Topic: There is no honor in honor killings. [Submitted by Saqib Nazir Sario ]
When honor kills, it is not an honor, it is a curse. Honor can not be rehashed to kill a woman brutally. It can not be justified, accepted, or guided by killing a woman on allegations of an immoral act based on any of the grounds in Islam, law, or morality. Honor killing remains one of the precarious gender-based issues in Pakistan. Pakistan despite being a signatory to international commitments for women's rights, faces lacunae in the proper and efficient implementation of law and order to ensure justice.
Killing in the name of honor is often used as a means to preserve or rehash a family's reputation by punishing or murdering women. Restoring reputation through murdering women is not a current dilemma but its inception and roots can be traced back to ancient Roman History. In ancient Rome, the father(pater familias) or any senior male household member killed a married or unmarried woman and her seducer if they had committed any immoral act. In the 18th century, it became legal to kill a woman and her seducer without imposing any legal charge on the perpetrator. Similarly, this issue is still an issue and has not been deterred or resolved in Pakistan effectively.
The philosophy of honor killings is based upon the fascination of patriarchal systems and masculine-oriented approaches. Women are consistently victimized by the male elder in male-dominated societies. According to the Human Rights Protocol Considerations [HRCP, 2017] about 1000 cases of honor killings each year are reported. Additionally, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan quotes that about 280 honor crime cases have been reported from October 2016 to June 2017 in Pakistan.
There are a plethora of reasons that females are plunged into an ordeal. For instance, first, killings are mostly triggered through doubtful of woman’s unlawful sexual affiliations with a paramour. In the case of Bushra Bibi, who was killed by her husband, Muhammad Khan, in Vehari, based on doubts about her illicit relationships with college mates where she was working. Secondly, couples through secret marriages are also killed. Secret marriages are deemed to be against the dignity, respect, and reputation of the parents. In the case of Kulsoom Bibi, she was killed by her brother, Zulqarnain, due to her secret marriage with Rafaqat Ali within the premises of the court. In another recent case of honor killings reported in Sindh; Rubina Ilias Khalida Chandio was felicided by her male household in Tando Masti, Sindh. Additionally, in most cases where demand for divorce is considered as disrespect of the husband and the parents of the woman consequently, women are killed by their parents or husband.
There is no honor in honor killings, when honor kills it is no honor but a curse on society. Neither Law nor Islam permits the killing of a woman based on allegations of honor killing. Killing does not justify or substitute for the retrieval or revival of the reputation and dignity in the Patriarchal society. Honor is in when parents educate their children and uphold them in challenging circumstances with patience and tolerance, being divorced is not an immoral act but a right vested in law.
Mere killings based on honor are not restricted within certain dimensions mentioned above but in other cases, dowery killings are also deemed as honor killings. In dowry honor killings, where the wife is consistently teased and backlashed by the households of her husband due to less or no dowery. Consequently, she is felicided or take her life. Beyond reported cases, there are lots of cases in Pakistan that went unreported due to lacunae and a lack of law enforcement agencies and the law.
Despite having a major issue of honor killings in Pakistan, there are certain possible and efficient ways forward to address this issue entrenched in the society. Raising awareness for the elders and educating young minds and their proper grooming for the upcoming times. Actors of Justice must be trained efficiently to curb and address this issue from the grassroots. Additionally, limiting the jirga system's power or its complete ban. According to Nafisa Shah, a well-known writer and politician, as stated in her book, Honor Unmasked: Gender violence, Law, Power in Pakistan, the state justice system and informal process are responsible for honor-related violence in Sindh province of Pakistan. Therefore, constructively, they play a pivotal role in the killing of women based on Rehashing honor.
In a nutshell, the honor Killing issue has become one of the hot issues that lasts greater impact on society rapidly from all possible dimensions of society and the public at large. Honor killings impact not only the individual but Humanity at large directly and indirectly. Actors of the Justice must take initiatives as soon as possible through registering cases to ensure justice to the victims and resolve the issue at the grassroots level.
I am Saqib Nazir Sario a 3rd Year Law Student at Ibadat International University Islamabad. I am interested in national and global affairs.