honour killings presentation pcom640
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Comparative policy analysis between Jordan, Pakistan and Canada.TRANSCRIPT
HONOUR KILLINGS
JORDAN, PAKISTAN & CANADA
SNEHA KULKARNI PCOM 640
FEBRUARY 20, 2011
An Equal Right to Life?
An Equal Right to Life?
An Equal Right to Life?
5000 women killed each year in the name of honour (UNCPA, 2000)
“Honour killings are murders carried out by family members against girls and women, who are believed to have committed a sexual indiscretion, or to have caused gossip related to sexual behaviour that besmirches the honour of the family “ (Warrick, 2005)
The Victims
Samia Sarwar 1999 Pakistan Shot and killed in attorney’s office as she filed
for divorce from her abusive husband Murder organized by her own parents
(Warrick, 2005)
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/909948.stm
The Victims
17 year old Jordanian girl shot eight times after revealing she was raped and impregnated by her father’s friend
Family could not afford
abortion
Killed by father & brother
(Arnold, 2001)
What constitutes “honour”?
Socially constructed concept
Warrick (2005) describes the concept of honour as being largely associated to social standing on the basis of moral behaviour
In Arab countries a man’s honour is closely intertwined with the chastity of his female relatives
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All forms of
Discrimination Against Women
CEDAW is the most comprehensive women’s rights treaty in the world
Ratified in 1981 and has support of 186 nations
Mandates countries to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, including discriminatory customs or religious practices (Arnold, 2001)
Upholding CEDAW?
2002 UN report on Violence against Women found honour killings still take place in
Pakistan JordanTurkey SyriaEgypt
LebanonIran
Morocco
JORDAN
Jordan’s Hypocrisy
Signing member of CEDAW
Pre-meditated murder punishable by death
BUT
Article 340 – provides exculpatory or mitigating excuse for defendant who kills, wounds, or injures a female relative, who is
found to be committing an act of adultery
Research shows men convicted of honour killing in Jordan receive one month to one year in prison
(Arnold, 2001)
PAKISTAN
Pakistan’s Policies
Pakistan is signing member of CEDAW
Former President Pervez Musharraf publically condemns honour killing
Calls on courts to investigate honour killings as the same as pre-meditated murder
(Knudsen, 2004)
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
Pakistan’s Conflicting Laws
1998-2004 – 4000 Pakistani women/girls killed in honour killings (Amnesty, 2006)
1990 Qisas and Diyat Law – allows victim’s heirs to close criminal investigations, facilitate a pardon, and accept monetary compensation from an accused, instead of trying the alleged killer in court (Knudsen, 2004)
Private compensation versus the public administration of justice
(Knudsen, 2004)
Crimes without Borders
Canada’s Crimes of Honour
17 year old Amandeep
Atwal Stabbed to
death in B.C. by father in 2003. He
disapproved of her
relationship.
20 year old Khatera Sidiqi and her fiance were shot to death in Ottawa in 2006 by Sidiqi’s brother. Her brother claimed she was disrespectful of her brother.
Asqa Parvez 16Killed in Mississauga in 2007 by her brother and father over arguments about hearing a hijab.
Shafia sisters, ages 10, 9, and 17, were found dead in a submerged car in Ottawa in 2009. The girls’ parents and brother were charged with first degree murder.
Source: CBC, 2009
Canada’s Stance
Investigation, prosecution, and sentencing for killers
Immigration information booklet amended in 2009 to clearly state the country’s views…
“Canada’s openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, honour killing…or other gender based violence.”
(Carlsen,2009)
Upholding CEDAW
Recognizing Women’s Rights
Recognizing Women’s Rights
Moving Forward
International community must intervene and pressure states to uphold CEDAW obligations
Tangible government commitment to repeal gender-biased laws
Honour killings must be viewed as cold-blooded murder
Awareness efforts to educate men and women about women’s rights
References
Amnesty international (1999). PAKISTAN: Honor killings of women and girls.
Retrieved from http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA33/018/1999
Arnold, K. (2001). Are the Perpetrators of Honor Killings Getting Away With
Murder? Article 340 of the Jordanian Penal code Analyzed Under the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. American University International Law Review. 16, 1343-1409.
Chesler, P. (2010). Worldwide trends in honor killings. Middle East Quarterly. 17 (2). 3-11.
Caplan, G. (2010). Honour killings in Canada: even worse than we believe. The Globe
and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/honour-
killings-in-canada-even-worse-than-we-believe/article1650228/
References
Carlsen, K. (2009). New citizenship guide says no to 'barbaric' practices. The National Post Retrieved from
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2216251#ixzz1DR7D7u2Z
Human Rights Watch (2004). Honoring the Killers: Justice Denied for “Honor” Killings in Jordan. Retrieved from
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/12141/section/1
Knudsen, A. (2004). License to Kill: Honour Killings in Pakistan. Chr. Michelson Reports (Working Paper). Retrieved from http://
ebookbrowse.com/1737-license-to-kill-honour-killings-in-pakistan-pdf-d16959785
UN Women (2002). Facts and Figures on VAW. Retrieved form http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/
violence_against_women/facts_figures.php?page=4
United Nations Populations Fund (2000) State of the World Population: Chapter 3 Violence Against Women and Girls http://
www.unfpa.org/swp/2000/english/ch03.html
References
United Nations Development Program. (2002). Human development report. Retrieved from
http://www.undp.org/hdr2002/
Warrick, C. (2005). The vanishing victim: criminal law and gender in jordan. Law & Society
Review. 30 (2), 315-348