Article Added On: December 08, 2004 - over 3 years ago
Title: "Honour killings" claim thousands of women a year
Author: Jan Strupczewski
Publication: Reuters
Publication Date: January 01, 2004 - over 4 years ago
Faith Groups: Muslim
Themes: religious tolerance/intolerance

Abstract: Thousands of women are killed every year by relatives for choosing a partner or lifestyle that "dishonours" the family, in a phenomenon that crosses national and religious borders, experts say. In Sweden, the shock of the "honour killing" of student Fadime Sahindal, who was shot dead by her Muslim father because she wanted to marry a Swede, is still new. Is "honour killing" the result of gender prejudice? Or are the roots in religion? At a conference held in Stockholm on Dec. 7 and 8, delegates from Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, Poland, Canada, Sweden, European Union and human rights groups will gather and discuss how to save women from such a fate.

Tue Dec 7, 2004 12:13 AM GMT

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Thousands of women are killed every year by relatives for choosing a partner or lifestyle that "dishonours" the family, in a phenomenon that crosses national and religious borders, experts say.

"I have seen a United Nations estimate of 5,000 women killed a year, but it could be considerably higher," said Gerd Johnsson Latham, a Swedish foreign ministry expert on gender issues.

She is one of the organisers of what officials say is the biggest international conference on so-called honour violence, being held this week outside Stockholm.

Sweden, which has few peers worldwide in promoting women's rights in public life and business, was shocked in 2002 by the "honour killing" of student Fadime Sahindal, shot dead by her Kurdish Muslim father because she wanted to marry a Swede.

But while such "patriarchal violence" against women is often linked in the public mind to Muslim countries, Johnsson Latham said it often resulted from gender prejudice, not just religious views. "It is a view that women are subordinate to men and men are superior," she told journalists.

However one Kurdish Swede, who in his youth in a Kurdish village saw a girl he played with burnt to death by her father because she had pre-marital sex, said religion did play a role.

"The roots are in religion," he said. "The honour of the clan is based on religion, especially for Muslims. They see it as shameful if a female family member has pre- or extra-marital sex and that they can make the shame go away by committing the honour-related murder."

"This is happening daily but few people want to talk about it. Girls have no value in that world," said the man, who lives in Sweden and asked not to be identified by name.

According to statistics which the Swedish government began collecting last year after Fadime's murder in 2002, between 1,500 and 2,000 women, mainly Middle East immigrants, contacted authorities last year for help against threats from relatives.

Sweden has earmarked 180 million crowns (14 million pounds) over four years for sheltered housing and protection for young people who are at risk of violence "in the name of honour".

But some say this is not enough.

"In terms of preventative efforts, there is more the Swedish authorities should do," said Sara Mohammad, head of a lobby group set up in memory of Fadime.

"There are still little girls going to kindergarten with veils, young girls not allowed to attend sexual or physical education in school, girls dropping out of high school to return to their home countries against their will to arranged marriages," said Mohammad.

In the conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, delegates from Afghanistan, Algeria, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, Poland, Canada and Sweden, plus the U.N., European Union and human rights groups, will discuss how to save women from such a fate.

Original article