Namus

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For other uses, see Namus (disambiguation).
Women wearing niqab to ensure namus
Women wearing niqab to ensure namus

Namus is an ethical category, a virtue, in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern of patriarchal character. It is a strongly gender-specific category of relations within a family described in terms of honor, attention, respect/respectability, and modesty. The term is often translated as "honor".

The notion of Namus is known in but not restricted to the Muslim world; it was known also, for example, in Armenia (see section "In arts").

Contents

[edit] Etymology

From Arabic: el-Namus el-ekber الناموس الأكب‎, "the one in possession of absolute virtues". According to the Islamic tradition, namus is the law or enlightenment bestowed unto Prophet Muhammad (and to Musa (Moses) before that) during his first revelation. (The angel Jibrail that delivered this law is also sometimes referred to as Namus.)

[edit] Essence

For a man and his family, namus, among other things, means sexual integrity of women in the family, their chastity in particular. On the other hand, the man has to provide for his family and to defend the namus of his house, his women in particular, against the threats (physical and verbal) to members of his extended family from the outer world.[1] Namus of a man is determined by namus of all the women in his family (i.e., mother, wives, sisters, daughters). In some societies, e.g., in Pashtun tribes of Afganistan, namus goes beyond the basic family and is common for a plarina, a unit of the tribe that has common ancestral father.[2]

For an unmarried woman, the utmost importance is placed on virginity before marriage, and "proof of virginity" in the form of bloodstains on a bed sheet is required to proudly demonstrate after the wedding night. Professor of sociology Dilek Cindoğlu writes: "The virginity of the women is not a personal matter, but a social phenomenon".[3]

The Bible reads, "The aged women likewise, that they may be... teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."(Titus 2:3,4,5)[4]

The historical and current importance of namus in European society is seen in "the 2000 year old attribution of "virginity" to Mary, mother of Christ" by traditional Christianity[5].

In Islamic societies, for a woman, namus is in obedience, faithfulness, modesty (in behaviour and in dress), "appropriateness" ("she knows when to sit and when to stand up").

The Qur'an states,

Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.[6]

[edit] Violations of namus

The namus of a man is violated if, for example, his daughter is not dressed "appropriately" or if he tolerates an offense without reaction.[7][8][1] "Failing to serve a meal on time", refusing an arranged marriage, seeking a divorce, narrating a dream of infidelity, being raped or a song being dedicated to a female family member on the radio can all be seen to damage namus[9]. Among Pashtuns an encroachment on a man's plot of land also signifies violation of his namus[2].

[edit] Restoration of namus

Men are supposed to control the behavior of women in his family, and if he loses control of them (his wife, sisters or daughters), his namus is lost in the eyes of the community, and he has to clean his (and his family's) honor. In grave cases, particularly cases involving marriage, this is done by murder or forced suicide. Such cases are especially visible in immigrant societies, when a girl faces the conflict between her choice of the culture of the new home society and the traditions of the old home.[10]

In the most conservative interpretations, if a woman is raped, she is not seen as a victim. Instead, it is considered that the namus of the whole family was violated, and to restore it, an honour killing of the raped woman may happen (estimated 5,000 victims yearly and on the rise worldwide[11]). In other cases, the raped woman may, under social duress to restore namus, commit forced suicide.[12] In Pakistan acid is often thrown on the victims face to disfigure them rather than them being murdred.[9]

In the British Bangladeshi immigrant culture the violation of namus can result in the murder of the male involved with the female family member. [13]

[edit] Current situation

"Hundreds, if not thousands, of women are murdered by their families each year in the name of family 'honor'."[9]

Afghanistan, Aman,[14] Bangladesh, Great Britain, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, and Uganda are countries in which honor killings occur[9]. Namus is still an active force in rural societies. In Turkey, between 1994–1996, 53 cases of honor killings of women received wide media coverage. The actual crime rate is much higher.[15] In 2002 international attention was drawn to the honor killing of Fadime Sahindal, of the Kurdish minority in Sweden, who violated namus by suing her father and brother for threats and then rejecting the marriage arranged for her.[16]

[edit] Forces against honor killing

In many societies that had or have honor killings contrary social forces are also in action. Feminism and human rights workers seek to stop honor killing. National law can be promoted ahead of the right of families to protect namus. Elements of namus are considered by some to be remnants of archaic patriarchal prejudice. Urbanisation and Westernization gradually modifies the namus[citation needed]. It especially becomes eroded in emigrant societies[citation needed]. In Germany, if it is judged that the killing was an honor crime, the killer gets the maximum sentence of 25 years without parole.[7]

Fifty years before the murder of Fadime Sahindal, Abdullah Goran (1904-1962), the greatest modern Kurdish poet, condemned honour killing in his poem, Berde-nfsLk “A Tomb-Stone”.[16]

It is a misconception that honor killing is an attribute mainly of the Muslim world, or even of "backwards" Muslim societies, since it is virtually unknown in Bangladesh and Indonesia and as shown above occurs outside Moslem societies as well. Honor killings, in Arabic society, are a carry over from the pre-Islamic era;[17] neither Qur'an nor Hadith mention honor killing. It is true that women may be stoned for Zina (adultery), but they must be judged in a court on the basis of the testimony of four men, and the sentence is not executed by family members.

[edit] Namus around the world

[edit] Jordan

Sharaf[18] is the honor of the family, tribe or person which can increase if the path of moral behavior is followed or decrease if it is left. ‘ird is that honor which relates only to the women in family, 'ird can only decrease. Sharaf is outweighed by 'ird. To regain sharaf 'ird must be cleansed. "A woman is like an olive tree. When its branch catches woodworm, it has to be chopped off so that society stays clean and pure." Murder, marriage to the person that violated her honor or marriage to another man will all restore 'ird. However "‘Izzat Muhaysin, a psychiatrist at the Gaza Program for Mental Health, who says that the culture of the society perceives one who refrains from "washing shame with blood" as "a coward who is not worthy of living."[18]" In Jordan prison sentences for such killings usually range from 3 months to 2 years.

A Jordan Times survey showed 62% opposition to changes to a law that excuses honor-killing. A fear of an increase in "moral corruption in society" was reported. A politician, in response to a proposal to give wives the same right to kill husbands caught in adultery, said, "whether we like it or not, women are not equal to men in Islam. Adulterous women are much worse than adulterous men, because women determine the lineage." Some Jordanian Islamic groups say that punishment of adulterous wifes should be left to the state, while other say Islam advocates that male relatives should carry out the punishment. Yotam Feldner writes, "if honour killing originated in pre-Islamic Arab tribalism, it has long since been incorporated into Islamic society and thereby become common throughout the Muslim world, ..."[18]

[edit] In arts

[edit] Technology

Even the associated practice of virginity tests in cases of claimed sexual misconduct do not always protect women from femicide, since gossip and rumors may take precedence over forensic evidence, especially since the practice of virginity restoration has become widespread (for women with sufficient money).[20] In Turkey and in Germany, where there is a large Turkish diaspora, Turkish women often resort to such cosmetic surgery.[7]

[edit] See also

  • Sharia
  • Women in Islam
  • Women in Muslim societies
  • Zina: Islamic judicial position and punishment relating to extra-marital sex
  • Other categories of honor in Islamic Turkish culture[1][21]
    • Onur basically corresponds to European general-purpose notion of honor
    • Prestij, a borrowing for prestige
    • Şeref, an honor associated with man's and man's male kin glory resulted from their accomplishments, as in "Medal of Honor", Şeref Madalyası (notice the gender-orientedness, in a sense complementary to namus)
    • Saygi, an honor which considers worth of the person or homage
    • Sevgi, an honor associated with love (one honors another person by loving him/her); usually translated indiscriminately as "love" (cf. with Greek words for love)
    • Haysiyet the ability to feel lack of honor, itself a category of honor
    • Gurur, an honorable pride
    • Izzet, an honor of generosity

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Werner Schiffauer, "Die Gewalt der Ehre. Erklärungen zu einem deutsch-türkischen Sexualkonflikt." ("The Force of the Honour"), Suhrkamp: Frankfurt am Main, 1983. ISBN 3-518-37394-3.
  2. ^ a b Pashtunwali Terminology.
  3. ^ Dilek Cindoglu, "Virginity tests and artificial virginity in modern Turkish medicine," pp. 215–228, in Women and sexuality in Muslim societies, P. Ýlkkaracan (Ed.), Women for Women’s Human Rights, Istanbul, 2000.
  4. ^ The Bible, KJV, Titus Chpt. 2 Verse 3-5
  5. ^ Aysan Sev'er Culture of honor, culture of change: a feminist analysis of honor killings in rural Turkey, University of Toronto at Scarborough retrieved 5-1-07
  6. ^ Surah An-Nisaa; verse 34.
  7. ^ a b c Uli Pieper: Problemfelder und Konflikte von Kindern ausländischer Arbeitsmigranten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, a sociological analysis.
  8. ^ Anatomie eines Ehrdelikts ("The Anatomy of Honour Crimes") , by Werner Schiffauer.
  9. ^ a b c d Hillary MayellThousands of Women Killed for Family "Honor" National Geographic News February 12, 2002 retreived 5-1-07
  10. ^ A Matter of Honor, Your Honor?, by Rhea Wessel, the first article in her series about the rights of Muslim women in Europe, particularly Turkish women in Germany.
  11. ^ "Ending Violence against Women and Girls", an UNFPA report.
  12. ^ "UN probes Turkey 'forced suicide'", a BBC article, May 24, 2006.
  13. ^ The honour code that drove a family to murder. Timesonline November 04, 2005 retrieved 6-1-07
  14. ^ Sawyer, D. (1999). (see A feminist analysis of honor killings in rural Turkey. Culture of honor, culture of change. Department of Sociology, University of Toronto (2001). Retrieved on 2007-01-06.) Citation: Honor Killings. Aired on 20/20. NBC: Friday, January 22. sighted. retrieved 2007-01-05
  15. ^ "Framing Honor Crimes in Turkey", A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 15.2 (2004) 119–151.
  16. ^ a b Shahrzad Mojab and Amir Hassanpour In Memory of Fadime Sahindal: Thoughts on the Struggle Against “Honour Killing” retrieved 5-1-07.
  17. ^ Suzanne Ruggi Commodifying Honor in Female Sexuality: Honor Killings in Palestine retrieved 5-1-06
  18. ^ a b c [http://www.aijac.org.au/review/2001/261/essay261.html All in the Family How the perpetrators of Honour Killings get off lightly] retrieved 2007-01-12
  19. ^ Namus at the Internet Movie Database
  20. ^ Imposition of virginity testing: a life-saver or a license to kill?, by Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, an article about sexual abuse in Palestinian society, a UNIFEM-funded study.
  21. ^ "Culture of Honor, Culture of Change", by Aysan Sev'er, prof. sociology, in Violence Against Women: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal, 1999, vol. 7 no. 9, 964–999.

[edit] External links

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