority in Jordan as well as the Arab world. Now I don’t know why do you say you’re frightened, do you think you’re in danger? and if so why? you said and I quote:
I’m sorry but I think you’re exaggerating, you refer to culture as your brothers’ and fathers’ and not yours, I know you’re angry but this culture is yours as much as it’s theirs and this should be why you’re pissed off and eager to change what is wrong about it. You say you’re afraid of when your turn comes and your brother shoot you, and you wanna run, but what I see is an unknown girl with an Internet connection describing herself as: “Arab female trying to survive in the ARAB CULTURE” while she leads a perfectly normal life, has a loving supportive family but for some reason HATES the Arab culture and Muslims. This is not the right way to support women and their rights, if you think playing the victim’s role will help anyone please stop because what you’re doing is making your father and brothers, and literally every single man you know look like a beast, but mainly it’s you who’s hurt and it’s you who is consumed and controlled by all those negative feelings you have. If you’re really frightened, and you think that you may actually get killed by your family if they ever see you with a guy, think well then if you still think it’s a possibility (even though from reading your posts it doesn’t look like you’re suffering in anyway, but of course I might be wrong)so anyway, if you still think it’s a possibility, then weigh your options and be wise about it. You seem like a nice girl who has a really good family, don’t lose them over something unworthy.
I hope you don’t take anything personally.
John, Jordan is not a liberal country by the western definition of the word, we’re still conservative in general (Amman is somehow an exception, you have a mix of everything, liberals, lost souls and moderates) but not fanatic! honor crimes still happen in some parts of the country away from the capital where simple people with simple minds live. Simple minds=dangerously ignorant.
You know I think most of our problems stem from the fact that we care too much about what other people think. It might seem related to beliefs, but really it isn’t because both the religious who knows he must not kill his daughter even if she committed adultery and the other guy who doesn’t even believe in God will have the same reaction to such a thing. Those men were told that it’s disgraceful to their honor since they were kids in more than one way , and what they see is not a girl meeting a guy, but a girl ****** by a guy infront of everyone they know, and it’s very insulting and degrading to their manhood that they couldn’t prevent it even though ever since that girl was a child they’ve been trying to protect her from the prostitute inside her!
What is even more disturbing is that they’ve been fed this shit by their moms too, and this is one thing I just can’t understand.
I shouldn’t speak for Arablady, but it is perfectly normal to be very angry and critical of something that is yours and that you love (in her case Arab society).
I found her wholey unapologetic view of the ills of Arab culture refreshing - I find myself thinking in similar ways about western culture.
She may have a great family, but her post gives a voice to all the women who /are/ petrified of their “loving” families, and essentially has a ring of truth (even tho she may not be in that position herself — it’s tough to know what exactly her situation is, and it doesn’t /really/ matter).
Islam in this case is a red herring, this does happen in many cultures (and doesn’t happen in all Muslim cultures!) her point is (I reckon) that it’s a cancer in ARABIC society and it needs to be dealt with.
Last point, why oh why is having sex such a big deal in Arabic culture?? (seriously, I would like to hear some answers about that!!) It seems Arabs are too obsessed with and paranoid about sex.
John, I thought about your question: “why is having sex such a big deal in Arabic culture?” and you know what, I really don’t know, but it might be helpful to know that it’s not sex as much as it’s any kind of relationship with males. Maybe it has to do with the stupid ego of men, being territorial and just primitive if you know what I mean. For example, my reputation can and will suffer if I announce my relationships (the mere talking to guys) or if I was spotted by certain people with a guy(s).
Hello
Very interesting information! Thanks!
Bye