In 2016 in Pakistan, a popular young model of 26 years old was asphyxiated by her brother because he thought she was bringing disrepute to his family by uploading what he thought was provocative pictures on social media. In September 2017 in India, a girl was dead after her father beat her head against the wall and set her on fire. She was thirteen.
In many parts of South Asia, it is very common to come across stories which when reported by the media cause a stir amongst the public but for every case that is reported, many more remain unreported.
The major reason on the basis of which these crimes are committed is non-compliance with the prescribed norms in a society, which are foundationally regressive. Any form of deviation from these norms may result in gruesome torture or death, mostly by their own family members.
The most unsettling part of this scenario is the fact that these crimes are seen as means for redemption of “lost honour” for the families and act as a penalty for deviating from the norms. These norms are foundationally misogynistic and render women incapable of leading a life without freedom.
It also happens sometimes in the rural parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India that the families are ordered by the tribal councils/tribunals to the kill the said family member for breaking the honour code inadvertently or advertently. Naghma was only 13 years old when she was killed as per the order of the tribal jirga for she had attempted to run away with two boys in Pakistan in June 2017. Likewise, in India in 2016, a newlywed couple was ordered to be executed by the Khap Panchayat (informal village council) because they belonged to different castes. The man died while the woman only narrowly escaped.
Most cases of honour killing in the European countries that are reported today are of immigrants who do not want their children to integrate with or adopt the living styles of the western world. Families that hail from traditionally patriarchal and conservative backgrounds cannot accept women being independent and free. To them, these western societies are morally corrupted and are deemed to have a corrosive influence which can only be rectified by murder. For them, nothing holds greater honour in the society than a submissive woman who does not have the audacity to break their regressive norms. In secular nations, however, it is very difficult for these norms to have a standing or tolerance.
The answer to the pressing question of what is it that motivates members of the family to get rid of the “guilty member” to uphold their honour could be varying from one family to another.
Usually, religion and other customary practices have a lot of importance in these societies where honour killing is rampant. In Hindu communities in India, marrying outside one’s own religion or caste is a very common reason for honour killings. Blasphemy, or rejecting to abide by religious restrictions also results in death for many women. The underlying truth is that despite whatever the religion dictates, it is difficult for people to see women be independent and free; and they are killed under the guise of religion and culture. Every adult has the right to live freely and without boundaries, and these freedoms cannot be curtailed by families in the name of honour.
Similarly, girls are not allowed to attend schools or even pursue higher education but are instead limited to household chores in order to prepare themselves to be good wives to their future husbands, who will be chosen by her family. Chastity has a significant role in the honour code and to ensure it, even the slightest communication with the members of opposite sex is frowned upon. So much so, victims of rape are also seen as unchaste and are, sometimes, killed. Members of the LGBTQ communities are also killed for tainting family honour because any activity that does not conform with the socially honourable heterosexuality is again, breaking the code.
In Pakistan, at least 1000 women are killed every year for the families who feel that they have been disgraced. In India, another estimated 1000 are killed annually. Globally, 7000 girls and women, approximately, are reported dead as a result of such honour killings. These statistics are only the tip of the iceberg. Further, some women are forced to commit suicides while, some honour killings are passed off as murder, many of which remain unreported.
Honour killings are rampant in many societies because a large component of the behaviour of the people is dependent on what other people think about them. This is the major cause for many wrong-doings that exist not only in Asian societies, but also in some parts of Europe. The people are really concerned about their reputation among the other people.
In October 2016 in Pakistan, a major loophole in the country’s Anti Honour Killing Bill was fixed. Before that, members of the family of the victim could pardon the murderer legally but now they cannot do so. This was a loophole because one member of the family was pardoned by the others who took into their hands the decision of someone’s death to protect their honour, more often than not, together. The sentence also increased from 14 years to 24 years. Despite this, only in October 2016, 30 cases of honour killings were reported. An increased life sentence still does not deter the crime from taking place. And more importantly, even a change in the legislation could not bring changes in this society where the concept of honour is so deeply entrenched.
Medieval Europe was also a patriarchal in that it valued chastity and women did not enjoy all freedoms and rights. However, so much has evolved and today European women are independent and can indulge in activities of their liking. This metamorphosis of Europe should be replicated in the South Asian societies with the need to understand that woman are not objects and daughters are not property. For lands with immensely diverse cultures, history, culinary, and beauty, the mentality of some sections of the society is toxic to say the least. This needs to be changed and that can be achieved by even stricter enforcement of law and sensitisation.