Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan Norma Khouri C-Span Book TV 00:00:14 - 01:25:00 2-6-03

Ms. Khouri talks about her book Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan, published by Atria Books. In the book she tells the story of her friend, Daria--a Muslim woman in Jordan who was killed by her father because she fell in love with a Catholic man. Following her presentation she answered questions from members of the audience.

The U. N. estimates that 5,000 women are killed in honor killings per year and honor killings are on the rise. "Please contact the U. N. Human Rights High Commission." Honor Killings are a cultural product, not mandated by Islam. Honor killings have roots in bedouin tribal traditions 12,000 years before the common era and found its way into penal codes (articles 340 and 98). Honor killings are not sanctioned by Koranic verses, but some Islamic religious leaders link honor killings to the Koran. Any woman who is found talking in public to a man she is not related to is at risk of an honor killing. If a woman is found holding such a man's hands she is at risk. If a woman is raped, she is killed for the supposed honor of the family. The Jordan National Commission on Women has given petitions with 16,000 signatures to the Jordanian Parliament twice. They did not give two minutes of time to considering the petitions. "Your moral decision should be your own."

Amnesty International launched an international campaign in March 2004 to stop violence against women. If you are interested in being on the email list to hear more about this campaign, notify Dr. B.