In a previous post, I talked about Turkish honor killings being a major social problem in Germany.
While visiting Philobiblon, a feminist blog, I found this article from the Times of London. It digs deeper into the Turkish society, and its high suicide rate among women. Turns out that these "suicides" are not really suicides, but a form of honor killing that lets the killer (usually the father, the husband, or some other male relative) off the hook. The woman, often falsely accused of adultery or naughty behavior, is simply locked in with nothing but a suicide weapon, and is left with nothing to do - but to kill herself.
Turkey is trying to join the EU, and its human rights abuses are coming into focus. Ironically, this form of honor killings is picking up steam, because it is technically suicide, and reflects less badly on Turkey's record.
Honor killings are fair game in not only Turkey, but in most Muslim countries. Even outside the Muslim world, they are fair game in some countries of the Far East and Latin America. This appalling practice must be stopped, and countries where honor killings are practiced must be ostracized and boycotted by the feminist community.
The Times
