It took only 25 days
Jordan offered its first "honour killing" of the year late in January -- despite legal efforts to crack down on the perpetrators.
A Jordanian man fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter whom he suspected of having sex despite a medical exam that proved her chastity, an official said Thursday. The man surrendered to police hours after the killing, saying he had done it for family honor.
A state forensic pathologist, who works at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Amman where an autopsy was performed, said in a phone interview that the girl had run away from home several times for unknown reasons.
Reading a little further, one can surmise the reasons a child might run.
Weeks ago, the girl had returned home from a family protection clinic after doctors had vouched for her virginity and the father had signed a pledge not to harm her, the pathologist said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case.
"The tests proved that she was a virgin," the pathologist said. The girl returned home only after her father signed a statement promising not to harm her, he added.
The fact that "family protection clinics" exist shows the nature of the culture, sad to say. The fact that her father's suspicions were ungrounded only add irony to an unacceptable way of life for women. Lord knows we promote chastity in our religion as well, but a lapse of virtue is a personal sin, not a familial failing. It's called "free will," and that is what terrifies many fundamentalists. It's up to us to show how choosing good is the perfect use of free will, not to eliminate all options and shut down those who err. Very, very sad.
How very sad for everyone. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.
Posted by: Dennis | Wednesday, 07 February 2007 at 11:17 PM