Al Rawabi School for Girls Season 2 Sheds Light on Honour Killings
Written by Natasha Hachinski
Edited by Sabrina Khan
Layan Murad Fathi was a seventeen year-old Jordanian girl. She was the most popular girl at her school; partly accredited to her dating life, one of the many things that she had over others. Her family was one of the few in town that didn’t know about the relationship. “Are you kidding me? My brothers will kill me if they find out,” Layan would joke to her friends when they'd ask why. On August 15, 2021, Layan would sneak off the school bus to go see her boyfriend. A few hours later, she would find herself staring down the barrel of a gun, pleading for forgiveness. That day would mark the tragic end of Layan’s life at the hands of her eldest brother. The reason why: she was perceived to have brought dishonour to her family.
While Layan and her story are entirely fictional, she is the embodiment of an estimated over 5,000 women and girls killed annually in the name of honour.
The Britannica definition of an honour killing is “most often, the murder of a woman or girl by male family members. The killers justify their actions by claiming the victim has brought dishonour upon the family name or prestige.” In patriarchal societies, it is considered the duty of male family members to ensure that their daughters’ or sisters’ protect their virginity and “sexual innocence” before marriage. The mere act of conversing with a non-relative male or experiencing intimacy out of wedlock, even in cases of sexual assault or rape, could be grounds for this horrific crime.
While murder is a universally recognized and punishable crime, in some jurisdictions, such as Jordan, perpetrators claiming the excuse of “honour”, often receive reduced sentences. As well, in article 340 of the Jordanian Penal Law, it states that people who kill female relatives who were participants in adultery are exempt from legal punishment.
The UN’s estimation of five thousand women and girls killed annually for honour is considered to be only a small fraction of the real toll. The culprits frequently avoid conviction, shielded by members of the community. Family members are known to either help plan and execute or to not press charges if the murderer is caught. Additionally, neighbours and even local police help with the cover-up. The majority of these crimes are not documented, marked as suicide, or other. In one case, a 26-year-old woman’s reason for death was reported as old age. This corruption is deep-rooted, and the direct result of resisting change in society.
The urgency to stop these cruel practices cannot be overstated. It is pertinent to shed light on these monstrous traditions and customs. The victims deserve both recognition and justice, and the exposure from shows such as Al Rawabi School for Girls is just the beginning.
References
United Nations. "UN Report on Honour Killings." United Nations, 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-206231/.
Britannica. "Honor Killing." Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/honor-killing.
New Arab. "Familial Homicide in Jordan at 94% in 2022: Report." The New Arab, 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.newarab.com/news/familial-homicide-jordan-94-2022-report#:~:text=So%2Dcalled%20%27honour%20killings%27,killing%20a%20sister%2C%20for%20example.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "Pakistan: Women's Deaths, Honor Killings." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-womens-deaths-honor-killings/32708708.html.
Human Rights Watch. "Jordan: The State's Response to Families Who Kill." Human Rights Watch, 3 Mar. 2024, https://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/jordan0404/4.htm.