[Elder of Ziyon] A heinous honor killing in Hebron reported in Arab media

From Emirates 24/7:

A Palestinian mother waited for her 16-year-old daughter to go to bed, tied a rope around her neck and strangled her to death. The woman murdered her own daughter after neighbours lied to her that the girl had an affair with their son.

The crime, which moved local residents, had remained underground for a while before it was revealed by police and a Palestinian female activist, who described it as "one of the most heinous criminal acts" in Palestine.

The crime took place in Bait Oula, a tiny village in the West Bank town of Hebron and it was publicized several weeks after it was perpetrated by the mother.

Residents, who spoke to the Palestinian Arabic language daily Donia Al Watan, said the mother had already been cruel to her daughter as she used to force her to do all household work because she does not like female offspring.

It was this cruelty that made her rush and murder the girl without bothering to check if what neighbours said about her daughter was true.

"Just go and see your daughter's pictures on my son's mobile phone," the neighbouring woman told the mother after an argument, according to the paper.

"The mother then started her plan to kill her daughter…residents said she had made her daughter clean the house for two days so the family will be prepared to receive would-be mourners on their daughter's death."

After the murder, the family left the girl in her bed all the night. In the morning, they went straight to hospital and said their daughter had died of heart attack.

"But doctors noticed the swelling in her neck and that her body was bluish….they informed the authorities, who later wrested a confession about the murder…the mother said she killed her to wash off shame and clean the family's honour….a day later, hospital tests showed the girl was still virgin and pure….it was a hasty crime of honour, which has never been marred or even touched."

It is hard to confirm this story. It is attributed to a PalArab women's rights activist who revealed it while visiting Jordan. The earliest mention I found was from Albawaba on January 26th.

I couldn't find anything about it on Palestinian Arab human rights sites.

(h/t jzaik)

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Posted By Elder of Ziyon to Elder of Ziyon at 2/17/2012 10:00:00 AM