Honor Related Violence (Russia)

Chechen president defends honor killings

In Chechnya, where the Magomadova family had lived before arriving in Canada, the culture places little value upon the life of a girl. In February last year, according to Russsia’s St Petersburg Times, the Putin-sponsored leader of the region defended honor killings. The Chechen president, Ramzan Kadyrov ,was speaking in Grozny, the capital, after seven young women had been found shot through the head.

Kadyrov stated that the women had “loose morals” and for that they had deserved to die at the hands of their male relatives. He argued that women were the property of their husbands. He is imposing Islamic customs such as polygamy, and most Chechen women are now expected to wear Islamic headscarfs.

Human rights activists estimate that every year, dozens of women are killed in Chechnya.

Gistam Sakayeva, a women’s rights activist in the region, said: “What the president says is law. Because the president said this, many will try to gain his favor by killing someone, even if there is no reason.”

Kadyrov suggested that the women were going to be leaving the country to work as prostitutes, which is why they were killed. As in so many cases of “honor killings”, there is enough evidence to suggest that some, if not all, of these the Chechen women were innocent.

Exclusive: Honor Killings On the Increase?
FamilySecurityMatters, July 19, 2010

Rashida Kirimova, shot to death, April 8, 2009

A Muslim resident of Russia’s St. Petersburg has hired killers to rid him of a daughter who disrespected Islamic laws by wearing short skirts.

The police detained Gafar Kerimov, 46, after he reported that his daughter went missing, but blurted out that the girl was dead already, Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reported Monday.

The family, ethnic Azerbaijanis, used to have frequent arguments about how the daughter should dress and behave.

Rashida Kirimova, 21, studied medicine at a St. Petersburg school and waved away her father’s criticism when he said her clothes weren't modest enough and were unfit for a Muslim girl.

During winter, Rashida wore high-necked sweaters and long trousers, causing no problems in the neighborhood, but when spring came, she put on a skirt that left her knees exposed.

The father’s Muslim friends again started reproaching him for being negligent and allowing his daughter to walk around dressed like a fallen woman. They said the insult could only be washed away by blood, and introduced Gafar to a killer, who agreed to help him for around $3000.

The killer, Kadyr Suleymanov, seized the girl on April 8^th as she was hurrying to classes. He and two accomplices drove her out of the city to a suburban dump, shot her dead and covered her body with garbage.

The body was found by the police after the father confessed he had ordered the killing. Two of three criminals have been detained.

Muslim father orders daughter killed over short skirt
MosNews, April 13, 2009

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