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الجريمة باسم الشرف
أقدم على ذبح شقيقته بوحشية، لأنّها تعرّضت للاغتصاب! من المغتصب؟ شقيقها الآخر!!! جريمة من آلاف الجرائم التي تُرتكب كل يومٍ وفي كل مكان، باسم الشرف ودفاعاً عنه. والتي يجري التستُّر عليها والتكتُّم عنها وخلق المبرّرات لها في عالم تضعف فيه العدالة حتى التلاشي..
صدمات من هذا النوع بل أقسى وأخطر نتلقّاها وتتلقّاها الكاتب فتهبّ ثائرة وتطلق صرختها هذه صرخة القلم في وجه سكاكين القتلة سافرين ومقنّعين. لعلها توسّع دائرة الدفاع عن بريئات حتى الطهارة من فتياتٍ بالغات أو قاصرات تعرَّضن للقتل والتعذيب لأسباب يندى جبين البشرية للأخذ بها: مضغ علكة، ضحكة لطرفة ما، ارتداء تنّورة قصيرة، اختيار شريك!!! وفي أحسن الأحوال التعرُّض للإغواء أو الاغتصاب بكل ما في الكلمة من وحشية وقسوة.
كتاب يستعرض أغرب نماذج الاغتصابات وجرائم الشرف المقابلة! ويفنِّد مفهوم الشرف في الشرق والغرب، ويدخل في حملة بل حرب طاحنة إعلامية وقضائية للحد من جرائم الشرف وإنزال أقسى العقوبات بمرتكبيها.
صدمات من هذا النوع بل أقسى وأخطر نتلقّاها وتتلقّاها الكاتب فتهبّ ثائرة وتطلق صرختها هذه صرخة القلم في وجه سكاكين القتلة سافرين ومقنّعين. لعلها توسّع دائرة الدفاع عن بريئات حتى الطهارة من فتياتٍ بالغات أو قاصرات تعرَّضن للقتل والتعذيب لأسباب يندى جبين البشرية للأخذ بها: مضغ علكة، ضحكة لطرفة ما، ارتداء تنّورة قصيرة، اختيار شريك!!! وفي أحسن الأحوال التعرُّض للإغواء أو الاغتصاب بكل ما في الكلمة من وحشية وقسوة.
كتاب يستعرض أغرب نماذج الاغتصابات وجرائم الشرف المقابلة! ويفنِّد مفهوم الشرف في الشرق والغرب، ويدخل في حملة بل حرب طاحنة إعلامية وقضائية للحد من جرائم الشرف وإنزال أقسى العقوبات بمرتكبيها.
268 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2009
27 people are currently reading
835 people want to read
About the author
Rana Husseini
2 books15 followersAs a Jordanian woman journalist writing for The Jordan Times, Husseini focused on social issues with a special emphasis on violence against women, as well as the brutal crimes that are committed against Jordanian women in the name of family honor.
Her coverage of and dedication to ending this unjustified practice against women helped raise national awareness on a topic that is traditionally considered taboo. Until The Jordan Times began reporting on so-called crimes of honour, the local press shied away from addressing the issue. The government responded by introducing legal changes that suggest tougher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes.
Rana Husseini has earned nine local and international awards, including a medal from HM King Abdullah II in 2007, for reporting on such crimes.The international recognition pushed a group of young Jordanians to contact Husseini wanting to organize grass-root movements to fight this phenomenon in 1998. The result was the formation of the National Jordanian Committee to Eliminate so-called Crimes of Honour. In four months, the committee managed to raise people's awareness about these crimes and the injustices inflicted on women, in addition to collecting over 15,000 signatures demanding the cancellation of all the laws that offer leniency for such murders.
Husseini was interviewed by various local, arab and international media such as CNN, ABC, BBC, NY Times, Al Jazeera, and the Chicago Tribune.Based on these efforts she has been invited to lecture in several local and international conferences regarding the issue.
In adition to her extensive experience in the journalism field, Husseini has conducted several consultancies and advocacy for women’s rights in the Middle East and Jordan with local NGOs and international organizations. She has served as special advisor to Freedom House on women’s issues and press freedom in Jordan.
She also worked as a regional coordinator for the United Nation's Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign to eliminate violence against women in five Arab countries. She worked as a regional consultant for UNIFEM regional office in Amman and Equality Now in the U.S. conducting research on human rights violations against women and children in seven countries in the Middle East.
More recently, Husseini conducted several training workshops at the Jordanian Media Institute and the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) for journalists and journalism university students on gender, human rights and violence against women reporting. Husseini also managed a three-year programme to monitor and analyse the content of the printed media in Jordan in terms of what is being reported on women, including images, reports, caricatures, columns, editorials and features.
Her coverage of and dedication to ending this unjustified practice against women helped raise national awareness on a topic that is traditionally considered taboo. Until The Jordan Times began reporting on so-called crimes of honour, the local press shied away from addressing the issue. The government responded by introducing legal changes that suggest tougher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes.
Rana Husseini has earned nine local and international awards, including a medal from HM King Abdullah II in 2007, for reporting on such crimes.The international recognition pushed a group of young Jordanians to contact Husseini wanting to organize grass-root movements to fight this phenomenon in 1998. The result was the formation of the National Jordanian Committee to Eliminate so-called Crimes of Honour. In four months, the committee managed to raise people's awareness about these crimes and the injustices inflicted on women, in addition to collecting over 15,000 signatures demanding the cancellation of all the laws that offer leniency for such murders.
Husseini was interviewed by various local, arab and international media such as CNN, ABC, BBC, NY Times, Al Jazeera, and the Chicago Tribune.Based on these efforts she has been invited to lecture in several local and international conferences regarding the issue.
In adition to her extensive experience in the journalism field, Husseini has conducted several consultancies and advocacy for women’s rights in the Middle East and Jordan with local NGOs and international organizations. She has served as special advisor to Freedom House on women’s issues and press freedom in Jordan.
She also worked as a regional coordinator for the United Nation's Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign to eliminate violence against women in five Arab countries. She worked as a regional consultant for UNIFEM regional office in Amman and Equality Now in the U.S. conducting research on human rights violations against women and children in seven countries in the Middle East.
More recently, Husseini conducted several training workshops at the Jordanian Media Institute and the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) for journalists and journalism university students on gender, human rights and violence against women reporting. Husseini also managed a three-year programme to monitor and analyse the content of the printed media in Jordan in terms of what is being reported on women, including images, reports, caricatures, columns, editorials and features.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 8, 2012
You might have heard of Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist who is doing a study about female characters in video games. She posted a request for funding on Kickstarter and then got many hateful comments.
And some jerk male gamer made a Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian game.
(Don't worry, she exceded her funding request).
Women who do not stay in the lines of the established role, whatever that role may be, tend to get punished in some way.
Exhibit 2 - Kristen Stewart, whose movies I have never seen. She apparently had a consenual affair with her director. Her MARRIED director who has children with his wife. She told her boyfriend, he dumped her (understandable), and she has been an object of hate and comedy. She wasn't married, committed relationship yes, married no. The director was (and was older), yet she is the only one blamed and mocked for the scandel.
And don't you remember all those people asking what Rhianna did? You know because Chris Brown had to have a reason for beating her up. (Apparently Brown being an abusive a**h*** doesn't count).
If you don't live in a culture where honor killing is common, you live in a culture where women, honor, and violence are viewed differently than men, honor, and violence.
Which is why you should read this book.
Husseini's book is not, NOT, a collection of stories about victims of honor killing (though there are several stories in the book), but more of a tale about trying to change the laws that allow for the killings (even in places like South and North America). It focuses largely on the actions in Jordan, but also includes infromation about such killings in Europe, the rest of the Middle East, the UK, and the US and Canada. Husseini's cares deeply about women's rights and she deeply loves her country. This is not "the Middle East is evil" type of a book.
(As an aside, I have to say while I was happy to see Husseini using the term "so-called honor killing", I prefer the British PC Cox's term of "control murder".)
Of great interest is the look that Husseini takes in trying to figure out while such killings occur. The connection she makes to tribal history is interesting, not because she has done it (it has been done before) but because she shows all the effects of the murder - divocrce, imprisonment, distrust. And she points out that men are victims of honor killing as well, not only those men who are killed because of thier homosexualy (and if you think it is hard to get justice for the female victims) but also because of what the tribal beliefs due to the men who are pressured, in some cases, to kill thier sisters, mothers, daughters. But also to those men who do not take part in the killing and try to stop it. The story of the father whose daughter is raped by one brother and murdered by the other brother due to honor is a prime example. He was in the US when the events occured, his wife supported her sons. The father has disowned them and divocred his wife.
In others, this isn't a men are evil book either. Many men want the reforms too.
Husseini does get emotionally tied to the subject, and while it may wrong, the reader totally understands and applauds her desire to physcially harm certain people. How Husseini managed to interview the killers without at least spitting on them, I will never know, but she deserves a prize for it.
Husseini's writing is actually the best when she is talking about the laws, how they are applied, and the attempts at reform. And she is right, even in the West, people are inclined to judge men who kill thier adulterous wives differently than a general killer, and far differently then a women who kills her adulterous husband. She doesn't quite ask how this is different than honor killings? She doesn't have to; her writing is so good that the reader can ask and answer it.
The answer is, it's not.
And that's why you should read it.
And some jerk male gamer made a Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian game.
(Don't worry, she exceded her funding request).
Women who do not stay in the lines of the established role, whatever that role may be, tend to get punished in some way.
Exhibit 2 - Kristen Stewart, whose movies I have never seen. She apparently had a consenual affair with her director. Her MARRIED director who has children with his wife. She told her boyfriend, he dumped her (understandable), and she has been an object of hate and comedy. She wasn't married, committed relationship yes, married no. The director was (and was older), yet she is the only one blamed and mocked for the scandel.
And don't you remember all those people asking what Rhianna did? You know because Chris Brown had to have a reason for beating her up. (Apparently Brown being an abusive a**h*** doesn't count).
If you don't live in a culture where honor killing is common, you live in a culture where women, honor, and violence are viewed differently than men, honor, and violence.
Which is why you should read this book.
Husseini's book is not, NOT, a collection of stories about victims of honor killing (though there are several stories in the book), but more of a tale about trying to change the laws that allow for the killings (even in places like South and North America). It focuses largely on the actions in Jordan, but also includes infromation about such killings in Europe, the rest of the Middle East, the UK, and the US and Canada. Husseini's cares deeply about women's rights and she deeply loves her country. This is not "the Middle East is evil" type of a book.
(As an aside, I have to say while I was happy to see Husseini using the term "so-called honor killing", I prefer the British PC Cox's term of "control murder".)
Of great interest is the look that Husseini takes in trying to figure out while such killings occur. The connection she makes to tribal history is interesting, not because she has done it (it has been done before) but because she shows all the effects of the murder - divocrce, imprisonment, distrust. And she points out that men are victims of honor killing as well, not only those men who are killed because of thier homosexualy (and if you think it is hard to get justice for the female victims) but also because of what the tribal beliefs due to the men who are pressured, in some cases, to kill thier sisters, mothers, daughters. But also to those men who do not take part in the killing and try to stop it. The story of the father whose daughter is raped by one brother and murdered by the other brother due to honor is a prime example. He was in the US when the events occured, his wife supported her sons. The father has disowned them and divocred his wife.
In others, this isn't a men are evil book either. Many men want the reforms too.
Husseini does get emotionally tied to the subject, and while it may wrong, the reader totally understands and applauds her desire to physcially harm certain people. How Husseini managed to interview the killers without at least spitting on them, I will never know, but she deserves a prize for it.
Husseini's writing is actually the best when she is talking about the laws, how they are applied, and the attempts at reform. And she is right, even in the West, people are inclined to judge men who kill thier adulterous wives differently than a general killer, and far differently then a women who kills her adulterous husband. She doesn't quite ask how this is different than honor killings? She doesn't have to; her writing is so good that the reader can ask and answer it.
The answer is, it's not.
And that's why you should read it.
October 11, 2021
أتمنىٰ لو أعطاني القدر فرصة لمُحاججة كُل هانئي البال والضمير لمن لا يوخزهم ضميرهم حين يتفهون بعبارات تُقارب معاناة النساء مع معاناة الرجال وتسخر من الحركات المناصرة لحقوق النساء بهذا الكتاب ،
أرمي هذهِ الحقائق المؤلمة المشبعة برائحة الدم وإنعدام الشرف..
في وجوهمم لنرىٰ عقليتهم وحيادهم ! كتاب مؤلم جمعت رنا الحسيني أحصائيات وقصص تُصيبك بالقشريرة ..تجد روحك تصرخ لماذا ؟ لماذا كُل هذا يحصل وسيحصل ؟ لماذا يجتمع الأقارب وتجتمع عقولهم (التي لا أعتقد أنهم قرروا تشغيلها يوماً) لتقرر إنهاء حياة فتاة ! كتاب يضمن لك الكثير من الألم والقهر .. رحم الله جميع النساء وأتمنىٰ أن لا تفارق اللعنة كل من يشجع علىٰ ظلم النساء .
أرمي هذهِ الحقائق المؤلمة المشبعة برائحة الدم وإنعدام الشرف..
في وجوهمم لنرىٰ عقليتهم وحيادهم ! كتاب مؤلم جمعت رنا الحسيني أحصائيات وقصص تُصيبك بالقشريرة ..تجد روحك تصرخ لماذا ؟ لماذا كُل هذا يحصل وسيحصل ؟ لماذا يجتمع الأقارب وتجتمع عقولهم (التي لا أعتقد أنهم قرروا تشغيلها يوماً) لتقرر إنهاء حياة فتاة ! كتاب يضمن لك الكثير من الألم والقهر .. رحم الله جميع النساء وأتمنىٰ أن لا تفارق اللعنة كل من يشجع علىٰ ظلم النساء .
August 26, 2020
The subject of honour killings fascinates and repulses me. I find it absolutely disgusting and I cannot get my head around relatives and in particular fathers and mothers who will think nothing of murdering the children they have raised in a deluded and misplaced act of 'cleansing the honour' of the family. There is nothing honourable about murder. What upsets me most is these beautiful, strong and intelligent women who are murdered because they have been raped or abused - this appears to be their fault and this brings shame to their family. It's utterly ludicrous to me and deeply upsetting and that has really heightened my interest in the subject. Rana Husseini has done a great job of delving deep into the history surrounding honour killings in many countries, not just the Middle East, and talks us through hundreds of cases that she is aware of, as well as explaining the laws from each country regarding honour killings and detailing some wonderful organisations that have been set up (sometimes by abused women who have then been murdered later on) to protect vulnerable and frightened women who cannot turn to their families.
February 5, 2010
Rana Husseini is a journalist from Jordan, and in Murder in the Name of Honor, she writes of the aftermath and trauma of honor killings in Jordan and around the world that she has researched and witnessed. Honor killings are defined as the murder of a woman by a family member(s), usually a man or men, because the woman has in some way brought dishonor upon the family. Some of the examples of dishonor, and reasons for death, include rape, marrying without permission, leaving home, falling in love, or even the rumor of impropriety. In some countries, including her home country of Jordan, the punishment for the murderer is generally quite lenient, under five years in prison. While some believe that honor killings only take place in Jordan and neighboring countries, in fact, there is a disturbingly large number of killings that take place in the Western world, including America.
Husseini has become determined to shed light on honor killings and to change the laws that allow those who commit the killings such lenient punishments. The book traces her journey of reporting and researching the crimes throughout the world. It is filled with touching and terrifying anecdotes, along with the challenges of trying to change minds and laws. Many “tribal” customs and courts support the killings; a family’s honor, but most particularly a man’s honor, is to be held in the greatest esteem. In the cases of these murders, a man’s honor is worth more than a woman’s life. Women going to the police or authorities can face disbelief or they are simply returned to their families, and it is the families that are the women’s worst enemies in these cases.
Husseini also addresses the challenge faced by such a polarizing and politicized issue; it can be easy to stereotype and assume; however, she makes it clear that not all men and women from Jordan (including Jordanian royalty), or other countries where honor killings are prevalent, believe that murder is honorable. With the interviews that she conducted with some of the murderers, many stated remorse and regret over the actions, but most state that they had no choice. It was something that had to be done. The book illuminates the problem for the complex and convoluted issue that it is, and it offers no easy solutions because there are none. I would have liked to know more about what could be done by the “everyday” reader: writing politicians, etc., though at her website, there are links for more reading and some sites with calls to action.
Review by Kristin Conard
Husseini has become determined to shed light on honor killings and to change the laws that allow those who commit the killings such lenient punishments. The book traces her journey of reporting and researching the crimes throughout the world. It is filled with touching and terrifying anecdotes, along with the challenges of trying to change minds and laws. Many “tribal” customs and courts support the killings; a family’s honor, but most particularly a man’s honor, is to be held in the greatest esteem. In the cases of these murders, a man’s honor is worth more than a woman’s life. Women going to the police or authorities can face disbelief or they are simply returned to their families, and it is the families that are the women’s worst enemies in these cases.
Husseini also addresses the challenge faced by such a polarizing and politicized issue; it can be easy to stereotype and assume; however, she makes it clear that not all men and women from Jordan (including Jordanian royalty), or other countries where honor killings are prevalent, believe that murder is honorable. With the interviews that she conducted with some of the murderers, many stated remorse and regret over the actions, but most state that they had no choice. It was something that had to be done. The book illuminates the problem for the complex and convoluted issue that it is, and it offers no easy solutions because there are none. I would have liked to know more about what could be done by the “everyday” reader: writing politicians, etc., though at her website, there are links for more reading and some sites with calls to action.
Review by Kristin Conard
November 17, 2021
Memorable quote:
"We live in a society that offers no mercy once a mistake is made." -Um Mohammad
"We live in a society that offers no mercy once a mistake is made." -Um Mohammad
January 7, 2010
At times sad, at times infuriating, at times inspiring, Murder in the Name of Honor is Rana Husseini's brief overview of honor killing and the story of her crusade against it. As explained by Husseini, "so-called honour killing occurs when a family feels that their female relative has tarnished their reputation by what they loosely term 'immoral behavior.'" The offense can range from consensual out of wedlock sex, to flirting, being raped, wearing make-up, or wanting to chose her own husband. Even rumors, gossip, suspicion, having unknown numbers on her cell phone, chatting on line with a man, can trigger an honor killing.
Generally, the family chooses a male relative to murder the offending woman. The methods are often brutal. The victim may be stabbed, shot, beaten or burned to death, and it is thought that the murder cleanses the family of the shame brought upon it by the victim. Often, a younger brother is chosen, because it is known that the law will treat a juvenile more leniently than an adult. Many countries where honor killing is practiced have laws that provide for leniency for these acts, whether committed by a juvenile or an adult. The murderers frequently turn themselves into the police immediately after the killing, and often feel they had no choice, that if the victim had not been killed, the family would have been ruined and disgraced.
Although many men feel that they too are victims of the system, still, the idea of honor killing is deeply rooted in many cultures, and attempting to change it has proved to be a slow and frustrating struggle. Perhaps trying to change ideas about morality, sexuality and gender roles is always like playing with fire. If one wanted to make an argument to that effect, this book could serve as exhibit one. It's a sad read.
Generally, the family chooses a male relative to murder the offending woman. The methods are often brutal. The victim may be stabbed, shot, beaten or burned to death, and it is thought that the murder cleanses the family of the shame brought upon it by the victim. Often, a younger brother is chosen, because it is known that the law will treat a juvenile more leniently than an adult. Many countries where honor killing is practiced have laws that provide for leniency for these acts, whether committed by a juvenile or an adult. The murderers frequently turn themselves into the police immediately after the killing, and often feel they had no choice, that if the victim had not been killed, the family would have been ruined and disgraced.
Although many men feel that they too are victims of the system, still, the idea of honor killing is deeply rooted in many cultures, and attempting to change it has proved to be a slow and frustrating struggle. Perhaps trying to change ideas about morality, sexuality and gender roles is always like playing with fire. If one wanted to make an argument to that effect, this book could serve as exhibit one. It's a sad read.
April 26, 2010
Probably not a book that will lift your spirits by any means--Murder in the Name is an account of honor killings around the world written by an award-winning Jordanian journalist, Rana Husseini. Most of the book focused on personal stories of these women, their families, etc---it was incredibly depressing and frustrating to read. One of the most interesting parts of the book was the section on an Arab women who had written an expose on honor killings that was later found to be fabricated (she was trying to appeal to western audiences) and how the publishing of this book actually hurt the movement by local activists in Jordan who were trying to spread awareness about honor killings and change specific laws that were lenient towards those who kill in the name of honor.
The book lacked a thorough investigation for the reasons behind honor killings, and wasn't as academic as I would have liked to be. However, Husseini makes reference to the need for greater research on this issue. I think she is pretty brave for crusading on this issue--it seems that most people I've met are familiar with and very supportive of her work.
The book lacked a thorough investigation for the reasons behind honor killings, and wasn't as academic as I would have liked to be. However, Husseini makes reference to the need for greater research on this issue. I think she is pretty brave for crusading on this issue--it seems that most people I've met are familiar with and very supportive of her work.
November 24, 2018
قرات النسخة العربيه فور صدورها .. فقد صدر اولا باللغة الانجليزية .. الكتاب ليس ادبيا ولا روايه بل هو نقل لواقع مؤلم وقضية يعايشها المجتمع الاردني بشكل خاص وان كنت اظنه شأنا عربيا كذلك ...
رنا من أشرف الشخصيات اذ كرست الجزء الاكبر من حياتها كصحفيه وكانسانه لهذه القضيه .. كتاب مهم لقضية أهم ..
رنا من أشرف الشخصيات اذ كرست الجزء الاكبر من حياتها كصحفيه وكانسانه لهذه القضيه .. كتاب مهم لقضية أهم ..
May 5, 2010
Rana Husseini is a hero for all Jordanian women, all Arab women. I hope the release of this book gives much needed momentum to revive the anti-98/340 movement in Jordan.
April 24, 2022
Here to review a book the author hasn’t published on Goodreads, titled Years of Struggle, 2021. The book is mostly a systematic review of literature about the women’s movement in Jordan, and one but cannot feel something other than respect and admiration for all the known and unnamed women who fought so hard for gains such as voting rights, rights to participate in governance, the workforce, and human and civil rights agendas and decision-making processes. Every single right and option we perceive as basic and natural was granted through a long struggle against structures which ridiculed women, demonized them, and labeled any of them with a cause as a source of society’s and public moral’s corruption. The summarized experience of Toujan Faisal Koujak Qalajeri on her own is mind-blowing: extremists ordered her killed, made it Halal to do so through a popular fatwa, and threw heavy items at her while she presented her anti-domestic violence speeches.
Unfortunately, the book does contain many typos and textual errors, and despite its attempt to be inclusive, it says things like someone “suffers” from a disability, as opposed to lives or has a disability condition. Furthermore, the original contribution of the author is limited compared to the literature review, and I was hoping for more of that. This is why it’s a 4 for Years of Struggle for me.
Unfortunately, the book does contain many typos and textual errors, and despite its attempt to be inclusive, it says things like someone “suffers” from a disability, as opposed to lives or has a disability condition. Furthermore, the original contribution of the author is limited compared to the literature review, and I was hoping for more of that. This is why it’s a 4 for Years of Struggle for me.
April 27, 2020
Eye opening book about so-called “honour killings” around the world. Brought tears to my eyes so many times, but an important book for all to read.
March 13, 2018
A heartbreaking, tough and not easy reading about one of the most sensitive topics in our society, this book comes as a candle that has to be lighted instead of just cursing the darkness.
The author, Rana Husseini, who is a famous journalist and activist in Jordan, wrote this remarkable book to document the movement in Jordan and other countries in regards to 'Honour Crimes'. The book is based on real stories that the author researched, collected and followed up for a long time to reflect the real situation, so we can have an idea on what could be considered as a honour crime, how does the killer think and how does the society deal with such a topic.
In honour crimes, women can be killed by one of her family members because she had been engaged in a dishnour situation. Our problem is with what could be considered as a dishnour situation. She can be killed because she has been raped, leaving her family home without permission or even because of Facebook.
I read the book when it was released in 2009. At that time, I was shocked by the details and the depressed articles and laws that allow for such a tragedy to continue. The ugliness of those crimes definitely forces you to think what is the exact meaning of humanity.
The author believes that the more we shed light on such crimes and the more we put these stories in journalism, the better a difference we can make to help many women from being killed. These crimes were not only in Jordan. She discussed crimes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Palestine, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Morocco, Turkey, Yemen and Uganda, in addition to some incidents that were reported in Europe; Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
Recently and after the successful move that Jordan made in this area, I read the book again for which I believe it's still a great resource to understand this topic. This year, and after ages of campaigning, Jordan made a great step by eliminating article 308 which protected the rapists from punishment if they married their victims.
Rana was very smart in helping us to understand the wider aspect of this topic. She discussed the different laws and acts in this area, listed stories for the victims and even interviewed some of the killers. Personally, I believe that even the killer is a victim of the society. In one of her interviews with a killer, who killed his sister with the support of his uncles and his mother because she was being raped by one of her brothers, and received a lenient sentence for seven and a half years, he said "society imposes rules on us and I did it to please society. No one was talking to me in the street. We live in a backward society that imposes backward ideas on our lives". This killer was originally promised by a great reward from his family once the crime is finished but later he didn't receive anything. Even he couldn't go back to normal life after being released. When she asked him "do you regret killing your sister and if you were put in the same situation again would you kill her". He said "no, I don't regret killing her. But if I went back in time, I wouldn't kill my sister. I would tie her up like a sheep in the house until she either died or someone married her".
It's clear that we need a serious movement in this area to protect the women from being killed. Equally important, to protect the men from being victims of the backward society.
A great way to end this review is this quotation from the foreword page of the book
"Murder like this, which happened around the world, destroys the honour they are intended to restore. Honour is respect for life. Honour is respect for love. There is no honour in murder".
I wish if we can have a recent thorough review of this topic, especially after what is called 'The Arab Spring'. No one knows what is being done exactly in many refugees' camps and the affected countries by that chaos. I hope we can put solid actions to continue the momentum and help many women in those countries.
The author, Rana Husseini, who is a famous journalist and activist in Jordan, wrote this remarkable book to document the movement in Jordan and other countries in regards to 'Honour Crimes'. The book is based on real stories that the author researched, collected and followed up for a long time to reflect the real situation, so we can have an idea on what could be considered as a honour crime, how does the killer think and how does the society deal with such a topic.
In honour crimes, women can be killed by one of her family members because she had been engaged in a dishnour situation. Our problem is with what could be considered as a dishnour situation. She can be killed because she has been raped, leaving her family home without permission or even because of Facebook.
I read the book when it was released in 2009. At that time, I was shocked by the details and the depressed articles and laws that allow for such a tragedy to continue. The ugliness of those crimes definitely forces you to think what is the exact meaning of humanity.
The author believes that the more we shed light on such crimes and the more we put these stories in journalism, the better a difference we can make to help many women from being killed. These crimes were not only in Jordan. She discussed crimes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Palestine, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Morocco, Turkey, Yemen and Uganda, in addition to some incidents that were reported in Europe; Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
Recently and after the successful move that Jordan made in this area, I read the book again for which I believe it's still a great resource to understand this topic. This year, and after ages of campaigning, Jordan made a great step by eliminating article 308 which protected the rapists from punishment if they married their victims.
Rana was very smart in helping us to understand the wider aspect of this topic. She discussed the different laws and acts in this area, listed stories for the victims and even interviewed some of the killers. Personally, I believe that even the killer is a victim of the society. In one of her interviews with a killer, who killed his sister with the support of his uncles and his mother because she was being raped by one of her brothers, and received a lenient sentence for seven and a half years, he said "society imposes rules on us and I did it to please society. No one was talking to me in the street. We live in a backward society that imposes backward ideas on our lives". This killer was originally promised by a great reward from his family once the crime is finished but later he didn't receive anything. Even he couldn't go back to normal life after being released. When she asked him "do you regret killing your sister and if you were put in the same situation again would you kill her". He said "no, I don't regret killing her. But if I went back in time, I wouldn't kill my sister. I would tie her up like a sheep in the house until she either died or someone married her".
It's clear that we need a serious movement in this area to protect the women from being killed. Equally important, to protect the men from being victims of the backward society.
A great way to end this review is this quotation from the foreword page of the book
"Murder like this, which happened around the world, destroys the honour they are intended to restore. Honour is respect for life. Honour is respect for love. There is no honour in murder".
I wish if we can have a recent thorough review of this topic, especially after what is called 'The Arab Spring'. No one knows what is being done exactly in many refugees' camps and the affected countries by that chaos. I hope we can put solid actions to continue the momentum and help many women in those countries.
September 26, 2012
Rana Husseini’s Murder in the Name of Honor is not an easy book to read. One story after another about the murder of women made this a tough book to get through, but I’m glad I read it because I am now far more aware of the complexity of this issue. Husseini is an accomplished activist against these so-called “honor killings,” and has worked hard to get people talking about these horrific events.
Throughout the book, Husseini uses the stories of many women to paint a gruesome picture of the state of women’s freedoms. The hardest ones to read for me were the stories about women who were murdered by their fathers/brothers/uncles/male cousins after being raped. On top of the pain that comes with rape, they are then seen as dishonorable by their families and murdered to cleanse the family’s name. Oftentimes the rapist goes free, or with very minimal punishment. How can this possibly be?
Husseini interviews a young man who murdered his sister to restore his family’s honor. He was encouraged into his actions by his family and tribe, and was welcomed into jail as a hero as her served a short amount of time. But once he was released, he was shunned by the same family members who had urged him to commit the horrendous act, and now suffers from depression. By telling his story and showing the reader the perspective on this issue from a vastly different side, Husseini demonstrates how this obsession with honor ends up hurting everyone involved. While some say these so-called honor killings are traditions and culturally necessary for their identity, Husseini makes a good case for how it is actually harmful. It was a unique perspective, and one I greatly appreciated.
Throughout the book, Husseini uses the stories of many women to paint a gruesome picture of the state of women’s freedoms. The hardest ones to read for me were the stories about women who were murdered by their fathers/brothers/uncles/male cousins after being raped. On top of the pain that comes with rape, they are then seen as dishonorable by their families and murdered to cleanse the family’s name. Oftentimes the rapist goes free, or with very minimal punishment. How can this possibly be?
Husseini interviews a young man who murdered his sister to restore his family’s honor. He was encouraged into his actions by his family and tribe, and was welcomed into jail as a hero as her served a short amount of time. But once he was released, he was shunned by the same family members who had urged him to commit the horrendous act, and now suffers from depression. By telling his story and showing the reader the perspective on this issue from a vastly different side, Husseini demonstrates how this obsession with honor ends up hurting everyone involved. While some say these so-called honor killings are traditions and culturally necessary for their identity, Husseini makes a good case for how it is actually harmful. It was a unique perspective, and one I greatly appreciated.
July 17, 2012
"Real honour is about equality, tolerance and civic responsibility."
Rana Husseini's brave coverage of a horrific crime is exemplary, and the book tracks the efforts to try and change archaic policies and laws that protect murderers. She provides humanized stories throughout, to the extent that the reader is almost overwhelmed. However, as she has explained, her goal is to raise awareness, a goal which she achieves. The number and nature of honour killings is staggering and mortifying.
I had a hard time getting through it because of the nature of the material, but I don't believe that's a criticism. Reading about this subject should not be 'enjoyable', and the goodreads' system of rating (I liked it, I really liked it...) was not really applicable. This book will open your eyes to the global scale of the crime, but will also offer steps forward in order to remove it from the face of the planet.
Rana Husseini's brave coverage of a horrific crime is exemplary, and the book tracks the efforts to try and change archaic policies and laws that protect murderers. She provides humanized stories throughout, to the extent that the reader is almost overwhelmed. However, as she has explained, her goal is to raise awareness, a goal which she achieves. The number and nature of honour killings is staggering and mortifying.
I had a hard time getting through it because of the nature of the material, but I don't believe that's a criticism. Reading about this subject should not be 'enjoyable', and the goodreads' system of rating (I liked it, I really liked it...) was not really applicable. This book will open your eyes to the global scale of the crime, but will also offer steps forward in order to remove it from the face of the planet.
December 1, 2010
When I got this book, I had high hopes for it. As I read this book, I realized it wasn't for me - I wanted a book about stories of victims of honour killing. This book tells about Husseini's cause/crusade/justice for the victims and what's going on in Jordan (as well as England/USA). It felt more of a textbooky to me (not what I was interested). I recommend this book to those who want to understand and know indepth of honour killing and what is being done (politics, etc.). If you are looking for book with just stories or a story about a victim - you will see many little short stories of victims throughout the book.
July 19, 2021
برأيي أن العنوان الفرعي لهذا الكتاب ظلمه قليلاً، فهي ليست مجرد قصص عن جرائم الشرف، بل يحكي الكتاب قصة كفاح الصحفية الأردنية رنا الحسيني، ونجاحها في تغيير مواد القانون الأردني التي كانت تتساهل مع جرائم الشرف.
تتمتع رنا الحسيني إلى جانب شجاعتها الفائقة وحس المبادرة، بمهارات كتابية رائعة جعلت الكتاب سلساً، مبسطاً وواضحاً، والأهم أنك تخرج منه بنظرة شاملة عن وضع القوانين المتعلقة بحرائم الشرف حول العالم.
أنصح بقراءته لمن يهتم بهذا الموضوع.
تتمتع رنا الحسيني إلى جانب شجاعتها الفائقة وحس المبادرة، بمهارات كتابية رائعة جعلت الكتاب سلساً، مبسطاً وواضحاً، والأهم أنك تخرج منه بنظرة شاملة عن وضع القوانين المتعلقة بحرائم الشرف حول العالم.
أنصح بقراءته لمن يهتم بهذا الموضوع.
March 1, 2010
"Chewing gum, wearing makeup or a short skirt, choosing one's own boyfriend or husband, or being raped (even by a relative)are "honorable" and "excusable" motives for murder. Rana Husseini, investigative journalist, tries to bring violence against women to light.
July 20, 2024
It is hard to read this book and not be affected by all of the stories it has to tell. I was really excited when I started to read the book and it told Rana's journalistic story of discovery about this heinous crime and what she did to try to bring it under control, but then it slipped into story after story of women all across the world who had suffered because of this long standing cultural belief. It was a little too much, and sometimes the stories would lose their impact because there were too many of them. It was still interesting to see how this problem is a little bit different in various countries around the world, and how the attention to the problem does not need focus in one place. It was even surprising to see that this problem exists in parts of the world where you would think that they would not have it. Overall, it is a problem that needs highlighted and stopped, and it is interesting the arguments made by patriarchal governments why it is still needed. It is a good read, and hopefully achieves its goal of putting an end to honor killings.
July 20, 2022
I had not previously heard of Rana Husseini's reporting, and picked this book up from a Little Free Library from my neighborhood. I appreciated how Rana showed the level of "Honor" killings in Jordan, spoke about her advocacy in trying to change this, and how these so-called Honor killings take place in the UK and US as well.
My favorite part of the book was how Rana gave a voice to the women who were killed and focused on the women, who are often forgotten when we talk about this issue as a whole. This book is hard to get through because of the depravity of the issue, and how male-centric ideas hold that women are to blame for the sins of men. There is still a long way to go on this issue, still, sadly; but I also appreciated learning about another woman who is fighting to change this.
My favorite part of the book was how Rana gave a voice to the women who were killed and focused on the women, who are often forgotten when we talk about this issue as a whole. This book is hard to get through because of the depravity of the issue, and how male-centric ideas hold that women are to blame for the sins of men. There is still a long way to go on this issue, still, sadly; but I also appreciated learning about another woman who is fighting to change this.
January 14, 2025
I felt this book was extremely informative and super eye opening. I was unaware of the cultural ideal of an honor killing and the global impact it has on women prior to reading this book. I appreciated that the author included so many examples as a way to pay homage to the women who lost their lives due to senseless crimes. I will admit at times the book was hard to get through given the subject matter, but I am very glad to have been informed. It is people like Rana Husseini that make the world better. The reminder that if we cared enough about each other, we would be able to advocate and protect each other from crimes such as these. Well worth the read!
January 25, 2025
A very difficult and dark subject, with several harrowing examples that far beyond Jordan, this work of non-fiction is an important one and I’m glad I picked it up. It’s a good reminder that women are vulnerable worldwide and that we need to listen to them, make changes in law and customs, and keep working to protect them from so-called honor killing.
June 7, 2021
I really wanted to like this book, and I appreciate the authors efforts to bring more awareness to the subject however, it was not well written. It read more like a girl writing in her journal and was hard to get through.
March 10, 2018
interesting read, respect to the author for writing about the subject and sympathy to those currently suffering from similar honnour abuse
February 23, 2021
True and devastating stories of supressed women in Jordan murdered for honor.
August 13, 2023
I read this durning my trip to Jordan. It’s about honor killings that have happened in Amman and around Jordan. So sad I never knew how awful this issue really was
February 17, 2014
Dear Ms. Hussieni,
Thank you very much for this wonderful piece of work and congratulations for every accomplishment you have done in you life.
'Murder in the Name of Honour' takes you on a journey of struggle, heartbreak, hate, confusion and frustration but it is a journey that ends with hope. Throughout the book the passion and perseverance of Ms. Hussieni can be felt with every written letter. It is a subject that has long been shaking the foundation of the human race and I am proud that a Jordanian woman had thee courage to stand up against the howling winds and fight for the rights of the thousands of oppressed women out there, in different countries and continents.
The book was easy to read and every word had fallen into place beautifully so as to make such a difficult topic easier to swallow and understand. One of the major assets of this book is the amount of research conducted, it is enormous! And this is what it sets it apart I am sure. And the most interest part was the chapter with the various countries involved in such despicable acts. That proved that so-called honour crimes do not only happen in the Middle East but internationally as well. In addition, it proved that Islam does not promote such murders. Also it was clear that Jordan is NOT the only country in which they occur and that numerous individuals including the royal family have condemned these acts and are fighting against it.
If I were to point out a downturn for his book it would be one thing; throughout the book the reader could hear Ms. Hussieni's voice as she wrote the book because you can read that passion. However, towards the end of the book it became more factual and less personal. That passion was somehow silenced in the crowd of figures and numbers.
My favorite part in the whole book is the end. It gave me hope. Hope for the future and a plan. Which most books lack, a plan to start on and act now.
I highly recommend it to everyone with or against the idea. This is a life fact that everyone must be aware of.
One is better knowing all that is wrong in the world rather than being ignorant.
Thank you very much for this wonderful piece of work and congratulations for every accomplishment you have done in you life.
'Murder in the Name of Honour' takes you on a journey of struggle, heartbreak, hate, confusion and frustration but it is a journey that ends with hope. Throughout the book the passion and perseverance of Ms. Hussieni can be felt with every written letter. It is a subject that has long been shaking the foundation of the human race and I am proud that a Jordanian woman had thee courage to stand up against the howling winds and fight for the rights of the thousands of oppressed women out there, in different countries and continents.
The book was easy to read and every word had fallen into place beautifully so as to make such a difficult topic easier to swallow and understand. One of the major assets of this book is the amount of research conducted, it is enormous! And this is what it sets it apart I am sure. And the most interest part was the chapter with the various countries involved in such despicable acts. That proved that so-called honour crimes do not only happen in the Middle East but internationally as well. In addition, it proved that Islam does not promote such murders. Also it was clear that Jordan is NOT the only country in which they occur and that numerous individuals including the royal family have condemned these acts and are fighting against it.
If I were to point out a downturn for his book it would be one thing; throughout the book the reader could hear Ms. Hussieni's voice as she wrote the book because you can read that passion. However, towards the end of the book it became more factual and less personal. That passion was somehow silenced in the crowd of figures and numbers.
My favorite part in the whole book is the end. It gave me hope. Hope for the future and a plan. Which most books lack, a plan to start on and act now.
I highly recommend it to everyone with or against the idea. This is a life fact that everyone must be aware of.
One is better knowing all that is wrong in the world rather than being ignorant.
Read
April 26, 2016Rana Husseini’s Murder in the Name of Honour is a remarkable book about an important issue. The titled crime refers to the murders of young women by their fathers, their brothers, their uncles, their cousins, even their mothers, or killers hired by family members. These young women’s infractions: sometimes as seemingly serious as committing adultery and other times something as innocuous as not wearing a head scarf or having men’s names in their cellphone directories. Often, they are murdered because they have been raped, and that rape is sometimes committed by a family member. Anything that family members feel brings dishonor to their families is fair game as a reason to kill their sisters, daughters, cousins. This practice has been going on for centuries, and lest we think it is confined to the Middle East, or India, or Pakistan, or some third-world nation, Husseini points out that honor killing takes place in European countries, South American countries, Great Britain, and the US—and, in fact, all countries around the globe. And while many of the killings are done by those who practice Islam, a good many of them are done by families of all faiths, even the Christian faith. Husseini, in her book, shines a light on this heinous practice. She has dedicated her career as a journalist to eradicate honor killing and to change laws that do not punish the murderers severely. When she first began her exploration, her own country, Jordan, would often give out a three month imprisonment to the killers, claiming a “fit of passion” defense and swatting their hands with a “we know you were just trying to preserve your family’s honor, so it’s okay.” Husseini published her book in 2009, and we can only hope that things have changed considerably in the ensuing seven years. But I doubt it.
September 21, 2013
The book is very good when it comes to recounting the societal and parental horrors inflicted with the women subjected to honor killing in various countries and in Jordan.It also thoroughly exposes the Norma Khouri "forbidden love" supposedly based on real-life event for the farce that it really is. However towards the end of the book,the writer-activist came to adulate and fawn over Queen Rania and the "royal" family so-called efforts towards "fighting" this ugly practice. I almost wanted to puke.The insincere talk of the royal family "efforts" explains why my rating for the book isn't higher.
June 4, 2011
When I grabbed this book off the shelf at the library I felt that I wouldn't really like it. I usually don't like books written by journalists when they are covering certain topics, and the topic of womens issues is one of the main ones.
I decided to stop reading this book after I forced myself to finish the long chapter about getting laws changed.
I'm not saying that anyone shouldn't read this book, but this is just not the type of writing I like. I only like to read this style of writing in breife articles not an entire book.
I decided to stop reading this book after I forced myself to finish the long chapter about getting laws changed.
I'm not saying that anyone shouldn't read this book, but this is just not the type of writing I like. I only like to read this style of writing in breife articles not an entire book.
January 25, 2016
Completely heartbreaking -- not exactly a feel-good story! I did feel like it all got a little repetitive after awhile -- how many horrific violations of women's rights can you describe in one book?? -- but I think it's something we all need to be more aware about. I thought the chapters about how many honor killings happen outside of Middle Eastern countries (in Europe and even in the United States) -- and law enforcement's reluctance to interfere with what they see as "cultural disputes" -- to be particularly enlightening. And also incredibly saddening.
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