Shunning, Abuse, and Murder—The Dark Realities for Many Women in Jordan
By: Nathan Matsko
State College — Jordan has been rocked by a wave of domestic violence cases, sparking a massive amount of outrage online.
A woman named Eman Al-Kateeb posted a video on social media, detailing her abuse at the hands of her family. Eman, a divorced mother, had lost her job due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her mother and brother allegedly abused Eman regularly. Apparently outraged by the fact that she was no longer able to provide money, they kicked her out of her house and threatened her and her son’s lives should they return empty-handed.
The video received a response from the family, who claimed the accusations were false and that Eman had actually assaulted her mother. Both parties are taking the issue to court.
The case was met with mixed reactions amongst Jordanians and reignited the debate regarding women’s rights in Jordanian society. While Eman’s story received significant attention, another case in Jordan brewed just as much debate. The victim, however, was not able to speak for herself.
In an Amman suburb, a man was charged with manslaughter for the murder of his 14-year old sister. The man was compelled to kill his sister because she had created a Facebook account.
At first, it was clear that this was a case of domestic violence to the worst degree. As the news went viral worldwide, however, the story quickly changed, with the murder being referred to as an honor killing. A number of experts disagree with this prescription.
Rana Husseini is a Jordanian activist and journalist whose career has exposed the dark reality of honor killings. Her work as a journalist and her book, titled Murder in the Name of Honor, was a major factor in Jordan taking further steps to prevent such killings.
The fact that the crime is being referred to as an honor killing by wider sources is not surprising. “We have a problem with people not reading and relying on comments or secondhand knowledge for their news,” says Rana.
Regarding this particular incident, Rana instead sees a case of domestic violence.
“I don’t regard it as an honor crime, the family did not approve of the killing,” she says. The victim and her brother had reportedly had a heated argument over the social media account shortly before stabbing her in the back with a kitchen knife.
The murder saw a wave of anger overtake Arab social media. A hashtag, calling for the execution of the killer, was a trending topic on various sites.
“I think people are fed up with the double standards between men and women in this country,” says Rana about the social media uproar following the cases.
Jordan also plays host to millions of Syrian women who share similar tales of abuse. There have been many reports of refugee women experiencing violence at the hands of their spouse. The tight quarters of refugee camps, as well as the additional lockdowns due to COVID-19, have created a dangerous environment for victims of abuse.
Jordan has made efforts to reduce the difficulties women face. A high profile legal battle in 2017 saw the country abolish the controversial “marry your rapist” law, which allowed rapists to escape legal consequences if they married their victim. A fatwa, or legal ruling under Islamic law, issued in 2016 officially condemned and outlawed the practice of honor killings. Jordan also has laws against domestic violence, though there have been reports of judges refusing to prosecute men who commit these acts if their families do not seek further legal action.