Is Honor Killing a “Muslim Phenomenon”? Textual Interpretations and Cultural Representations

Abstract

In communities where there is a high incidence of honor killings there is a powerful sense of the concept of honor and a shared belief that honor is the most fundamental value in life. It is these differing cultural interpretations and understandings of honor and shame, rather than Islam or other religious beliefs, which dictate what is perceived as honorable and what is not and, to a great extent, determine whether any action needs to be taken against shameful conduct. It can also be observed, however, that while honor killing is not a solely Muslim phenomenon, the concept has increasingly become associated with Muslim societies in general. There are factors arising from the different interpretations of certain Qur'anic verses that have made Muslim communities more vulnerable to such misinterpretation and misunderstanding. By reference to different interpretations of these verses, this article aims to illustrate the way in which the social status of women and their sexuality have ostensibly been reconstructed as a source of “potential stress” or “potential threat” to family honor. It is this reconstruction that creates an environment conducive in Muslim communities to the practice of honor killings, and makes Muslims more likely to exhibit the typical characteristics of honor killings.