More Smoke and Mirrors in the World of Dishonor Killings
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The Associated Press is reporting that Jordan has established a special tribunal to speed up the trials for dishonor killings cases in the country. That is all well and good, but I've never heard even a single person in Jordan--or any human rights activist, for that matter--whinge that the legal process for these crimes is too lengthy. What most of us wonder is why the victims and the at-risk people seem to have too few rights and why the legal and social penalties for these crimes are so paltry. The rights of the perps are really high-class, low-priority problems in the scheme of things.
Meantime, over in Gaza, a man is being held on suspicion of having bludgeoned to death his daughter for owning a mobile telephone. That's it. I'm not kidding. No sex. No flirting. No short skirts or bare arms. She had the audacity to own a phone, and that was enough to get her slaughtered.
In happier, more just news, Dr. Jitu has blogged of progress on this front in India. Let's hope this results in better outcomes for the victims.
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jitu rajgor says:
Ridiculous
Now this is ridiculous.Mobile phone? It is hard to understand the reason behind it.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
As a father--and one who
As a father--and one who works each day to keep people alive--I'm sure this goes against everything you believe in. Just can't fathom killing someone over a mobile phone, let alone someone I gave life to.
Keiko Amano says:
Ellen, I can't find words to
Ellen,
I can't find words to say. The only thing I know is that those people are abnormal.
I like your picture with a black iris. Farzana did a good job.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
In the case of the Gaza
In the case of the Gaza father, one almost has to think he's awfully traumatized by the recent bombings in the Gaza Strip, which doesn't excuse the act, but shows the need for the mental health professionals to work in the area to try to ease some of the suffering.
Sumathi Mohan says:
A wish!
These news makes no sense to me at all. I have only one wish while I read you here Ellen. My prayer to god,"God when will you allow me a glimpse of Ellen's Picture. I know she is tall, fair, short haired, intelligent, warm hearted, well behaved with an easy gait. Yet, I wish to know how she looks! This is my prayer to thee my lord!"
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
I think God is about to
I think God is about to answer your prayers, Sumathi. But, really, you need to pray for more important things, dear!!! :-D
Luciana Lhullier says:
Sumathi, I think the reason
Sumathi, I think the reason for the no-real-picture is that Ellen takes some risks when she writes about these difficult issues. We´d rather have the Irises or Farzana´s artwork, but be sure that Ellen is safe by not exposing herself too much. I love your picture, by the way. :-)
A mobile phone... That she probably got from some "evil" friend... One thing that´s really scary is how much control over their children (female), who are after all, human beings, those men have. It´s not a parent/child relationship. It´s a master/slave one. No space for breathing.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
Thanks, Luciana. . .you're
Thanks, Luciana. . .you're the best!
Yes, and what I noticed is that, even the ones who survive that kind of childhood enter into adulthood somewhat emotionally stunted (scarred?). It is as though, by not being properly nurtured, some of them get to adulthood without having the proper tools for dealing with responsibilities, conflict, and such in age-appropriate ways.
Farzana Versey says:
Just to clarify...this
Just to clarify...this picture of the writer is not my work. It is Ellen's own effort. I had recreated a different one for different reasons...
Ellen, there is a lot of such stuff going on all over the world. It stinks, but some of us need to take a hard look at the stuff in our own backyard. And I am doing that despite being given claptrap and hounded for it.
It is good that you throw up inconvenient truths. Unfortunately, I am dealing with the opposition from my own...
~F
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
I hear you, didi Farzana.
I hear you, didi Farzana. We are all just doing the best we can with the skills we have.
Mary Wilkinson says:
So Ellen, what do you think
So Ellen, what do you think will happen to the man who killed his child over owning a mobile phone. I cannot bear reading this report, I mean, the whole thing is beyond comprehension. What the hell is going on in this world and why isn't it reported on a wider scale? It is overwhelming.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
I'm not sure, Mary. Jordan
I'm not sure, Mary. Jordan and the West Bank share laws, but Gaza has its own.
Right now, reports are saying the man and three of his sons are being detained by authorities. The victim was bludgeoned with an iron chain. She was 27 years old and a divorced mother of five. All that responsibility, yet she wasn't allowed to have a mobile phone without her father's and brothers' permission?!
I wonder what the victim's mother's role in this was. So often, they are part of the problem, part of the family conspiracy. :-(
Mary Wilkinson says:
My, that's very interesting,
My, that's very interesting, even the Mothers' are corrupt or corrupted.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
Yes, women are part of the
Yes, women are part of the problem, Mary. Superficially, these crimes seem like male on female crimes but, upon closer inspection, horrifyingly, one realizes that women often have their mitts in them. With four men allegedly scheming to off this poor woman, Fadia, is there even a chance mama had no clue this was about to happen? Arab families are so tightly knit. It's hard for me to believe that none of the females in the family was aware and not in a position to do something to prevent this from happening.
Keiko Amano says:
I agree with Farzana.
I agree with Farzana. It’s in our backyards, and I see it even in our front yards. It’s frustrating.
Ellen R. Sheeley says:
It's part of the human
It's part of the human condition. We are--all of us--fragile creatures.
Keiko Amano says:
So true.
So true.