On August 2, Lebanon’s most senior Shia Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, issued a fatwa banning “honor” killings.  The fatwa, or religious edict, was a response to the increasing number of honor killings in many Arabic countries, such as Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan.  An honor killing is when a man kills a female relative, usually a daughter, sister or cousin, for an act the man deems as indecent or immoral.  In delivering the fatwa, Fadlallah stated that “honor killings are a repulsive act banned by Sharia (Islamic Law).”

Unfortunately, honor killings have become increasingly common in recent years.  While most killings go unreported, especially in rural areas, it is impossible to know how many women are killed by their male relatives in honor deaths.  However, in Jordan, is it estimated that 20 female deaths result from honor killings each year.  Also, despite efforts from the Jordanian government to toughen punishments for those convicted of honor killings, Jordan’s judges still hand out lenient punishments.  In fact, across the Arab region, those who commit honor killings are usually never convicted or receive lenient punishments.

For more information please see:
London Times:  “Shia cleric bans ‘honour’ killings”  3 August 2007.

Guardian:  “Lebanon cleric bans honor killings”  2 August 2007. 

International Herald Tribune:  “Lebanon’s top Shiite Muslim cleric bans honor killings”  2 August 2007.

Middle East Times:  “Lebanon’s top Shiite cleric bans ‘honor killings’”  2 August 2007.

Ynetnews.com:  “Lebanon’s top Shiite cleric bans ‘honor killings’”  2 August 2007.

Nasr Abdulah Al Sayeedi was beaten to death by Egyptian police.  The police held Sayeedi in custody in hopes of luring Sayeedi’s brother to turn himself in for unspecified charges.

Sayeedi was apprehended while returning to his apartment.  Reportedly, he heard screams in his apartment.  Upon entering the apartment, he found the police assaulting his wife and four daughters, while his mother lay on the floor.  “The officers nor the soldiers had mercy in their hearts, they dragged [Sayeedi] onto the stairs in front of us, swearing and beating him furiously, until he was put in the police car,” the victim’s neighbor reported.  (AHN Media)  The officers continued attacking the man while dragging him to the police station.  Additionally, the police compounded the beatings by not trying to preserve Sayeedi’s life.  According to Sayeedi’s lawyer, “We went to the police station to ask about him and maybe bail him out, [but] the officers refused to tell us about his condition and when we found him laying unconscious under a table, the police officer refused to call an ambulance so we carried him out by force to the emergency room where the medics there told us he was suffering from internal bleeding in the brain and must be operated on immediately.”  (AHN Media)  Sayeedi died the next day. 

Al Masry Al Youm newspaper reported that the death has caused an uprising in Sayeedi’s town.  In response to the police brutality, the townspeople attacked the police station.  They threw stones damaging the station by breaking windows.  The police have arrested 70 protestors.  The police controlled the townspeople through sending hundreds of soldiers, armored cars and security trucks to monitor the town.   

This is the most recent report of police brutality in Egypt.  The Taipei Times reported a police investigation regarding claims that a man was set on fire by police to obtain a confession.  Also, a police official is being tried for being videotaped using a stick to sodomize a bus driver.  The police’s surveillance and arresting power has been expanded since the constitutional amendments responding to terrorist fears.  This expansive police power has been compounded by the constitutional weakening of the judicial branch, allowing more unchecked abusive behavior.

 

Gulf News.  Egyptian police beat man to death.  3 August 2007.

AHN.  Man beaten to death by Egyptian Police again.  3 August 2007.

Taipei Times.  Egyptian soldiers beat refugees to death in front of Israelis at border: TV station.  4 August 2007.

Thousands gathered in Tehran on August 2 to watch the first public executions in the city in five years.  The crowd cheered as Majid Kavousifar, 28, and his nephew, Hossein Kavousifar, 24, were executed.  They were convicted for killing a hard line judge, Hassan Moghaddas, in front of his office two years ago. 

A day earlier, Iran executed nine convicts.  In the city of Mashad, Iran publicly executed seven men convicted of rape.  In a prison in Zahedan two additional men were executed.  In the previous week, twelve other convicts were executed in Evin Prison in Tehran.  The August 1 executions brought the year’s total to 143.  In 2006, Iran executed 177, which doubled the number executed in 2005.

According to Iranian officials, the individuals executed were convicted of crimes such as rape, criminal acts, kidnapping, and drug related crimes.  The number of executions has increased during recent weeks, since a crackdown on “thugs” was announced in May.

Also, two Kurdish reporters were sentenced to death in late July.  Reporters Without Borders stated that Adnan Hassanpour and Hiva Boutimar were sentenced to death by a revolutionary tribunal in Marivan on July 16.  Hassanpour was found guilty of “activities subverting national security.”  He wrote for the banned Asou magazine, reporting on the sensitive Kurdish issue.  Boutimar also wrote for the same magazine, but the charges he was convicted of are not known.

In addition to this recent crackdown on “thugs”, the groups that have been facing the most harassment have been reporters, students and activists.  For instance, journalist and human rights activist, Emadedin Baghi, was sentenced to prison for three years on July 31 on charges of acting against national security.  And his wife and daughter received three years suspended sentence for attending a human rights conference in the United Arab Emirates.  In addition, young women are targeted for wearing non-traditional clothing and young men are arrested for having western-style haircuts.

For more information please see:
London Times:  “Thousands flock to see first public hangings in five years”  3 August 2007. 

BCC:  “Iran executes nine more criminals”  1 August 2007. 

International Herald Tribune:  “Iran hangs 9 convicts, 7 publicly, in crackdown on ‘thugs’”  1 August 2007. 

BBC:  “Death verdicts for Iran reporters”  31 July 2007. 

Reporters Without Borders:  “Two Kurdish journalists sentenced to death”  23 July 2007.

Housemaid abuse in Bahrain has been well-documented.  Many migrant workers have been beaten, sexually abused, and denied wages.  The exploited maids usually are poor women hoping to support their families back at home.  However, the hopes are usually proven false, as employers commonly take advantage of the maids by forcing them to comply with sponsors. For example, a large Bahraini hiring agency was recently investigated for allegedly beating its housemaids.  The complaint stemmed after rescuing a Sri Lankan woman from her employer.  Although she was not abused personally, she witnessed over 20 fellow maids being beaten and returned to their sponsors. 

Recognizing the problem, the Bahraini government has taken steps to help the housemaids.  The Bahraini government created amnesty for the maids desiring to return to their home nation.  One purpose of this six month amnesty is to allow abused women bypass employers to return to their country, and avoid repercussions for breaching their contract.  Also, the amnesty allows expatriates to register with the Bahraini government to prevent future deportation.  The registration of expatriates will allow the government to better regulate the migrant workers, and hopefully protect against future discrimination and abuse. 

Also, the Bahraini government promised to elevate the women to “worker” status in 2009.  It promises to set legal standards for the maid industry to define how an employer can treat housemaids.  This includes fees for hiring maids, minimum wage, and other regulations barring mistreatment of the maids.  Previously, the employers were given free reign to self-regulate their maids.  The government is hopeful that the creation of a uniform standard will make employers legally accountable for the treatment of their maids and eliminate abuse, discrimination, and maltreatment.

Gulf Daily News. Maids’ abuse to be probed. 20 July 2007.
Gulf News.  Bahrain extends amnesty to housemaids. 30 July 2007.
Zawya. Bahrain: ‘Worker’ status for housemaids soon. 28 July 2007.
Bahrain Tribune. Amnesty requests pour in. 2 August 2007.
Gulf Daily News. Victims of Desperation. 8 July 2007.

When Hamas  took over Gaza in early June, Egypt closed its border crossing and stranded six thousand Palestinians.  While governments discussed the methods of returning these people to their homes, thousands were trapped in Egypt for nearly two months.  Some of the travelers brought little money with them  and consequentially could not afford lodging or food and were forced to seek refuge in mosques or help from aid organizations.