Shepherd gets 6 months for murdering his sister
AMMAN — The Criminal Court has sentenced a 26-year-old shepherd to six months in prison for the murder of his older sister in April 2005. A. H. was tried at the Criminal Court on charges of shooting to death his 35-year-old sister in her house on April 25.
The court decided to amend the premeditated murder charges originally pressed against A.H. to a misdemeanor as stipulated in Article 98 of the Penal Code because the defendant killed his sister in a “fit of fury.”
Source: [The Jordan Times]
I’m so sick of this crap! Is that what he gets?!? Six months!! Is human life that cheap? It really is outrageous! When will this stop? For how long are these murderers going to get away with slaughter? I strongly blame Jordanian members of parliament that turned down suggested amendments to the Penal Code to scrap the "fit of fury" Article. Why on earth would they want this to continue? Why on earth would they insist on letting murderers get away with such evil? Until when will they continue to dehumanize women? When will they stop dragging Jordan into the Dark Ages? I have had it!
Mark,“corruption done in the land” and “retaliate for murder” should be proved first by solid evidence, things are not as you claim, by common sense, to say that one committed a crime without providing the proof is not BS, how come a religion of God gives the license to kill whoever we say deserves it?. In fact as a Muslim who of course knows better than you do when it comes to Islam and the Muslim society I have one word to describe what you’ve wrotten above: CRAP.
I advice you and whoever seeks to know about Islam to ask Muslims for personal knowledge which we aquire as we are raised by the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, and authentic resources that we Muslims approve of, we know better than interpreting verses the way we like to suit our interests and satisfy our hateful hearts.
If he kills one soul wrongfully he kills the mankind altogether, and therefore his punishment is severe.
Koran 005:032 says that a Muslim can kill anyone as long as he has an excuse. So, all he has to say is that his sister was spreading corruption in the land due to an affair or a divorce or whatever, and he’s off scot-free. In fact, the Muslim wouldn’t even get six months for an honor killing if it weren’t for intense Western pressure:
Koran 005:032 Therefore We [Allah] prescribed for the Children of Israel that whoso slays a soul except to retaliate for murder or for corruption done in the land, shall be as if he had slain mankind altogether… http://www.quranbrowser.com
Dear Nada ,
Thank you for taking the time to write me a comment. The reason I say “I have had it” is because unfortunately I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. The battle to eradicate honor crimes in Jordan has been going on for more than a decade and still nothing has changed. The killings are still taking place and the mentalities are still the same. Although Jordan as a country is changing from the outside and looking more modern by the day, there is no inner growth and it is extremely frustrating.
As for Arab blogs being written in English, I can’t speak for others but I can tell you my story. For the past 10 years or so I have been writing solely in English as I wanted my writings to reach a global audience and not be restricted to my small community. I guess back then I thought that by writing in the universal language I could attract a bigger audience and thus increase my chances of inflicting change. So naturally after almost a decade of writing merely in English, I find it a bit challenging to fully express myself in my native language. It is unfortunate I admit, but on the bright side I have been slowly working on regaining my Arabic writing skills which once upon a time were in a very good shape. You never know maybe soon I will start blogging in Arabic.
I remember it used to be article 34 how come it’s 98 now? 😀
IF the law doesn’t change more lives will be wasted, but i’m not sure that changing it will alter people’s mentalities.
I think each one of us should write a letter to the parliment member u’ve voted for stating ur anger about this farce!This is the least we can do.
But thinking about this, I think a good portion of male Jordanians are with this…Jordan is not Amman only…just pay Rsayfeh or Ma’an a visit and u’ll know what I’m talking about.
Anyways,80% of the parliment members can barely read or use a PC.
Thinking about this!Is there any Jordanian org. capable of calling a protest or starting an effective campaign?
Our main reason of being a third world country is the oppresion of women! Women are the key in an society for a better life and justice! Liberate our women and u’ll see the difference, maybe for once u don’t have to smell and wear Shibshib!!
Natasha, I do understand your frustration and you are absolutely right! These outrageous verdicts should be terminated and there should be a true reform in the penal code law or any other laws in that concept, whether in Jordan or in any other Arab country. However, in order to stop “dragging Jordan to the medieval ages” and stop dehumanizing women and other underprivileged members of society, a real action is needed!
Real action starts by bringing these issues up to public awareness, on daily basis, holding demonstrations, NGO’s lobbying, appealing to higher courts no matter what we think about the Judicial system; as long as it’s there, we owe to give it the benefit of the doubt and try our best…hard to believe sometimes but we cant just step aside..
Natasha, I believe in your true intentions and your respectful journalism work, but frankly, when you said that you “Had it”, I couldn’t help myself from wondering how can we really make a change when our best members of society, those who have the capacity, those who are well educated, those who we are proud of, are, and without noticing, raising our voices to the void, addressing our problems in English, blogging for the whole world but to the Arabs! Why among almost 99% of these great Jordanian or Arabic blogs in that matter, none is written in Arabic? Have we lost faith in our capability to make a difference? Can’t we express ourselves in our mother tong language anymore? Are we that far and away from our reality? Are we that weak that we need the “others” to hear us and tap on our shoulders?
Writing about these issues in foreign languages and to the world is important, but who will come and save us in the end? Who will really care? Who will stand for us at courts and parliament and demand a change? Were the French revolutionists Tahitians of Bora Bora?
There are lots of great people around the world who feel with us and would also like to help, but we can’t and shouldn’t relay on them, the change should come from within. Nowadays Jordan is supposedly considered as a “good friend” of the Big World or who ever, but that can change in a second and we saw such changes happening a lot recently, which if happened, no one will stand by our side, no one will care about our needs, and once again, in the name of democracy and humanity we might face atrocious outcomes.
Again, please don’t get me wrong, and this is not personal, but through out my readings in various Arab blogs and websites, I just couldn’t help but wondering why have we become like that? Are we complainers only? Is it just trendy to communicate with ourselves in a foreign style? Is it really impossible to change the current situation in the Arab regimes? Are we scuba diving in the dead sea of denials?
I’m not Jordanian myself, and I’m in no place to judge the Jordanian society, which I deeply respect, but as an Arab and by chance a Palestinian, your desperation is my desperation and your hurt is my hurt., and everything I write here is meant for all Arab nationwide.
In any case, and as much as it would sound naïve, I truly still believe that we can make a difference and we can change our situation, if we only start to believe in ourselves again, and clear our minds, which will eventually lead us to achieve our goals, with boldness that can’t stand any postponing.
p.s.: Hopefully my next comment will be in arabish..
If this shepherd stays six months in jail, who is going to take care of the sheep?
Linda,
You have a point here but remember that the Royal Family is totally against this law and are for abolishing honor crimes. For some reason, some parliamentarians in Jordan support these reduced sentences.
And yes, these murderers are bloodsuckers!
Okay, I have to say it. Before the King and the government acts like they are trying to modernize by giving non jordanians the right to own land and build resorts up the wazzoo, they better do something about this pathetic excuse of a law.
I am so sick oh hearing that Jordan is modernizing from people in the government. As long as this law stays in place, and these murderers only get these kinds of sentences, then Jordan will stay backwards. As long as 50 percent of a countries population is considered as second class citizens, that country will never be succesful. Shame on the Jordanian government!
You know Natasha how you refer to the terrorists in Jordan as blodd suckers, i think you should include these men (who have to kill their female relatives to reinforce their manhood) in that description.
I thought shepherds no longer exist in Jordan