Guest Author - Isabelle Harman

Honor Killings Tolerated in the 21st Century

I voraciously read Honor Lost by Norma Khouri (yes, I know that the author has since been discredited – but the content of the book still led me to this point) and decided to do a little more reading about honor killings. Being a relatively liberal, freethinking person who believes in the ability to make choices, I found myself stuck in the depths of naiveté when it came to this horrendous act.

I searched the web and found thousands of sites regarding acts of violence against women. These acts are justified by quoting religious writings and tradition. What’s worse is that some women accept this as their destiny and even violate each other’s dignity. Go figure. Those who fight for the rights of these women are climbing a mountain of sand.

Honor killings are defined as planned acts of murder of someone, usually women, who has been judged to dishonor her family.

I’ve never been to a place where this is practiced. I’ve never met anyone who has observed, participated in, or experienced these acts that denigrate women so viciously. I’m not blind to the oppression women experienced in the West. But let’s be honest, this is unacceptable today. Aren’t we supposed to be civilized? This is not just a women’s rights issue; this is a human rights issue.

Human Rights Watch, hrw.org, has available on its site a substantial amount of information regarding not only women’s issues, but also worldwide concerns of abuse and neglect. To gain an understanding of international human rights law visit the International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org) and you’ll find up to date information about what that organization is doing to ensure the dignity of humans remains in tact.

Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders offers an annual Top 10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories on their site (doctorswithoutborders.org, English language page or msf.org).

I hope my frustration is coming through as you read this. There are ways we can help as are outlined in the three web sites at the end of this article. But I still feel helpless. Am I missing something in my own back yard? Why aren’t women who are suffering standing up fighting for their rights? Please educate me!

Honestly, I don’t know how much I would have read about this act if not for the conflict in Iraq. But it has opened my eyes and caused me to pause. I have also come to realize that this is not restricted to women and girls, but also boys in some cultures.

Honor killings, clitoridectomies, human trafficking, and countless other crimes against women go unnoticed and ignored. What has to be done to raise our voices in unity and fight the evil that exists in this world? Why does a woman have to prove herself valuable in some societies? I just don’t get it!

My articles are not supposed to be personal in nature; but this time I couldn’t follow the rules. This is personal because it affects females – my sisters by the shear fact that we are of the same gender in the human race.

I hope you will take the time to respond to this article. Please look at the web sites and decide to do something!

My plan of action includes continuing to educate myself on Human Rights issues. I’m on the bandwagon in search of the best way to take action. Some obvious ones include volunteer work, writing to my representatives, etc. But I’m looking for the less obvious and most effective means of making a difference.

I don’t apologize for my ignorance. I am blessed to have the ability to make decisions for myself and to fight back if I am persecuted. But now I have no excuse for allowing myself to stick my head in the sand and claim that this is someone else’s problem. This is my “call to arms”. Join me.