Murder in the Name of Honour: The true story of one woman’s heroic fight against an unbelievable crime
Rana Husseini
Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2009
Pp. 250
Even to those who have read all Rana Husseini’s newspaper articles over the years, her recently published book will be totally engrossing. For no matter how incisive her articles are, the parameters of daily reporting are limiting, whereas into her book, she has poured all the passion, commitment, insight and frustration of 15 years of campaigning against murder in the name of honour. Her writing style is crisp and engaging. Her factual information and analysis are comprehensive.
Writing in book form also allows Husseini to contextualise so-called honour crimes: she positions her analysis within Jordanian society and also gives a global comparative perspective. Throughout, she exhibits the modesty and spirit of a team player, even though in the words of Queen Noor, “Husseini almost single-handedly brought this problem to the attention of the public.” (p. 40) Still, the acknowledgements section of the book is extremely long, including Husseini’s family and friends, her editors and colleagues at “The Jordan Times”, the Royal family, co-activists and women’s rights advocates in Jordan and abroad, Jordanian judges, experts at the Forensic Institute, and many others.
From the first so-called honour crime she was alerted to, Husseini followed her best instincts as an investigative journalist. Not content with brief police reports, she began visiting the crime scene and interviewing the victim’s family and neighbours, even when this was risky. As a result, she has revealed the nefarious motives for “honour” killings, such as inheritance disputes, covering up rape within the family, and just plain gossip. What she saw in the field confirmed her conviction that far from being part of tradition, culture or religion, as is often claimed, “crimes of honour are just that: crimes, pure and simple.” (p. xiv)
Husseini made a point of interviewing the killers, unearthing convoluted and tragic stories that should serve to deter others from killing their female relatives. Though many of the killers boasted that they would do the same thing again, others were haunted by having killed a sister they had loved; some felt that their life had been ruined. Ironically, while many said that “society” had pushed them to kill, they were subsequently ostracised by that same society. It has to make one stop and think.
Husseini describes how reporting grew into advocating for the victims and for protecting women and their rights overall, how she worked to reframe public discourse on the concept of honour, and galvanised others until her personal mission became a citizens’ movement. She gives an insider’s account of the vanguard efforts of the Jordanian National Committee to Eliminate So-called Honour Crimes that launched a petition campaign for changing relevant laws, and the added momentum it gained after the march of thousands led by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Ali and Prince Ghazi.
Though the desired amendment was blocked by the Lower House of Parliament, there have been changes for the better in investigation procedures and court rulings. Each step of this process is well-documented and analysed, including the reaction of parliamentarians, opinion makers, and the public at large, and the great setback caused by publication of Norma Khouri’s falsified book. Husseini’s account also gives important insight into how the degree of press freedom and democracy prevailing in Jordan affected her work, sometimes enabling and sometimes hindering efforts to enact social change.
The second half of the book assesses so-called crimes of honour on an international scale with focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Egypt, Palestine and Israel, Latin America and immigrant communities in Europe and North America. For each location, she discusses the social context, government policy and the work of groups combating these crimes. Clearly, Husseini has a dual motive here.
By showing that such crimes are not peculiar to Jordan, her book is a response to undue media attacks on the Kingdom that were perhaps elicited by the fact that “Jordanian and Pakistani campaigners have led the way in exposing the problem.” (p. 104) Moreover, though data is incomplete in many parts of the world, her book will serve as a guide for other researchers and women’s rights advocates, though as she stresses, solutions must be locally derived and not copied from others.
In conclusion, Husseini outlines her own definition of honour and offers ideas for moving in that direction: “Real honour is for women and men to get a decent education that is based on equality between the genders… Real honour is about tolerance, equality and civic responsibility.” (p. 220)
With this book, Husseini has given a voice to victims that will resonate with all who read it, hopefully spurring greater efforts to protect women. She has also brought genuine honour to Jordan, since openly discussing social problems and searching for solutions is one sign of a dynamic, caring society.
“Murder in the Name of Honour” can be found at Readers Bookshop.
Sally Bland
