KINGSTON, Ont. - So-called honour killings stem from a loss of male control over women's bodies, and bloodshed is seen as a way to purify dishonour, an expert testified Monday as the Crown wrapped up its case against a family accused of four such killings.
In some cultures, particularly in the Middle East, honour is valued more than life, and can often accompany declarations of love for the victims from the perpetrator, Shahrzad Mojab told court.
"In many cases that I have studied, there is always a claim, especially by fathers, that they dearly love their daughter and their children," Mojab said.
"The restoration of the honour of the family is also being argued that it is for the sake of children, for also giving them that honour, that is very important and it is part of the continuum of love and care."
The way female members of a family conduct themselves, especially regarding their sexuality and manner of dress, is a reflection of how much control the father and eldest son are able to exert, and that constitutes their honour, she said.
Mojab was the last witness to testify for the prosecution in the trial of a Montreal couple accused, along with their adult son, of killing their three daughters and the first wife in the family's polygamous marriage. The trial has been adjourned to Thursday, when the defence lawyers will begin presenting their cases.
Mohammad Shafia, 58, his wife, Tooba Yahya, 41, and their son Hamed, 20, have each pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder.
The bodies of Shafia sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17 and Geeti, 13, were found drowned along with their father's first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, on June 30, 2009, inside a car in a canal in Kingston, Ont. The Montreal family, originally from Afghanistan, was on their way back home after a trip to Niagara Falls, Ont.
The Crown alleges the girls, two of whom were dating, were killed over family honour.
Honour killings aren't limited to any one religion, and are usually perpetrated by men, though mothers sometimes participate, Mojab said. Such murders are even committed over perceived attacks on the family's honour, such as rumours about a woman having an affair or a girl having sex before marriage, she said.
"The way to deal with the dishonouring of the name of the family and the community, it is through the bloodshed because the shedding of the blood is a way of purifying the name of the family," she testified.
The same notions don't apply to male sexuality, she said.
Mojab told the court, during cross-examination, that she has never encountered an honour killing involving more than two victims or one that involved drowning.
There is debate in the academic community about whether it is useful to distinguish so-called honour killings from other forms of fatal domestic violence, Mojab said. One difference she noted is participation by the larger community in monitoring the behaviour of women.
Shafia's lawyer, Peter Kemp, asked Mojab during cross-examination if an honour killing is disguised as an accident -- which is what the Crown alleges happened in this case -- would it still be seen as cleansing the family of their shame if no one takes responsibility?
Mojab said that in some cases the person's community may know it was actually an honour killing, and she suggested that punishment may be seen as a deterrent to proclaiming a death as an honour killing.
