New Dis-Honor Killing in Jordan

In a story that probably wont be picked up by the Mainstream Media a woman in Jordan was slain by her brother yesterday because she had a fight with her husband and left home. In Jordan, there are three penal code articles on the books--Articles 97, 98, and 340--that allow the perpetrators of dishonor killings to be treated with leniency. Some years ago (late 1999/early 2000), there was a move to overturn Article 340 (a never/seldom used one), but it failed multiple times in the Lower House. So all three articles remain on the books, and the average sentence for these crimes in Jordan remains six months.

Woman slain by brother in Jordan, police official says

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - A Palestinian refugee living in Jordan allegedly strangled his married sister to cleanse his family's honor, a police official said Monday.

The suspect, whose name was not released, confessed to the crime after turning himself into police on Sunday, according to the police official, who requested anonymity in line with police regulations. The man's sister arrived in her parents' home in the Gaza refugee camp, near the northern city of Jerash, on Sunday after she left her home because of differences with her husband, according to the police confession.

The brother argued with his 27-year-old sister about her behavior and accused her of leaving her house often and for no reason, the police confession said. He then allegedly jumped toward her and began strangling her with an electric wire and a scarf, police said. The kingdom sees an average of 20 women killed by male relatives each year.

Like in other tribal-oriented societies across the Mideast and Muslim world, many Jordanians consider sex out of wedlock an indelible stain on a family's reputation. International human rights groups have condemned such killings in Jordan and appealed to the country's ruler, King Abdullah II, to do more to quell the practice.

Subsequently, the government abolished a section in the penal code that allowed suspects convicted in honor killings to get sentences as lenient as six months. But judges often commute sentences in honor killing cases, especially if family members drop is the second this year.

This one of hundreds of horrible acts against women in the name of Allah and family honor. Sara Said in the picture above was killed in Texas on New Year's Day. And Dis-honor killings is only one part of the abuse. I urge you to read YOUR FUTURE AWAITS YOU: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ISLAM on my friend Pamela's site and then write your local newspaper editor, congressman, anyone you can think of and DEMAND that this story gets more coverage.