CRIMES OF HONOR AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER IN ARAB SOCIETIES

Abstract

This article is a discussion of crimes of honor in the Arab world. A paradigmatic example of a crime of honor is the killing of a woman by her father or brother for engaging in, or being suspected of engaging in, sexual practices before or outside marriage. On a simple and immediate level, this article calls for an end to these crimes for their obvious cruelty. All Arab laws or judicial practices that legitimize or sanction these crimes should be abolished