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Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: My Lords, may I begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Russell-Johnston, for tabling this debate. I add my thanks to all the other thanks he has had. I enjoyed the moving and heartfelt way in which he introduced the subject this afternoon.
This is a subject about which I have hitherto had only a sketchy knowledge. We have had a wide-ranging discussion and I share the hope expressed by other noble Lords that this will raise public
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consciousness about what is going on as an important first step towards helping to stamp out these intolerable views and practices.
I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Parekh, that it is important to remember that while the title of today's debate is honour killings, there is a wide spectrum of crimes that could be labelled "honour crimes". Although murder is the most serious, we should hold in equal repugnance any illegal act committed in the name of such honour.
To successfully combat honour crimes we must first understand why they are carried out, by whom and why so many remain unreported. The organisation Human Rights Watch defines honour crimes as:
"acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members who are perceived to have brought dishonour upon the family. A woman can be targeted by her family for a variety of reasons including, refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce—even from an abusive husband—or committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has acted in a manner to bring 'dishonour' to the family is sufficient to trigger an attack".
Although there is much attribution in the media of these practices to certain communities or religions, the noble Lord, Lord Giddens, was right in saying that to do so is to confuse the issue. No religion allows such acts of brutality and religious leaders have often spoken on the issue to condemn such behaviour. For example, Sheikh Atuyyah Saqr, the former head of the al-Azhar University Fatwa Committee, has said:
"Like all other religions, Islam strictly prohibits murder and killing without legal justification . . . The so-called 'honour killing' is based on ignorance and disregard of morals and laws".
I share the view expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Russell-Johnston, that by allowing stereotyping of the issue to continue we risk isolating those who need our help the most and tying our own hands by failing to act on the grounds of multicultural respect for minority practices. In this regard I echo the words of Sir Ian Blair:
Instead of religion being the driving force behind these beliefs, it would seem that they have their roots in longstanding patriarchal and tribal traditions where the men of a tribe, family or clan seek control of reproductive power. While many of these tribal practices have now thankfully been abandoned, we should not put our heads in the sand and claim that they are no longer taking place. The vulnerability of women in the UK and around the world will be reduced only when these patriarchal mindsets are challenged and effectively confronted.
To a casual observer it may seem that there has been a rise in the incidence of honour crimes. According to an estimate by Scotland Yard referred to by several noble Lords this afternoon there were 12 honour killings in the UK in 2003 and the Metropolitan Police are re-examining some 100 cases stretching back over the past 10 years for signs of honour motives. This may simply be because these crimes have become more visible in the last few years through the action of various pressure groups.
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The catalyst for this increased visibility was arguably the high-profile media coverage that was given to the murder of Rukshana Naz in 1998 who was killed by her mother and brother; that case was referred to by several noble Lords. It is interesting to note that at her trial, Rukshana's mother claimed the killing,
her fate. The fact that someone can justify "kizmit" as a reason for committing murder illustrates something of the educational job that lies ahead of us.
At present, there is no governmental organisation or law enforcement agency that records statistics on honour crimes. The problem may well have been underestimated for a number of years. It would be useful if the Minister could tell us whether action is to be taken to collate these figures and build an accurate picture of the scale of the problem we face.
The majority of honour killings are committed by men—usually the father, brother or husband of the victim. However, as the case of Rukshana Naz shows, this is not always the case. Although men are often the perpetrators of the crime, we need to look at the broader societal perspective. Honour killings derive from expectations of female behaviour that are held and perpetuated by men and women alike. The significance of the role of women is often underestimated. Occasionally they participate directly in the killings; more frequently they play a leading role in preparing the ground. For example, the anthropologist Ilsa Glaser has noted:
"Women acted as instigators and collaborators in these murders, unleashing a torrent of gossip that spurred the accusations".
So we need to be careful not to blinker ourselves by seeing only the crime of a man killing a woman and dealing with the case solely as such. These crimes are the symptom of a much wider ill and we must tackle this also.
Yes, the typical victim of an honour killing is a young south Asian or Middle Eastern woman, but it is not always a direct attack. Many such women are driven to suicide by pressure from their families. The noble Lord, Lord Russell-Johnston, suggested that the suicide rate for Asian women aged 16 to 24 was double that of the general population. The figures I have suggest that it might be treble. The Minister, no doubt, will be able to confirm which figure is the most accurate. Further down the scale, we have the crimes of intimidation and assault.
But young women are not the only victims in this area: two men were sentenced last month to life imprisonment for the murder of Ahmed Bashir. He was stabbed 43 times for having a secret relationship with the sister of one of the murderers. Last Tuesday's Times, which has been referred to by several noble Lords, gave details of the tragic case of Arash Ghorbani-Zarin.
I support the Government's statutory attempts to tackle these crimes, in particular the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. But passing laws and introducing measures is not enough on its
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own; we need to be sure that they are effective. There is concern that action involving "honour" crimes could be pushed further underground. It is already thought to be significantly under-reported, as Ken McDonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions, suggests when saying,
It could be very difficult for women trapped in an abusive relationship to come forward if they believe that it will result in more trouble for their families.
So, while there have been moves of the sort required—such as the Metropolitan Police initiative to gather more information on these crimes—a lot more still needs to be done. We have relied a great deal to date on volunteer and non-governmental organisations such as the Southall Black Sisters group, which was referred to by the noble Baroness, Lady Cox, to provide relief for these victims at an early and preventive stage.
Our efforts must surely first and foremost focus on educating those who hold these beliefs that they are misplaced and unacceptable, not only in Britain but anywhere in the world. We must be sensitive not to characterise the issue by reference to race or religion and avoid alienating communities. We must build a relationship of trust between those at risk and organisations that can help them, allowing more people to come forward with their anxieties before it is too late. We must gain a greater understanding of the issues surrounding these crimes and use the information to prevent their recurrence in the future. Above all, as the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, said, we have a responsibility to send out a clear signal that so-called honour crimes will not be tolerated, nor will their existence be ignored, and so underestimated.
Perhaps I may end on a personal note. I mentioned this debate to my 15 year-old daughter, who looked at me in the way that teenage daughters do in indicating that their fathers are at least sixpence short of a pound. Did I not know, she said, about the case of Nadia Anjuman Herawi? I am afraid that I did not. For those of your Lordships who are in a similar position, it is an instructive tale and relevant to our debate.
Nadia Herawi was a young Afghan woman who died suddenly aged 25. Her family and her husband said that she had committed suicide, but her friends believed otherwise. Nadia had been writing poetry and her friends are certain that she had been killed by her family who believed that the publication of poetry about love and beauty, written by a woman, had brought shame on their family. Nadia's book of poetry was entitled Gul-e-dadi (which I am told means "dark red flower"). It is available in translation in this country. One poem reads:
"I am caged in this corner Full of melancholy and sorrow My wings are closed And I cannot fly I am an Afghan woman and so must wail".
Nadia Herawi's words are a fitting way to end my contribution to this vital but sombre debate.
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4.35 pm
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