A new study released on
Thursday by Cambridge University's Institute of Criminology is getting a
lot of publicity for what it suggests about societal norms in Jordan.
The study, conducted by Professor Manuel Eisner and graduate student
Lana Ghuneim, reveals that a large number of teenagers in the Hashemite
kingdom not only consider honor killings to be legally just, but
advocate them on moral grounds.
Eisner and Ghuneim
surveyed more than 850 ninth-graders (average age 15) from different
schools in Amman, as an attempt to "gauge cultural attitudes to honor
killings in the region."
Honor killings are
brutal murders committed by men against their wives, mothers, sisters,
daughters or other female relatives who "disgrace" an immediate or
extended clan through behavior deemed sexually improper. This behavior
may be real or perceived. It could involve a woman talking to a man who
is not her husband, a girl becoming interested in the wrong boy, or any
act considered inappropriate by the men in the family.
Methods vary for doing
away with the woman or girl who has ostensibly dishonored the family.
They may involve a father stabbing his daughter to death; a brother
beating, suffocating or pouring acid on his sister; or an uncle driving
his niece to a secluded place, then raping her and setting her on fire.
Often, these premeditated assassinations are sometimes carried out in
front of mothers and siblings.
Though there is nothing
new about this phenomenon, known to be commonplace in the Muslim-Arab
world, it is nevertheless crucial for it to be exposed as often and as
thoroughly as possible. It is particularly necessary for it to be
examined in countries viewed as "moderate" or "democratizing."
Jordan, referred to as a
"constitutional monarchy," is just such a country. And its capital,
Amman, has a stellar reputation as one of the best cities in the Middle
East and North Africa -- just behind Dubai -- in terms of its economy,
culture and cosmopolitanism. It is thus that it attracts much
international business and tourism.
In addition, Jordan's
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania are a classy-looking, Western-educated
couple, perfect for photo-ops in American and European magazines. They
are also both good at mouthing liberal rhetoric. In 2005, Abdullah said
he intended to democratize Jordan. In 2011, he announced his country's
move to a British parliamentary system. So far, however, his crown and
absolute power are intact.
For her part, Rania has
focused her public life on promoting education at home and abroad. She
launched a campaign called "Empowering One Million Arab Youth by 2018,"
and has used her regal status, Twitter account and media platforms --
such as an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show -- to speak about
"misconceptions" in the West about Islam and the role women play in it.
In 2011, Forbes ranked her among the 100 most powerful women in the
world.
But with all her power,
influence and so-called concern for education, Rania either has been
sleeping on the job or simply doesn't care that girls and women in her
very own neighborhood are being slaughtered by the men in their
families.
And for all her husband's "democratic" aspirations, his legal system is extremely lenient toward men who commit honor killings.
But the penal code does
not explain the attitudes of high-school students in Amman, more than a
third of whom believe in the horrifying practice.
"While we found the
main demographic in support of [honor killings] to be boys in
traditional families with low levels of education, we noted substantial
minorities of girls, well-educated and even irreligious teenagers who
consider honor killing morally right, suggesting a persisting
society-wide support for the tradition," says Eisner.
"Any meaningful attempt
to reduce attitudes in support of such practices requires a broader
societal commitment, including coherent messages against honor-related
violence from political and religious elites, and decisive action by the
criminal justice system."
If there is anyone in
Jordan who has the ability to provide such messages and legal action, it
is the king and his queen. But for them to commit to such an
undertaking, they would have to consider honor killings to be
dishonorable.
Ruthie Blum is the author of "To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the 'Arab Spring.'"
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