Category: Women’s Rights Matter

Jordanian stabs sister in honor killing
— “A Jordanian police official says a 24-year-old farmer has stabbed his sister to death with a dagger to cleanse the family’s honor. The official says the man turned himself in and confessed to killing his 27-year-old sister because he heard rumors she was dating a man.”
— Additional AP report: “An autopsy showed the victim, who was 27 years old, was four weeks pregnant, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists”

(South Africa) Muslim women need protection beyond sharia law

Afghanistan revises contentious marriage law
— “Afghanistan’s government has revised a marriage law that sparked an international outcry over sections that appeared to legalize marital rape, Justice Ministry officials said Thursday.”
— “Women’s rights activists welcomed the changes, which must still be approved by parliament, but many said while the government had deleted the worst violations, it has not done enough to guarantee women’s rights”

— April 11: Afghan Extremist Cleric Defends Rape as “Democratic Right”

— April 7: Afghanistan: Law Permiting Rape Dropped After Publicity

— Jordan: Court halves man’s jail term for ‘honour’ killing

— “A court on Tuesday halved the jail term of a 29-year-old Jordanian man who shot his raped sister 12 times “in the name of honour”, a judicial official said.”
— “The criminal court initially sentenced the man to 15 years with hard labour for killing his sister in 2008 in Mowaqqar, southeast of the capital Amman, but immediately reduced it to seven-and-a-half years.”
— “‘The woman disappeared from home for six months after she was raped last year,’ the official said.”
— “Police kept the woman in custody for protection and later handed her over to the family, but the brother shot her 12 times in different parts of her body once she arrived home, killing her immediately.”
— “The man told police that he committed the crime ‘in the name of honour,’ according to the official.”

— Arab News: “Man in ‘honor killing’ may face death penalty”
— “A man may face the death penalty if found guilty of gunning down his two sisters as they were being discharged by Social Affairs officials into the custody of their father.”
— “The two women had been caught in suspicious circumstances with two unrelated men on Thursday.”
— “Police believe the brother murdered his two sisters to save the family honor. The names and ages of the young women and their brother were not made public.”
— “According to Riyadh police, the man followed his father to the social protection home and then waited until the women came out. He reportedly shot one sister in the head and discharged three bullets into the other. He then tossed the gun near the bodies. Guards at the Social Affairs shelter quickly apprehended the man.”
— “The man will face the death penalty unless his family forgives him. If he is spared capital punishment he will still face jail time served in the name of the public right.”
— “Women are usually turned over to Social Affairs shelters if they are caught with unrelated men until their guardians can get them out of custody.”

Saudi Arabia: Shelter accused of helping woman flee
— “The woman ran away while police were preparing to take her to jail in line with a court order while it examined her case. Samar fled her parents’ home after accusing them of abusing her and sought refuge at the shelter.”
— “The woman ran away while police were preparing to take her to jail in line with a court order while it examined her case. Samar fled her parents’ home after accusing them of abusing her and sought refuge at the shelter.”
— “A source closely involved with her case told Arab News that the father is mentally unstable and that he would beat her and take away her salary.”
— “He added that there are two lawsuits relating to her filed in court. The first case was filed by Samar’s father who accused her of running away and disobeying her parents. The second was filed by Samar herself against her father demanding that he be removed as her guardian.”
— “The source also said Samar has been called to court five times and that she has failed to appear each time.”
— “The source criticized the shelter, accusing it of accepting cases without proper investigation, something that he said has caused ‘chaos.’ He accused the shelter of helping the woman flee.”