Gender-sensitive Perspective into Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Killing
Iran, being ruled by religious Sharia laws, encourages the guardianship of the male citizens over their female relatives. Females are being deprived of any right to decide over their own body or life. Any attempt to violate against this lawful right of the males, entitles the males to punish the female to save their own honour or face.
The Islamic laws of Iran proves the EJE killings as any other killing. The penal law of Iran, section 179 does not consider a murder that is committed by a father a real case of murder. The murder of own child in the name of honour when she is found in an encounter with foreign lover is example on such a case. Although the father will not be punished for murder in this case, if a mother commits the same crime, she will be sentenced to death unless the court with the child’s father and grandfather’s consent decides otherwise.
Females are being treated unjust in every single aspect of daily life. Normalization of rules such as dress code in public or separated entrance for females in public places and so on sends the wrong signal to everybody especially the male population of the country. Due to these mistreatments and existing laws in favour of men, the male consider himself the superior and the head of the family and therefore can act and behave as he pleases. The honour killings therefore are considered by many as a just treatment of the sinner. A woman that brings shame on the family must be punished. Although the people are slowly showing sympathy to a woman who has been subject to EJE killing, many still find, for example, adultery unacceptable and punishable. A punish to be performed by the family members. As soon as a person does something to hurt a male’s or family’s reputation, he can act and solve “the problem” as he wants without fearing the consequences.
The case study that follow is an example on this injustice system. A 65 years old male who was accused of killing his own 42 years old daughter was sentenced to a prison term only. He justified his act by referring to how he had failed to bring up a decent daughter due to lack of time and was humiliated by the daughter’s activities and encounter with strangers. He later admitted himself to the police station and confessed to the crime. The court found his reasoning acceptable and sentenced him to a milder grade of punishment which is a prison sentence in a country that allows execution for murder and other less serious crimes.
The government of Iran is under no circumstances trying to create any equal system for the citizens of the country. As a matter of fact, it is violating against the human rights of females by not punishing males who slaughter their female relative because of an adultery or extra marital sex or even other “misbehaving” that she has committed. In many cases the crimes or misbehaving’s are often nothing but ordinary things like attending a party with a non-relative or similar things.
The traditions and lack of the female human rights in Iran is the cause of nearly all domestic abuse. Female citizens are often being pulled down to the lowest stage of the family or society hierarchy where they have no rights to express any opinion on most personal issues such as marrying nor dating. The female might end up in an early and unwanted marriage and once there she sees no escape in fear of losing her home, her face and/or her children. Applying for divorce can trigger a revenge from the males in the family. This can result in jeopardising her life.
Other reasons for these injustices are the lack of knowledge and the poverty. A poor family’s interest is to have less mouth to feed and if possible bring an income to the family. Many women are dependant of their husbands/fathers/brothers for a living and that puts them in a more fragile situation.
To change this system, the education is essential. Although many women of today are getting higher education in Iran, there are still family values and traditions ruling the families. Equality of the two gender is far from existing. Some women don’t even see themselves as equal to their male partners.
One step toward more equal society is to teach the children of today to see themselves as equal to any other person, to express their opinion on anything they want and need. If the kids learn to understand that they are a part of a democratic system, then they will not allow anything less when they grow older. This is only possible if the laws of Iran changes into more equal treatment of all citizens.
The laws of Iran must consider the security of the females by applying harsher penalties on men who commit to domestic abuse. People must be educated in equal rights and learn to respect the equality of the two genders.
The government should educate and promote the diversity of cultures, languages and beliefs to make a greater acceptance for differences. This will prevent some honour killings because of relationships with “wrong” kind of people due to their ethnicity, race, religion and so on.
By: Delaram Dareshoori
January 31st – 2017
