world, particularly in the Middle East and parts of South Asia, women who bring dishonor to their families because of sexual indiscretions or even rape are forced to pay a terrible price at the hands of male family members. This brutal act is most commonly found among the Islamic cultures. They use their religion as an excuse for their animalistic, indecent behavior. However, Islam recognizes and celebrates the inherent dignity bestowed by God upon all human beings regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. The Koran, the Muslim holy book, is explicit in its emphasis on the equality of women and men before God. “And their Lord has accepted of them and answered them, “Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, whether male or female, you are members, one of another…” (Koran, 3:195)In the Arab culture, family status is largely dependent upon its honor, much of which is determined by the respectability of its daughters, who can damage it irreparably by the perceived misuse of their sexuality. Examples cited by women's organizations (MLW.com) show that women are punished, even murdered, on the suspicion of having been involved in a sexual relationship. Victims of rape have met the same fate. Maintaining honor is deemed a woman's responsibility, whether or not she has been educated about sex or consented to the act. According to Sharif Kanaana, professor of anthropology at Birzeit University in Palestine, the ‘code’ of honor killings “prevents women from having sexual freedom or the right to use their sexual powers the way they want.” (Kanaana 44) The honor of a family is very dependent on a woman’s virginity. In the Arab culture, it is believed that a woman’s virginity is the property of the men around her, first her father, and later a gift to her husband. In this context, a woman’s honor must be guarded by a community of male family members ...
