HONOUR-KILLING (KARO KARI) Part-1

KARO KARI’- a crime imposed on Sindhi Society- a research-oriented study. (Part-1)

I intend to share District-wise figures of cases of anti-human crime Karo Kari with my friends and try to review the previous literature on the subject. Let us start with the way of defining this crime. In simple we can say that it is honour killing, honour murder, honour-based violence, violence against women and gender-based violence with various combinations.

  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia writes that: “A form of gender-based violence, an honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community. The killing is viewed as a way to restore the reputation and honour of the family.^[1]

In Pakistan, honour killings are known locally as karo-kari (Sindhi: ڪارو ڪاري, Urdu: کاروکاری‎). Karo-kari is a compound word literally meaning "black male" (Karo) and "black female (Kari). Originally, Karo and Kari were metaphoric terms for adulterer and adulteress, but it has come to be used with regards to multiple forms of perceived immoral behavior. Once a woman is labeled as a Kari, family members consider themselves to be authorized to kill her and the co-accused Karo in order to restore family honour. In the majority of cases, the victim of the attacks is female with her attackers being male members of her family or community”. While karo kari is about gender violence, there are also other issues. It is important to remember the original meaning of the expression karo kari, which implies both a man and a woman. When you declare a man “karo”, you also declare a woman “kari”. Pakistani society lives in a state of denial however. There is a diffuse refusal of introspection. This refusal goes from the society to the state and from the state back to the society. There are many issues that do get even touched or discussed, and it will be difficult to overcome those taboos without a proper emancipation, coming out, rising awareness and discussion of reality.

International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2013, 3(7):1467-1484 carries study of Sadiq Bhanbhro, M Rafique Wassan, Muhbat Ali Shah, Ashfaq A Talpur and Aijaz Ali Wassan. It is wonderful and informative ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY. This study aims at “to discuss the wider context, in which honour murders occur, the social structures which contribute to the occurrence and perpetuation of the practice of honour murders. An ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in Jacobabad Sindh, Pakistan. The study found that honour murders were not solely driven by customs and traditions, but also by a feudal culture, maledominated social structures, the complicit role of state institutions and law enforcement agencies and a web of vested interests. Therefore, honour murders may be prevented by reducing the influence and interference of feudal lords on state institutions, in particular law enforcement agencies, and by promoting education that challenges a patriarchal and feudal mind-set in the community”.

A United Nations (UN) report on woman violence stated that one-third of woman population in the world suffers aggression from men,” quoted former chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women, http://homepage.ntlworld.com/myjamro/sindh/karokari.htmthrows light on the crime that “The so-called honour killings of Karo / Kari (black man/black woman) is a tribal custom in the Sindh and Pakistan. The term karo (for man) or kari (for woman) is used for the person found in adultery or inappropriate sexual relationship as described by local illiterate men. The suspicious man can kill her accusing of being kari whilst seeing or even after hearing a rumour of the girl sitting nearby as man, talking, waling, smiling at, sleeping with another man. Although both sexes are at risk, many men escape death by running away or persuading the woman's relatives to accept cash, land or alternately woman in marriage. Women rarely have any alternatives. Unfortunately women is offered as a sacrifice to undo the wrong doings of a man. The woman that is being handed over (in shape of marriage) is not treated with honour. In some cases she is thought as a horsy whom anyone can satisfy his sexual desire cruelly accusing and reminding her the status in their family.

Karo-Kari is an act of murder, in which a person is killed for his or her actual or perceived immoral behavior. Such "immoral behavior" may take the form of alleged marital infidelity, refusal to submit to an arranged marriage, demanding a divorce, perceived flirtatious behaviour and being raped.^[3] Suspicion and accusations alone are many times enough to defile a family’s honour and therefore enough to warrant the killing of the woman. In patriarchal cultures, women’s lives are structured through a strict maintenance of an honour code. In order to preserve woman's chastity, women must abide by socially restrictive cultural practices pertaining to women's status and family izzat, or honour, such as the practice of purdah, the segregation of sexes. Honour killings are frequently more complex than the stated excuses of the perpetrators. More often than not, the murder relates to inheritance problems, feud-settling, or to get rid of the wife, for instance in order to remarry. Human rights agencies in Pakistan have repeatedly emphasized that victims were often women wanting to marry of their own will. In such cases, the victims held properties that the male members of their families did not wish to lose if the woman chose to marry outside the family.

HONOUR KILLING is seen as a part of religious right (although no religion accept it) as a Muslim (man or woman) when found guilty of adultery should be killed or stoned to death. The Muslim law practise is entirely different and complicated which involves many of legislative affairs (such as witnesses, character of witness, scene of crime, local and personal reports etc) and hardly a judge can issue such a death sentence. But in the name of honour killing MAN has to kill and appear before the court admitting the kill. This way his sentence can be reduced or considered subject to family of victim. If the family of victim are ordinary or poor people they can be bribed or forced easily to FORGIVE THE KILLER.  Such practice is very cruel and unfortunately backed by local tribesmen, politicians although they officially deny such reports and issue statements but in reality they do not play their active role to end it. The one good reason is their involvement in the local feslo or jirgo [local tribe courts].

According to a recent survey conducted by Sindhi newspapers, some 300-400 people were murdered by honour killings in Sindh every year. The victims included about 80% women and 20% men. Human right Activists believe the figures are in fact much higher, since most honour killings go unreported. Sindh is only one of the regions in world where such incidents occur frequently”.

In 2011, human rights groups reported 720 honour killings in Pakistan (605 women and 115 men). Some discrepancy exists between reports. For instance Pakistan's Human Rights Commission reported that in 2010 there were 791 honor killings in the country,while Amnesty International cited 960 incidents of women alone who were slain in honour killings that year.

Over 4,000 cases were reported in Pakistan between 1998 and 2004. Of the victims, almost 2,700 were women and just over 1,300 were men; and 3,451 cases came before the courts. The highest rates were in Punjab, followed by the Sindh province. Lesser number of cases have also been reported in other provinces.

In my next posting, I will do my level to provide figures and facts of the crime. They will be District-wise, Gender-wise and Caste-wise along with the place where the crime occurred. My study will  consist of names of Karos & Karis also.