Honor Related Violence (Egypt)

Statistics on Honor Related Violence and Killings

Despite the fact it is hard to find accurate statistics on honor killings in Egypt, it is estimated to be in the hundreds every year.
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The [Association of Legal Aid for Women] report indicated that causes of [domestic] violence were honor crimes (42 percent), leaving the house without the husband’s approval (7.5 percent), wives asking for divorce (3 percent).

Two honor killings hit Egypt’s Alexandria
Manar Ammar, Bikya Masr, February 26, 2012

Egyptian Penal Code

The judicial system in Egypt seems to always give weaker sentences to men accused of murdering a female family member, giving them the benefit of “preserving their honor.”

Some cases end up receiving as little as two to three years in jail instead of life, due to the judge sympathizing with the man.

Two honor killings hit Egypt’s Alexandria
Manar Ammar, Bikya Masr, February 26, 2012

Nora Marzouk Ahmed, beheaded, August 1997

Nora Marzouk Ahmed's seven-day honeymoon ended when her father chopped off her head and carried it down a dusty neighborhood street as a punishment for dishonouring the family. Her crime: she had eloped. Holding his 25-year-old daughter's freshly severed head, Marzouk Ahmed Abdel-Rahim said to hundreds of aghast onlookers in the low-income cairo neighborhood yesterday: "Now, the family has regained its honour." He then surrendered to police.

Nora is not an isolated victim in Egypt, where activists say scores of women are killed or beaten every year by their fathers, brothers or husbands for actions deemed to have sullied the family honor.

A matter of honour: Egyptian style
Associated Press, August 20, 1997

Marzouk Abdel Rahim, a Cairo tile maker, stabbed his 25-year-old daughter to death at her boyfriend’s house in 1997, and then chopped off her head. He said he had no regrets. “Honor is more precious than my own flesh and blood,” said Abdel Rahim, who was released after two months.

International: Women victims of honor killing
Elham Hassan, Yemen Observer Vol. IX Issue 03, January 28, 2006

Sabri Shihata and Sabri Shihata Sr., burned alive and stabbed to death, March 2009

A young Christian man was suddenly set on fire by a Muslim man in Egypt after a rumor circulated that the Christian man had a relationship with the Muslim man’s sister.

Yasser Ahmed Qasim approached 25-year-old Sabri Shihata and poured gasoline on the Coptic Christian and then set him on fire, reported the Voice of the Copts on Friday. The young Copt tried to put out the fire by throwing himself into a nearby canal, but the burns were too severe and he later died.

His 60-year-old father, Sabri Shihata, later arrived at a village rally where a group of Muslims stabbed him to death. One stab reportedly entered his back and came out of his abdomen below the rib cage, according to Voice of the Copts. The elder Shihata was taken to the hospital but nevertheless died from the attacks.

The Muslim group also attacked the Coptic man’s younger brother, 22-year-old Rami Sabri Shihata, causing a deep injury to his head.

Local police have arrested those involved in the attack, including Yasser Ahmed Kassem, as well as victim Sabri Shihata, who is being held in custody at Dmas Hospital, located in the northern province of Qalubiya, north of Cairo. The perpetrators are charged with deliberate homicide.

Security forces have also surrounded the victims’ house and extra security has been deployed throughout the village of 60,000 people.

Egyptian Christian Burned Alive; Father Murdered Also
Ethan Cole, Christian Post, March 10, 2009

22-year-old women, hung to death, 2011

Two women in Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city on the Mediterranean coast, were killed by their brothers, both allegedly for preserving the family’s “honor.”
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The second killing by an unemployed man in Borg al-Arab, who killed his married sister for allegedly fleeing her home with another man.
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The second woman, 22, was found dead on the Marsa Matrouh coastal road, with a noose around her neck, fully dressed and bleeding. Identifying the body and asking the family for information, the woman’s uncle confessed that her brother, an unemployed laborer, killed his married younger sister after he accused her of fleeing her home with a stranger.

Two honor killings hit Egypt’s Alexandria
Manar Ammar, Bikya Masr, February 26, 2012

Unnamed male, shot to death, March 2011

A mob of nearly four thousand Muslims has attacked Coptic homes this evening in the village of Soul, Atfif in Helwan Governorate, 30 kilometers from Cairo, and torched the Church of St. Mina and St. George. There are conflicting reports about the whereabouts of the Church pastor Father Yosha and three deacons who were at church; some say they died in the fire and some say they are being held captive by the Muslims inside the church.

Witnesses report the mob prevented the fire brigade from entering the village. The army, which has been stationed for the last two days in the village of Bromil, 7 kilometers from Soul, initially refused to go into Soul, according to the officer in charge. When the army finally sent three tanks to the village, Muslim elders sent them away, saying that everything was "in order now."

A curfew has been imposed on the 12,000 Christians in the village.

This incident was triggered by a relationship between 40-year-old Copt Ashraf Iskander and a Muslim woman. Yesterday a "reconciliation" meeting was arranged between the relevant Coptic and Muslim families and together with the Muslim elders it was decided that Ashraf Iskander would have to leave the village because Muslims torched his house.

The father of the Muslim woman was killed by his cousin because he did not kill his daughter to preserve the family's honor, which led the woman's brother to avenge the death of his father by killing the cousin. The village Muslims blamed the Christians.

The Muslim mob attacked the church, exploding 5-6 gas cylinders inside the church, pulled down the cross and the domes and burnt everything inside. Activist Ramy Kamel of Katibatibia Coptic advocacy called US-based Coptic Hope Sat TV and sent an SOS on behalf of the Copts in Soul village, as they are presently being attacked by the mob. He also said that no one is able to contact the priest and the deacons inside the burning church and there is no answer from their mobile phones.

Coptic activist Wagih Yacoub reported the mob has broken into Coptic homes and has called on Copts to leave the village. "Terrorized Copts have fled and some hid in homes of Muslim neighbors," he added.

Witnesses said the mob chanted "Allahu Akbar" and vowed to conduct their morning prayers on the church plot after razing it.

Nearly 4000 Muslims Attack Christian Homes in Egypt, Torch Church
Mary Abdelmassih, AINA, March 5, 2011

24-year-old women, stabbed to death, February 2012

Two women in Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city on the Mediterranean coast, were killed by their brothers, both allegedly for preserving the family’s “honor.”

The first murder happened in Ameriya village, where a mechanic killed his sister after hearing rumors about her.
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Egyptian newspaper al-Badeel reported that the first woman, 24, was stabbed to death by her brother in the family’s home after he heard rumors about her behavior. The dead woman’s mother, who witnessed the killing, confessed to the police of her son’s crime, saying he committed it in their house.

The police became involved after the young woman was taken a hospital, which reported the murder to the authorities.

The man was captured and confessed to killing his sister, justifying it by commenting on “her bad morals.”

Two honor killings hit Egypt’s Alexandria
Manar Ammar, Bikya Masr, February 26, 2012

Young women, attempted drowning, March 2012

According to news reports on Wednesday, an Egyptian man and his family tied up their daughter and threw her into the Nile river as a result of a divorce to her aging husband, who mistreat her and abused the young woman.

Luckily, a fisherman saw the girl and rescued her before she died, Emirates 24/7 reported.

According to their report, the girl had initially refused to marry the elderly man, but then acquiesced to her family pressure and wed, the report, which cited local Egyptian newspapers said.

After she and the man divorced over abuse, she returned to her family, who when the girl refused to remarry the man, was tossed into the river in an “honor crime.”

Women’s rights groups in Egypt told Bikyamasr.com that they are working with police currently to gather more information about the case and would soon be interviewing and assisting the young woman.

But they could give no further details on the situation, or the woman’s health.

Woman thrown into Egypt’s Nile over divorce, highlights honor violence
Joseph Mayton, Bikya Masr, March 28, 2012

20-year-old women, tied up and poisoned to death, May 2012

An Egyptian mother killed her 20-year-old daughter who was in love with a man from another village, Al Wafd reported.

In an attempt to protect the honour of the family, the 47 year old mother allegedly planned a plot with the help of her elder daughter, son and her nephew to kill her younger daughter named WHM.

The police received information from a hospital informing them about the mysterious death of a girl whose body they had received.

FA was soon arrested where she confessed to the crime and revealed that she had forcefully taken WHM to her sister’s residence. Her youngest son and elder daughter also accompanied them.

With the help of her son she tied WHM while the cousin forced her to swallow toxic substance.The girl died on the spot.

In order to make the murder appear like a natural death, the two children along with the mother changed WHM’s clothes and then put her body in bed.

Investigations revealed that WHM was in an illicit relationship and FA committed the crime to protect the family name.

Mother kills daughter to protect family name
Emirates 24/7, May 15, 2012

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