Legal Framework
Islamic law, or Sharia, has a significant influence on Iran's legal and social frameworks. The interpretations of Sharia can vary widely, but in Iran, certain interpretations that affect women's rights are particularly stringent. For instance, Sharia-based laws in Iran include provisions regarding modesty, the behavior of women, and their interactions with men, which can place women in vulnerable positions if they are perceived to have violated these norms.
These legal and social norms are often intertwined with what is considered honorable behavior. In some communities, the preservation of a girl or woman's virginity until marriage is seen as paramount. Thus, perceived or actual deviations from these expectations can lead to family members, particularly males, believing they must act to restore their family's honor, sometimes resulting in violence.
Lenient Punishments: Iranian law has historically provided lenient penalties for honor killings under certain circumstances, treating them differently from other forms of homicide. Although there have been some reforms, the legal framework can still be seen as indirectly condoning the practice.
Inadequate Protection for Women: The legal system often fails to protect women adequately from domestic violence and does not always enforce laws that could help prevent honor killings.
Child Marriage
Child marriage is another factor that intersects with honor killings. Despite legal provisions that set the minimum age for marriage in Iran, child marriage still occurs, particularly in rural or more conservative areas. The practice is often justified by traditional beliefs of Islamic teachings. Marrying young girls often is perceived as a way to ensure they do not engage in any behavior that could be deemed dishonorable before marriage. Girls who are married early are more vulnerable to domestic violence, including honor-related violence. If a child bride acts against the wishes of her family or husband, whether through seeking education, attempting to divorce, or even suffering abuse, she might be at risk of violence aimed at enforcing compliance or punishing what is viewed as disobedience.
Child marriage can be directly related to honor killings in several ways:
Early Dependency: Marrying young often places girls in a dependent position with limited education and economic independence, making it difficult to leave unsafe environments.
Control of Sexuality: Child marriage is often about controlling female sexuality. A violation of this control, whether perceived or real, might lead to extreme measures, including honor killings.
Escape Attempts: Young brides might try to flee abusive marriages, which can lead to family members pursuing them to commit honor killings as a form of punishment and deterrence.
Cultural Norms and Values:
Patriarchal Society: Iran's strongly patriarchal society places immense value on the control of women's behavior, particularly their sexual conduct. The family's honor is closely tied to the perceived purity and obedience of its female members.
Conservative Traditions: In many parts of Iran, especially in rural and tribal areas, traditions dictate strict gender roles and behaviors. Deviations from these expected roles by women or girls, such as refusing an arranged marriage, seeking a divorce, or even being a victim of sexual assault, can be perceived as dishonorable.
Societal Pressure and Stigma
Social Stigma: There is significant social stigma attached to any behavior by women that is deemed inappropriate or dishonorable. This pressure can lead to social ostracism of the entire family, which in turn motivates violent acts to restore family honor.
Community Complicity: In some communities, there is tacit or explicit support for honor killings as a necessary action to correct dishonorable behavior, thereby reinforcing the practice.
Religious Interpretations
Economic and Social Insecurity: Control of Resources: Economic factors can also play a role. In male-dominated societies where women have limited access to resources, controlling women's behavior becomes a way of ensuring that resources remain within the family.
Isolation: Women in more isolated rural areas are often more vulnerable to the extremes of patriarchal control, including honor killings, because of less exposure to broader societal changes and fewer economic opportunities.
Media and Public Perception:
Role of Media: The way media portray incidents involving women's "dishonor" can also contribute to the perpetuation of honor killings. Sensational reporting can reinforce the notion that restoring honor through violence is acceptable or even necessary.