IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – In northwest Syria’s Idlib, the phenomenon of honor killings has become a justification for the clear and frank killings, and also a justification for settling scores in Idlib in light of the prevailing societal customs and the absence of deterrent law.
On June 12, 22-year-old Taima’ al-Sarhan and her mother, who were residing in Ehsas border camp in the countryside of Idlib, were shot to death under the pretext of honor.
Al-Sarhan’s cousin opened fire at her and her mother after a photo of al-Sarhan not wearing a hijab was posted on Facebook.
Recently, the phenomenon of honor killings has been on the rise. The Syrian Salvation Government, the civil arm of the extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), does not try the perpetrators of these crimes in court.
17-year-old Rahaf Kanaan, an IDP who lived in Kelli camp north of Idlib, was killed after her HTS-member father shot her on February 25, after she tried to leave the tent without wearing hijab.
According to activists, the girl was suffering from a neurological disease and seizures.
From early 2020 until February 2021, Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) recorded at least 24 honor killings in the regions of Idlib, the Aleppo countryside, Daraa and Suwayda, in which 16 women were killed at the hands of their relatives under the pretext of honor.
Six other women were killed for reasons that were not disclosed, though the main motives are believed to be related to honor.
The STJ recorded five honor killings in Idlib, which is mostly under the control of HTS, in the cities and towns of Salqin, Atma, Kelli, and others.
The STJ recorded at least seven other crimes committed under the pretext of honor in the areas of Azaz, Afrin, Jarabulus, al-Bab, and other areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which is under the control of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
The number of cases are only those the STJ was able to confirm, according to the report.
Encouraging community
The report pointed out that security chaos and the absence of the rule of law, the proliferation of weapons, and prevailing social customs have all led to an increase in the rate of honor killings in the various Syrian regions.
“Women in Idlib are besieged by the local community under the pretext of preserving honor,” a psychologist from Idlib city told North Press.
“Whoever kills his sister, daughter, or wife commits his crime with the encouragement of the society to ‘wash his shame away,’” the psychologist added.
These customs have had a catastrophic effect on women in Idlib, depriving them of their right to education, work, and a normal life.
Absent law
35-year-old Raed al-Eido (a pseudonym), an IDP who resided in the Tal al-Karamah camps on the Syrian-Turkish border, was killed in broad daylight, after which Salvation Government security forces arrested the killer.
Five months after the incident, the victim’s family were shocked to see the killer in a market in the town, as he was released after he presented evidence to the court that his crime was committed over honor, according to what the judge told the victim’s family.
The judge refused to hear any arguments from the victim’s family, claiming that the court’s decision was made based on evidence and investigation, and the verdict was issued to release the offender on the basis of the results.
28-year-old Idlib resident Rowaida al-Saeed (a pseudonym) was stabbed to death by her husband after she asked for divorce. Al-Saeed’s mother said that her daughter intended to divorce her husband as a result of the beatings and violence he inflicted on her.
She points out that her husband killed her when she asked for a divorce, and he committed the murder to restore his honor, thinking that his wife had had an affair.
“The court is looking into the case file and it is possible that it will release him, according to what the lawyer in charge of the case told her,” she pointed out.