INCREASE REVENGE OF HONOUR CASES

Lately a Turkish woman was killed by her husband in front of a reception centre, were she was in hiding for him and the consequences of the traditional revenge of honour. The Dutch Minister for Integration stated that the actual law offers enough means to trace and persecute ‘revenge of honour'-cases in The Netherlands. She says that the Dutch Turkish community has to find the key for the solution of this disgraceful non-Western cultural phenomenon.

On assignment of the Ministry of Integration the Dutch police started a research to find out how much the ‘revenge of honour' occurs in the Dutch society. This year it is 40 years ago that the first Turkish immigrants arrived in The Netherlands. Although the Turks adapted quite well to the Dutch society, the primitive ‘revenge of honour'-tradition is still quite actual. The Minister asked the Turkish community to report cases of ‘revenge of honour' and to make the subject discussable. The Minister: ‘I see the increase of cases of revenge of honour as a worrying development. These days revenge of honour is linked to individual people with a face. The faces of victims that appeared in the Dutch media lately stand for the many women that are still oppressed and abused or that escaped their hell and live in hiding.'

The message of the Minister of Integration was hard for the Turkish community that organised a party to celebrate the 30 years anniversary of Turkish people in Holland . Still they were happy with the cry for help. They share the worries of the Minister and the last three years they are very active to fight the phenomenon. Especially by going to the older generations and to the younger ones to make clear that ‘revenge of honour' is no longer part of their traditional Turkish culture.

The Minister of Integration lately refused to carry out a motion of the well known Somalian migrant politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali. As a reaction of the last ‘revenge of honour' murder, she asked the Minister to include ‘revenge of honour' in the law book. But the according to the Ministry the law book offers enough means. The communities have to solve the problem. The Minister: do not turn away, but signalise it, report it and show your disapproval. We are talking about abuse, violence and oppression. And that is not very honourable at all.

As an example one of the other cases: ‘I come to help you, her brother-in-law said, and he poured petrol over he and settled fire to her. Her face, ears and arms are fully burned. After 24 operations the Dutch Palestinian victim is finally able to fight for the other victims of ‘revenge of honour'. Her family still wants her dead. She escaped with her child to Europe and after 20 years of suffering, depression and pain, she now wrote a book about ‘revenge of honour'. more features

April 6, 2004