The Honor

Crime of honor is killing a woman by her father or brother for many reasons. The driving force behind honor killings is family honor in certain cultures; violence committed against a woman is justified on the condition that the woman has brought dishonor to her family. One of this reasons is sexual practice before or outside marriage.

In Muslim culture, females must stay virgin until they get married. If a female has sexual relation before marriage, this is considered a shame to the whole family. However, this is not unique to Islam. In Catholic Church indicates that virginity prior to marriage is a valued principle.

According to HBV (Honor Based Violence Awareness) worldwide, 5000 honor killing internationally per year, 1000 honor killing occur in India and Pakistan yearly and 12 honor killing occur in UK.

These types of crimes occur in families that lack privacy at home. In such families, we see another form of violence which is forcing a girl to marry someone doesn’t love or someone is older than her by minimum of 10 years, committing suicide and abortion.

In Collectivist societies, the values of families and gathering together to pass any obstacle or take decisions in terms of groups is the main principle. There focus is on their community image. Jordan is one the countries that has a high rate in crime honor. Between 15 to 20 women die yearly in Jordan in what is called “honor” according to AFP.

“We believe it was an honor crime,” a police spokesman said.

“The belly of the woman, in her twenties, was cut open and we could see her four-month-old unborn child, who was dead too. Investigations are still under way,” he added to AFP.

This Crime took place in Jordan, a pregnant woman was killed and her body was burned after murder. The murder sentenced to death at first but then it is considered as “Honor Crime”.

 

No one has the right to kill for no reason. How if this reason is the honor? The honor is to be proud about having educated ladies graduating and working. The honor is to raise a family that every part respect the other and respect his privacy. The honor is to achieve one another in taking decision not take a decision instead of him. 

Women’s Right

by ANASTASIA KYRIACOU

The Other Sex

Domestic violence is an issue that Lebanese women are suffering from it till now. There is not a clear law that protects them from any violence. Moreover, societies make a form of taboo to women who decide to talk about any sexual harassment or violence which is making the problem more difficult to be solved.

Kafa (Enough) organization is one of the most effective organizations that support women. Kafa’s mission according to their official website : “is to work towards eradicating all forms of gender based violence and exploitation of women and children through advocating for legal reform and change of policies and practices, influencing public opinion, and empowering women and children.”

According to a case study done in Baalbek area by Kafa organization about “The Effects of Socialization on Gender Discrimination and Violence” by Dr. Christine Sylva Hamieh and Dr. Jinan Usta, the survey was tested on two-hundred and seventy-three men. Their ages ranged between 18 and 75, and they represented different religious groups, levels of education, marital status, working conditions, and residential areas. The results indicated that most of the men were raised in an environment that expected from them to be strong and decision maker when they grow up. The main value that they get it when they were young is to protect women because she can’t be supported by herself and control the home. Men said that they are proud of being boys.

Family is the primary source of socialization where any individual own his values and beliefs. Those values affect the attitude of the person while growing up. If anyone has violence in family is will create a background of violence that either use it with his wife or children later on or create a weak personality. Most of the children grow up to act like their parents. Therefore, it is very important to raise our children in a nondiscriminatory environment.

Schools, civil groups and any religious place also have a big responsibility to spread awareness starting from parents to children about raising kids without violence and aware them to the other sex that should have the same rights as yours.

عدد المفقودين و المخطوفين في لبنان ما زال

عدد المفقودين و المخطوفين في لبنان ما زال مجهولا كمصيرهم.  و لكن يوجد عدد تقديري 17000 مفقود و مخطوف, فالدولة لم تجرِ اي احصاء دقيق. لكن بناءا على الاستمارات التي ملأها اهالي المفقودين في ال 2000 بناء على دعوة اللجنة الرسمية بلغت 2046 ففقودا.

كاملة عيسى البالغة من العمر 63 عاما ما زالت تنتظر اخاها كامل عيسى. نزل كامل عيسى الى بيروت لاعالة اطفاله السبعة. كان كامل يبيع الصحف في بيروت البلد. قالت كاملة:”  ذهب كامل ولم يعد في ال 1975يوم السبت الاسود, لا اريد سوى قبر ابكي عليه.” فقد كامل عندما كان في منتصف الاربعين و حرم من اطفاله السبعة. دلال عيسى ابنته الصغرى:” لا اعرف ابي الا في الصور ولا يوجد بيننا ذكرى احتفظ بها الا دموع أمي.”

أما السبت الأسود الذي حمل الخطف و الموت كان الأسود يوم السبت 6 ديسمبر 1975. هذا اليوم  الذي قتل أربعة من مرافقي بيارالجميل أدى الى تدهور الوضع اختطاف العشرات، وقتل معظمهم. وبلغ عدد ضحايا 110 قتيل و 300 مخطوف و قيل أن هناك جثث رميت في البحر.

المقابر الجماعية التي هي عبارة عن جرائم حرب لا يمكن التكلم عنها لأنها ” نبش الماضي” والدولة اعتبرت أن المخطوفين قد ماتوا ولم يعد هناك من سبب للأهالي بالمطالبة بكشف مصير ابنائهم. “كل مقبرة هي بمثابة أدلة دامغة للجرائم التي ارتكبت بحق الانسانية وحقوق الانسان و نحن نصر على حفر المقابر بشكل علمي و دقيق ودفن الرفات بشكل لائق” هكذا يعبر الأهالي.

هل تكون الأمور بهذه السهولة اي طي صفحة على مقابر جماعية و مفقودين حتى الان لم يعرف مصيرهم. أو تكون هذه الشرارة التي تعيدنا الى الوراء.

Fighting the Wrong Image

Women are one of the most important products the media is presenting. Women are portrayed in media due to what people want to see and what the media is presenting.

From the Pre-Islamic poetry, the woman was considered in poems and books a muse and a source of inspiration, though during the coming eras and despite the great challenges women had passed through yet the women is still in the same frame.

However, women are presenting not as a muse nowadays but as a sex object that her body is only a source that stimulate the instinct. Also, a good source to sell fragrances, jewelries, cosmetics, clothes etc.

All women wish to be thin, tall, and beautiful. This is what we are seeing in our schools, colleges and work field every day. Each and every day we are surrounded by images of beautiful, thin people on TV, in magazines and newspapers, and spread across billboards. Also, there is no evidence about the true images at the beginnings by the access use and misuse of Photoshop programs. As a lady, we used to be proud of our “curves” in our bodies but now with one click on the keyboard we can fake the truth and erase those curves that make us ladies.

Lebanese women are viewed as sex objects and the Lebanese media is the one to blame, for the superficial image they had imposed to the public. Now the Lebanese women are nothing but an imitation for western media. Most of the Arab media represent women as a weak and dependent person in the movies, advertisement, and TV shows in order to sell and to allow people have the feeling of sympathy. Moreover, not only men are attracted to sexy media women but the Arab women are seeking for imitation to look exactly like those media women to have thousands of copy. Women are competing men in all majors and field of work. This lead us to an intellectual and creative women that can fit anyplace in the society. Women can reach many positions by her intellectual approaches not by her physical appearance. Then we should cancel the image of dependent women that can’t take a decision by herself or she is always the men’s property.

Arab women are changing the fact of being dependent in the media. She is turning to media by their empowerment and be a field of education that can overcomes barriers of distance and time by the new technologies. These new technologies allowed women to be seen as equal to men and have the ability to discuss, investigate, and present issues. Women are trying to be a source for education and creativity not only for a muse.