Honor Killing: The Crime Denied....

The UN reports that more than 1,000 women are killed in Pakistan in the name of 'honour' every year. According to the latest survey in year 2007 1,317 women in Pakistan were killed in the name of honour, about thousands which are not registered. The law seems to be deliberately blind to these incidents and there hasn’t been any serious action taken on this. Read all about how Khalida Brohi is helping to end silence on this issue within Pakistan and internationally.

Violence against women exists in many forms, affecting the women mentally and physically. But the worst form which snatches away the lives of thousands of women each year is honour killing. It is the name given to the crime carefully wrapped under the veil of customs which is neither Islamic, nor any other religion might promote it. Honour killing is the inhuman act which even though it is present worldwide, has been denied existence.

The hideous custom is a dark reality in Pakistan , from thousand years, women suffer in the form of death, which to their men is restoration of there honour. Women slightly suspected of conducting an illicit relationship, face hideous forms of death. They are stoned, bullet shot, beaten until dead, and attacked by axes, by their brothers, fathers, husband and even cousins.

Women keep on being a victim to the vicious custom which is more of a business used to take over lands, other women, solve money matters and to ensure men still have the power against women.

“S was killed by her brother just because he had a fight with the neighbourhood boy and killing his sister gave him a chance to say that they both had an illicit relationship”.

“A girl was brutally murdered by her father on “suspicion” of illicit relationships in Sukkar this February. The father chopped the body and interred it without a proper burial ceremony.

The accused Pandi Jatoi used an axe to cut the body into pieces. The girl cried and tried to prove her innocence by holding the Holy Quran.

Police expressed their ignorance about the incident. However, some sources in the police confirmed that their colleagues were deliberately concealing the matter”.

The killing of a woman in a community leaves the others psychologically threatened. Under the customs the killer ought to be more proud and satisfied to have done such an honourable act. The question is, what kind of an honour is it to kill a mother, daughter, sister and wife?

There is no answer, in fact there hasn’t been any answer to it at all, women keep on being the slaughter animals used when needed. Criminals run free and the crime is denied with the name of honour.

Now, when we believe the world is taking a turn in modernization, there are still women who fear day and night they might be killed on no basis at all. Women live in the shadow of weapons to their heads, they are slaves to their own households. People decide whom to kill and when, and find even the late service of dinner a reason to thrash the women with axes.

Honour Killing does not have any honour in it; it is just killing and plain killing. It’s a criminal act and must be regarded as such. The law, state and matters should wake up and see what’s happening to women who don’t even have a voice to call for help. There is no estimated end to this crime, but the end is possible if the matter is taken seriously not just an issue to be talked about on International women’s rights day.

Khalida Brohi