Monday, November 17, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
Mother kills raped daughter to restore 'honor'
By Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson Knight Ridder Newspapers
SHARON PERRY / KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Amira Abu Hanhan Qaoud is charged in the death of her 17-year-old daughter, Rofayda. "This is the only way I could protect my family's honor," says the mother of nine.
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ABU QASH, West Bank — Raped by her brothers and impregnated, Rofayda Qaoud refused to commit suicide, her mother recalls, even after she bought the 17-year-old a razor with which to slit her wrists.
So Amira Abu Hanhan Qaoud says she did what she believes any good Palestinian parent would: restored her family's "honor" through murder.
Armed with a plastic bag, razor and wooden stick, Qaoud entered her sleeping daughter's room last Jan. 27. "Tonight you die, Rofayda," she told the girl, before wrapping the bag tightly around her head.
Next, Qaoud sliced Rofayda's wrists, ignoring her muffled pleas of "No, mother, no!" After her daughter went limp, Qaoud struck her in the head with the stick.
Killing her sixth-born child took 20 minutes, Qaoud tells a visitor through a stream of tears and cigarettes that she smokes in rapid succession. "She killed me before I killed her," says the 43-year-old mother of nine. "I had to protect my children. This is the only way I could protect my family's honor."
The guilty brothers are in jail.
Qaoud's confessed crime, for which she must appear before a three-judge panel Dec. 3, is one repeated almost weekly among Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. Female virtue and virginity define a family's reputation in Arab cultures, so it's women who are punished if that reputation is perceived as sullied.
Victims' rights groups say the number of "honor crimes" appears to be climbing, but at the same time, getting little attention. Israelis and Palestinians are too busy with political and military issues to notice what they dismiss as domestic disputes, says Suad Abu-Dayyeh, who works for the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling in East Jerusalem.
Poverty and war have exacerbated the problem, says Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, a social work and criminology professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an expert on violence against women. "Men do not have any power except over women," she says.
Palestinian police reported 31 cases in 2002, up from five during the first half of 1999, according to the center's study. Police in Israel investigated at least 18 honor killings in the past three years.
But the number of killings is likely higher, given that Palestinian police investigate only crimes that have been reported, said Yousef Tarifi, the Ramallah prosecutor assigned to Qaoud's case. Shalhoub-Kevorkian says her research showed the likely number to be 15 times higher than the number of reported cases.
Qaoud says her husband, Abdul Rahim, 52, told her the Quran forbade such killings. But neither his pleas nor those of Palestinian crisis counselors swayed her.
According to court records, Rofayda was raped by her brothers, Fahdi, 22, and Ali, 20, in a bedroom they shared in the family's three-room house. On Nov. 26, 2002, doctors at a nearby hospital who were treating Rofayda for an injured leg discovered she was eight months pregnant.
Palestinian authorities whisked her off to a women's shelter in Bethlehem, where she gave birth to a healthy boy Dec. 23. He has been adopted by another Palestinian family, court records show.
Rofayda, meanwhile, wanted to return to her parents in the Ramallah suburb of Abu Qash. Ramallah Gov. Mustafa Isa called a meeting with the family and village elders, demanding they pledge in writing not to harm the girl.
"He asked me if everyone in the family and the village would promise not to bother this girl, but I told him I couldn't give him a guarantee," Abu Qash Mayor Faik Shalout says.
Rofayda returned home in late January without notifying the authorities.
The shame was unbearable, Qaoud said. Relatives and friends refused to speak to her family. Her elder daughters' husbands wouldn't allow them to visit because Rofayda had returned home.
On Jan. 27, Rofayda sent word that she was in danger to counselors at Abu-Dayyeh's center in East Jerusalem. They, in turn, called Palestinian police in Ramallah, who have jurisdiction over Abu Qash. The police said they couldn't get to the Qaoud home because of Israeli checkpoints.
Qaoud, meanwhile, sent her husband, who suffers from heart disease, to a doctor in the nearby village of Bir Zeit. Her three youngest children went to a cousin's house.
At 11:30 p.m. she killed Rofayda, court records show. Tarifi, the prosecutor, says he's convinced Qaoud had an accomplice, but Qaoud insists she acted alone.
Qaoud turned herself in and, after four months in jail, was released pending the resolution of her case.
While honor killings committed in the heat of the moment — for example, by a husband who catches his wife in bed with another man — generally carry a six-month to one-year jail term, Qaoud will likely be sentenced to three to five years in prison, Tarifi says.
The fact she is a mother who was trying to protect her family's honor mitigates the crime of premeditated murder, which is punishable by death under Palestinian law, he adds.
The brothers are serving minimum 10-year sentences in a Palestinian jail in the West Bank city of Jericho for statutory rape of a relative, Tarifi says.
No trace of Rofayda or her brothers remains in the family home. Qaoud says she ripped up all of their photographs and burned their clothes. The bedroom in which she killed her daughter is now a storeroom.
Erasing the memories is harder, she admits. She eases her pain by doting on her three children still living at home, especially the youngest, Fatima, 9, whom she lavishes with kisses. The children say they've forgiven Qaoud and return her affection.
"My mother did this because she does not want us to be punished by people," Fatima explains with a shy smile. "I love my mother much more now than before."
and where was Islam mentioned in this article? I dont see how Islam has anything to do with this article. Its more of the moral ethics of the people in that region and their perceived beleifs. I dont know first hand myself and this is purely a question to satisfy my own curiosity, does it state anywhere in the religious texts of Islam that a woman would need to die if raped or otherwise impregnated or "deflowered" to restore the family's honor?
and where was Islam mentioned in this article? I dont see how Islam has anything to do with this article. Its more of the moral ethics of the people in that region and their perceived beleifs. I dont know first hand myself and this is purely a question to satisfy my own curiosity, does it state anywhere in the religious texts of Islam that a woman would need to die if raped or otherwise impregnated or "deflowered" to restore the family's honor?
quote
Qaoud says her husband, Abdul Rahim, 52, told her the Quran forbade such killings.
You see, Islam was mentioned. Of course, the mention is against this crime, but lets not bother with details...
BTW, the Old Testiment says that a woman who is raped inside a city where someone could hear her cry out is guilty of adultery if she does not cry out. IMS, the punsishment is marrying the rapist if she is unwed or being stoned if she is wed.
[This message has been edited by Steve Normington (edited 11-19-2003).]
You see, Islam was mentioned. Of course, the mention is against this crime, but lets not bother with details...
[This message has been edited by Steve Normington (edited 11-19-2003).]
again, i misunderstood and posted some inane babble about people's perception of their religious writings. nevermind, I just realised the mention of the Quran was against the killing she did.
This article does have very little to do with Islam, but rather with the morality and beleifs of a nation's people and their actions based on that beleif. Its terrible that these crimes are increasing, hopefully someone will take notice.
[This message has been edited by yashmack (edited 11-19-2003).]
It's best to ignore people that post this trash. One of the unfortunate aspects of the internet is we've made it easy enough for any loony to connect up to.
Unfortunately the internet has become a playground for the garbage of American society. There are anti-jew, anti-muslim, anti-asian, anti-african websites all over the internet. Makes me ashamed to be an american.
Very little to do with Islam? lol, look at Pakistan its common place over there. It gets over looked in Palestine because of the fighting with Israel. It happens in Saudia Arabia alot too. Lets not forget Iran... Hmm, what religion ties all those countries together? Do a search on honor killings and you will see that A, it is common place. B, It is tied in with middle eastern Islam.
[This message has been edited by dennis_6 (edited 11-19-2003).]
I am getting so sick of seeing this on the forum. I agree, its a travesty, but its the purpose behind the posting that is getting repetitive.
Dennis, look up the term "Butter Box Babies" in a search engine. Trust me on the term. What you'll find is that in Nova Scotia about 80 years ago, young women that found themselves in trouble would go to this "hotel" to have the child. You see, the problem was, the children would be put up for adoption. Oh, thats not all, the children that were deemed "un-adoptable" were fed very little, starved and died. They were put in butter boxes and buried in unmarked graves.
Now, would you like me to mention that Nova Scotia was primarily christian at the time? Would you like me to mention that christians pushed their daughters oout of the family to have these babies because of the shame of their daughters actions?
Its easy to see that the development of these countries has been stunted by imperialist actions from a century ago. I would say that their current actions are the equivalent of what we were doing 70, 80 and 90 years ago.
Now, would you like me to drag up every goddamned case on the internet of a christian performing evil in the name of the lord and make comparisons about how that represents your entire goddamned religion?
Take some free advice man and stop spending your life trying to discredit a group of people. Live your life. If you do this here,I'd hate to see what your like at a dinner party.
Show me where a Christian has done evil and it was justified by the words of Christ. The case can be made that terrorist are doing the will of Allah according to the koran by making war against the infidels.
"Sit with them all night, everything they say is right, but in the morning they were wrong." - Live "Heaven"
David Koresh. He believed he was Jesus. I was hoping you'd ask. Guess all christians are evil.
BWAAAAHHAHAHAHA
*SMACK!*
Grid: I don't usually even bother responding to this tool's posts. He does this every couple hours.
It's hate-mongering, pure and simple.
Oh, but in any case, Dennis was looking for examples done in Christ's name?
Hmmm... Besides the whole whack of Crusades done in the middle ages, you have the Inquisition, That was justified in the same way as Islamic Jihad; By twisting meanings of words.
Next, you have a whole list of attrocities based on a few choice passages; Namely: Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:10-11, Galatians 5:19-20, and Revelation 21:8.
You know, salem witch trials, that sorta kidney.
Then you have the queer-bashing, murders, etc., justified by various biblical quotes.
Face it Dennis, people suck. Not just muslims. There is plenty of suckiness to go around without you spreading intolerance and racism.
Show me where a Christian has done evil and it was justified by the words of Christ. The case can be made that terrorist are doing the will of Allah according to the koran by making war against the infidels.
As noted above, there has been plenty of evil done in the name of Christianity (and every other known world religion) but that doesn't mean that the religion approves of it. I'm not defending Islam because I think it has always proven itself not to be a peaceful religion, but this topic is kinda silly and in my opinion has nothing to do with Islam. As noted, the only mention of it at all seems to be saying that Islam is against this.
Quote; "Female virtue and virginity define a family's reputation in Arab cultures, so it's women who are punished if that reputation is perceived as sullied."
The Quran and the practices that take place in that culture are inseparably linked.
I have read several accounts of Muslim girls having acid thrown in their face for being guilty of being raped.
In Saudi Arabia a building was on fire, as the girls exited, the religious policed deemed that they were not appropriately dressed, so they were forced to burn alive.
There are all kinds of stories that paralell this one that are supported by the Muslim leaders.
I'm sure they do support the religious leaders... but it is actually written into the old texts of the religion?
There is a lot of stuff that is accepted as being part of any religion that is stuff that has just happened over the years and become accepted.
Again, I'm not saying that Islam is a wonderful peaceful religion. In my opinion it is very twisted and evil... But, the way the title of this topic was worded does not correspond with the posted text.. In this case, A+B does not equal C.
In old Japan, people would commit suicide if they felt they had done something to dishonor themselves. I don't see anyone commiting suicide over there for dishonor. Was it because of religion that they did it or just because it was what they were taught they were supposed to do? Thankfully, they outgrew the custom whichever it was.
[This message has been edited by Songman (edited 11-20-2003).]
Yeah right, Hitler and the KKK were Christians? Try again, that is a pretty lame asessment. Hitler did buddy up with the Catholic church, I agree on that, however many churches claim to be Christian but there is the doctrine of justification by faith which the catholic church does not agree with historic Christianity. {council of Trent} Constantinople claimed to be a Christian, however he trusted in works also. Jesus said that "by their fruits you shall know them" None of the above passes the smell test.
Songman under Sharia law {muslim} women are stoned to death for adultery. {men are not} Women are beaten in the streets if they fail to meet the strict dress codes put down by the leaders, as was prominently done by the Taliban. Women are relegated to slavery status. Noted wildeyed right wingers like Kim Gandy of NOW and Butros Butrosgali {former UN secy,} spoke out against Islamic atrocities against women.
But the leftist members here would prefer to pretend that the article posted above is an isolated event. Either they refuse to remain blindly ignorant, or they support that type of conduct.
Ahhh! So if you see someone who 'is' a christian.. and he's doing something wrong, he's not christian.. thereby keeping the christian name good.. But if you see someone who thinks they are a muslim, doing something bad, it doesn't apply?
I was talking about the people that flamed Dennis for posting the article.
As for the people that were raised in that society, I guess that they have never known anything different. In pre Taliban Afghanistan women were allowed to go to school and work as doctors etc.. After we liberated Afghanisatn the women were excited about the prospects for their future with the Taliban gone. When the Muslim Clerics run the middle eastern countries, freedom for women evaporates.
You are pretty good at twisting what others say johnny.
I can call myself an indy car driver, but just saying it doesn't make me one. read up on the council of Trent and compare it with justification by faith alone. there is a great gulf between the two. The KKK is represented by the likes of "sheets" Byrd' democratic congressman.
Dennis how can you be so misguided? Didn't you hear that Islam is a religion of peace?
Isnt that what Hitler said to the Nazis about Arians?
I hear about the Koran, Coran or whatever says not to ever kill, but all just about any Islams you hear about do, is kill anyone whos not their friend. THEY dont even know what their religion is about. Sorry, but in my opinion, the world would be better off if they all joined Karesh and went to whatever kind of 'heaven' they have. Yes, there are probably good ones, but the percentage is sooooooooo low, Id except the loss :P
Yeah right, Hitler and the KKK were Christians? Try again, that is a pretty lame asessment. Hitler did buddy up with the Catholic church, I agree on that, however many churches claim to be Christian but there is the doctrine of justification by faith which the catholic church does not agree with historic Christianity. {council of Trent} Constantinople claimed to be a Christian, however he trusted in works also. Jesus said that "by their fruits you shall know them" None of the above passes the smell test.
Thank you for making my point. Regardless of whether they were acting on "Christian" beliefs, or following the words presented as such, they were STILL using Christianity as justification for their actions.
In otherwords, "Oh, they weren't real Christians, anyway. Look what they did!"
Which I think is perfectly relevant in this conversation.
"They weren't real Muslims, anyway. Look what they did!"
It's a beautiful double-standard. We are allowed to have all sorts of different kinds of Christianity, some right, some wrong. You can pick and choose which to include in your definition of Christianity (And as a Catholic, I'm pretty pissed that you exclude us).
But when you talk about Islam, it's all automatically a single sect. Oh, this group did this, Therefore they are ALL evil. So tell me, how do YOU define Islam?
Anyway, I have better things to do that run around in circles to the likes of you or dennis. We've all said these exact things before, again, and again. You will not acknowledge the fact that you know almost nothing of their culture except hyped up "reports" from western news sources. Nor will you acknowledge any similarity in your respective theological histories.
You are too cosy hating them for what you think they are. You don't know them, but you hear about them all the time from the Goddess of Wisdom, CNN. Thinking of them as animals makes it so much easier to slaughter them. Just ask anyone in Rowanda, 3rd Reich Germany, Bosnia, Somalia etc etc etc...
Face it, you NEED an enemy to hate. Otherwise, you might be forced to look inward, and deal with the social issues ravaging your own people.
But please, don't let actual facts or slanted reporting get in the way of your blind and misunderstood hatred.
Isnt that what Hitler said to the Nazis about Arians?
I hear about the Koran, Coran or whatever says not to ever kill, but all just about any Islams you hear about do, is kill anyone whos not their friend. THEY dont even know what their religion is about. Sorry, but in my opinion, the world would be better off if they all joined Karesh and went to whatever kind of 'heaven' they have. Yes, there are probably good ones, but the percentage is sooooooooo low, Id except the loss :P
There were 1,678,442,000 muslims in the world as of 1998.
There were 348 terrorist attacks in 2001. Not all were Islam related.
By "so many," I'm assuming you mean that at least half (a majority) are terrorists.
Which would mean that on average, each of the 348 attacks (if they WERE islam-related) would have been involving 2,411,554 muslims.
Right. If that's true you have your work cut out for you...
Now, I might be a little insane to suggest it, but is there even the slightest possibilty that CNN won't report on what happens in the Muslim world if nobody dies? If nothing else, for space constraints. 1.6 billion people would take up a LOT of air-time.
There were 1,678,442,000 muslims in the world as of 1998.
There were 348 terrorist attacks in 2001. Not all were Islam related.
By "so many," I'm assuming you mean that at least half (a majority) are terrorists.
Which would mean that on average, each of the 348 attacks (if they WERE islam-related) would have been involving 2,411,554 muslims.
Right. If that's true you have your work cut out for you...
Now, I might be a little insane to suggest it, but is there even the slightest possibilty that CNN won't report on what happens in the Muslim world if nobody dies? If nothing else, for space constraints. 1.6 billion people would take up a LOT of air-time.
Thank you. I was going to make the same point, but I didn't have time to look up the statistics.
You can't be clogging up the CNN and other air waves with news of what happens in other countries. We need to hear about Michael Jackson and his problems, and Britney and Justin, and other hard-hitting issues like that.
Yeah right, Hitler and the KKK were Christians? Try again, that is a pretty lame asessment. Hitler did buddy up with the Catholic church, I agree on that, however many churches claim to be Christian but there is the doctrine of justification by faith which the catholic church does not agree with historic Christianity. {council of Trent} Constantinople claimed to be a Christian, however he trusted in works also. Jesus said that "by their fruits you shall know them" None of the above passes the smell test.
Hitler was a catholic, rased in the church, and a life long dues paid up member, NEVER thrown out!!!!!! to be in the SS they checked that you were a christian and all your grandparents were christian too or you were not allowed in!!!!
by your smell test NONE of the current christian leaders pass
nor do any rightwing republicans pass
BTW KKK was 100% christian and today most of the former KKKmen are REPUBLICANS NOW, or dead or reformed there were NO libs in the KKK or the SS but they were all rightwingers and christian and proud to be both JUST LIKE YOU
BTW WHO IS "Constantinople" that is a CITY now known as istanbul not a person
------------------ Question wonder and be wierd are you kind?
You can't be clogging up the CNN and other air waves with news of what happens in other countries. We need to hear about Michael Jackson and his problems, and Britney and Justin, and other hard-hitting issues like that.
HERESY TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE!
Quick, I think Jacko is looking faintly sick at the camera again!!! *clicks remote frantically*
BTW WHO IS "Constantinople" that is a CITY now known as istanbul not a person
I think he was trying to sling a little history to make him look less iggerant. I believe he was talking about Emperor Constantine. You know, the guy who tried to reform the Roman Empire, and relocated the Roman power-base to what is now Istanbul.
trailboss... I understand that under Sharia Law or whatever that those things are tolerated... I still believe that to be more or a national/racial custom than actual religion...
For those jumping on trailboss' words... I agree that you are twisting his words.. Do I say that someone who professes to be Christian and then gos out and murders his family execution style is NOT really Christian.. Dang right I do. It takes more than saying you are Christian to be Christian. Am I saying that Christians do not do wrong... Not at all.. And neither is trailboss. But he is saying that it is not accepted as it is in Islam.
As far as all the fanatics that were posted in the pictures... They are just that - fanatics. The Third Reich was not a Christian organization, nor was it made up of Christians so that has nothing to do with this conversation... The KKK, while I do not agree with them, was a completely different orgnazation in the late 1800s when they were founded. In my lifetime I have known the Klan to go after wife-beaters, child molesters, and ne'r-do-wells... regardless of color. Of course, now it is all about skinhead white supremicists and that is wrong.. But still not Christian based. They may say they are but as I pointed out above, saying it is not the gauge of Christianity.
I think what has made me so jaded against the Muslim faith is that whenever an terrorist attack or random act of violence takes place, you see the streets lined with middle eastern people celebrating the deaths of the innocent victims, usually accompanied by the burning of the American flag or some other symbol of western culture. I'll admit there has been some sick acts done by individuals in the so called name of christianity, but when was the last time you saw the Christian community coming together to celebrate the acts of Koresh or the KKK. I don't think I have ever seen such an occasion; it's because the majority of true christians don't believe in such acts and would never do anything to endorse such actions. But the muslim community on the other hand, although supposdely a peaceful bunch, seems to love nothing more than a good blood bath in the name of Allah.
[This message has been edited by loafer87gt (edited 11-20-2003).]
As it has been stated here many time, the Qu'ran DOES NOT condone these actions. The horrible things happening in the mid-east are the result of the same ignorance, perversion, and malinterpretation that formed the KKK, the 3rd Reich, and a host of other crap.
The problem is that there are many different versions of the Qu'ran, lots of different books, and a lot of opportunity to interpret the teachings for your own political gain.
Hey, kinda like the what, 19 popular "translations" of the bible?
No, those groups are NOT supported by the bible. But they believed that they were. And THAT is what the point is. You are DEAD wrong. Nazi Germany was intensly religious. Church attendance was MANDATORY for admission into the Nazi party. Hitler gave many speeches about theology. The Nazi attrocities were done in the name of Christ.
The KKK was founded with religious roots. The members used obscure material to justify their actions. It didn't even have to make sense.
Dennis keeps posting about various crap happening out east. It's these sects of misguided islam that are doing it, not the Islam religion.
And small-minded fools like trailboss just eat it up. It's much more convenient to swallow it whole than actually consider the implications.
If Islam truly DID preach violence towards everyone else, we would have a horde 1.6 BILLION large marching towards Washington.
Either that, or something is missing from this equation.
[This message has been edited by Mach10 (edited 11-20-2003).]
I think what has made me so jaded against the Muslim faith is that whenever an terrorist attack or random act of violence takes place, you see the streets lined with middle eastern people celebrating the deaths of the innocent victims, usually accompanied by the burning of the American flag or some other symbol of western culture. I'll admit there has been some sick acts done by individuals in the so called name of christianity, but when was the last time you saw the Christian community coming together to celebrate the acts of Koresh or the KKK. I don't think I have ever seen such an occasion; it's because the majority of true christians don't believe in such acts and would never do anything to endorse such actions. BUt the muslim community on the other hand, although supposdely a peaceful bunch, seems to love nothing more than a good blood bath in the name of Allah.
See, here we have a legitimate reason for dislike.
Small consolation it may be, but would it help to know that maybe 1/10th (if that) of that crowd can read, and that they are reacting to the same kind of misleading propaganda that is flooding "our side" also?
That is why the mid-east is such a cess-pit for fanaticism. Most of them cannot read; They themselves don't have a clue what the Qu'ran actually says. They are totally devoted to a priest-figure who has every ability at his fingertips to twist words to follow his own agenda.
Put it this way; The "bad" muslims, the ones hell-bent on taking bites out of the West are going to reap what they sow.
What saddens me are how many "good" or "indifferent" muslims are going to suffer because of some ******* 's chip on his shoulder.
So you are saying that they are not blindly ignorant? 
