Demonstration in Jordan today over honor crimes
Jordan, Politics, 2/14/2000

The Islamic Work Front in Jordan on Sunday gave a fatwa (Islamic jurisprudence) to prevent the cancellation of one item in the Jordanian penal code which gives those who commit crimes against women under the pretext of defending honor lessened sentences, amid increasing demands raised by activists in defense of women's rights to remove this item which is considered a direct reason for the phenomenon of honor crimes in Jordan.

A fatwa released by the scholars committee at the front said that "omitting item 340 of the punishment law is a violation of the Islamic Sharia and this might help encourage adultery."

Today, a demonstration will be launched in downtown Amman onto the premises of the parliament, calling on the parliament's members to reconsider their previous stand in which the parliament failed to pass laws supporting women's rights.

The Islamic Work Front which opposes change to current laws, and having different views from the demonstrators, was permitted to take part in the demonstration and express its position in favor of keeping item 340 in the law.

According to official figures in Jordan, almost 28 Jordanian women are killed annually in incidents connected to honor, while independent sides stress that this number is much greater because such killings often take place in rural and Bedouin areas and are hidden by the society to avoid social scandals.

Previous Stories:
  Differences on the 'honor crime' article in Jordan   (12/16/1999)
  Jordan to end exemptions for honor killings   (9/28/1999)

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