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Syria amends, does not abolish, lenient “honor killing” law
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It is well-known that honor killings—the murder of girls and women by relatives, generally for perceived sexual improprieties or other deviations from traditional values—are a problem throughout the Muslim world. But it is insufficiently appreciated that honor killings are anchored, not merely in attitudes, but in law. In many Muslim countries, legislation singles out perpetrators of honor killings for more lenient punishment.
Syria has taken a small step in the right direction. On July 1 President Bashar al-Assad amended Penal Code Article 548 to provide for greater punishment in such cases. Formerly, there was a maximum sentence of one year; now, a minimum sentence of two years. The law now states:
“He who catches his wife, sister, daughter or mother by surprise in the act of committing adultery or having unlawful sex with another and then unintentionally kills or hurts either of them can benefit from attenuating circumstances, provided that he serves a prison term of no less than in the case of killing.”
Syrian Justice Minister Ahmad Hamoud Younes said: “The number of wife killing has increased recently on the pretext of adultery, and the cancelled article number 548 of the penal law pardoned those crimes.”
Syrian women’s groups were pleased, if not satisfied. The BBC reported that one organization offered that it was a “small contribution to solving the problem,” but still gives men the right and the incentive to murder women.
Incidentally, it’s worth noticing that the president amended the law by decree. The legislature?—chopped liver. No pretense of democracy here.
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