“Where is the honor in this crime? The victim was completely insane and could not be held responsible for her body and mind.”
This is the twentieth such “honor killing” so far this year in PA-controlled territory.
In so-called “honor killings,” victims – usually women – are slain following perceived sexual misconduct or immodest behavior, usually by close family members. Reasons given for honor killings in recent years have included a single woman running away with a man, a woman’s refusal to marry a man chosen by relatives, and rumors of promiscuity.
A little known fact, however, is that Palestinian Authority law grants reduced sentences for murders committed in a “state of rage,” and caps sentencing for “honor” murders at six months in prison.
After a 2011 “honor” slaying caused public outrage, PA President Mahmoud Abbas changed a law giving a pardon for murder in cases where a man murdered a wife after witnessing her committing adultery. However, an Abbas aid Hassan al-Ouri, later said that the law was not used in practice.
Leave a Reply