Honour Killings in Canada: Understanding and Addressing the Issue

Preliminary Examination of so-called "Honour Killings" in Canada

Premeditated killings of family members, primarily women, who are thought to have brought shame or dishonour to their family by engaging in certain behaviours considered unacceptable (e.g. pre-marital or extra-marital sexual relationships, or relationships with boys not approved by the family), are often referred to in media reports as "honour killings". We examine three questions – what is an "honour killing", to establish the definition; where does it occur, looking at reported incidents in Canada; and why does it occur, examining the psychopathology involved in such criminal acts committed in the present day.

Honour killings are planned, often at a family conference. The perpetrator's family may repeatedly threaten the victim with death if she dishonours her family.

Honour killings can involve multiple family members in the killing, such as parents, brothers and cousins.

The magnitude of honour killings in Canada is largely unknown but there are anecdotal reports about its occurrence. Such occurrences often relate to specific cultural communities where some immigrants to Canada had maintained cultural practices from their country of origin. With the appearance of such cases in Canada, it is important to understand the dynamics of honour killing, the risk to potential victims, and the characteristics of perpetrators. "

Source: www.justice.gc.ca

In this program, four guests discuss honour killings in the province of BC. Dr. Saeed Momtazi, Azar Ziyamanesh, Manijeh Ghaffari, and Ali Khoddami, who are official family counsellors in the province, share their opinions.

Azar talks about the significant age difference in traditional marriages, where, unfortunately, young children marry older individuals. After migration, the grown-up child seeks a better future, leading to bitter consequences in the search for a more suitable partner.

Saeed considers the role of parents essential and believes that the crisis of adolescents is not taken seriously, attributing ignorance and lack of knowledge as the main culprits.

Manijeh states that these killings have a long history and stem from a culture of violence. The culture of violence from another country enters this land, and without laws and education, it is used as a tool of suppression.

Ali discusses looking at these killings from two perspectives: societal misconceptions and personal psychology.

The conversation then delves into the roots of honour killings and examines how to address them in the province of BC. Various resources are introduced to prevent unfortunate events.

Journalist: Majid Mahichi

Skyrise Media Society