Beyond Honour
A Historical Materialist Explanation of Honour-related Violence
Tahira S. Khan
Misperceived,
ill-informed and narrowly researched documentaries, research studies and
newspaper reports presented in the US and Europe have created an impression that
honour related violence against women occurs only in Asian and African Muslim
communities, mainly due to their backward and conservative cultural and
religious beliefs. Such mis/interpretations and ethno-centric portrayals of
multi-faceted violence have invoked criticism from various communities across
the globe.
The main focus of
previous studies on the subject has been on the socio-cultural aspect of
honour/shame and its implications for female bodies and sexualities. This study
is an attempt to look beyond the cultural notion of honour as the main/only
motive behind gender based violence. By focusing on honour related violence in
the Muslim world, and especially in Pakistan, this study attempts to explain the
origin and persistence of the honour/shame code by applying Marx's Historical
Materialist approach. This approach takes readers from the ancient, medieval to
the modern/current histories of religious, legal, social and political
institutions. The comparative historical approach in this study identifies the
materialist/economic basis of the origin and persistence of honour related
violence in some societies, and the absence of such violence in
others.
The study is a blend
of academic research and personal experiences and observation that examine
honour related issues through the lens of historical academic research along
with a simple narration of present day stories of victims around the
globe.
Tahira S. Khan
holds a Ph.D. in
International Studies from the University of Denver, Colorado. In 1986, she
joined the University of Karachi as Senior Research Fellow cum Lecturer. She has
also taught at the University of Denver, University of Colorado, Boulder and the
Metropolitan State College, Denver as an adjunct Faculty at the Departments of
Political Science and Women's Studies. She joined the Aga Khan University
Institute for Educational Development Karachi as Assistant Professor, Gender
Studies in 2000. Since 2002, she has been a private consultant and researcher on
women's/gender issues.
She has also
published numerous articles and research reports in various national and
international journals and newspapers and has extensively attended international
conferences and seminars and made numerous presentations. Besides her academic
appointments, as a women's/human rights activist, she has been affiliated with
the Asian Pacific Women, Law and Development Forum (APWLD), Chiangmai since 1997
and is Convener, Women's Participation in Political Processes (WPPP). In 2003,
she was elected Vice President of the Irteqa Institute of Social Sciences,
Karachi.
At present, Dr Khan
is teaching Gender Studies courses at a university in the United
States.
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