Serving a Just Cause: Professor Saves Immigrant Muslim Women from "Honor Killings"

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead 

A woman from a small oil-rich country in the Arabian Gulf was living in the United States when she was sexually assaulted by a man from her home country whom she trusted. That rape resulted in the conception and birth of an American-born child, who is now almost 12 years old. Recently, the woman was on the verge of being deported and sought asylum in the United States. If deported, she would certainly have been murdered for the dishonor brought upon her family because of the assault. 

Photo by Bob Christy

Melissa Laubenthal is an immigration attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, who has worked with Dr. Nawal Ammar, Kent State professor of justice studies, on asylum cases.

According to a United Nations report, at least 5,000 women worldwide each year are murdered under the pretext of “honor killings.” As defined by UNICEF, an honor killing is an ancient practice in which men kill female relatives in the name of family honor for forced or suspected sexual relations outside marriage. 

While the majority of honor killings take place in primarily Muslim nations, it is not part of Islamic religious practice, says Dr. Nawal Ammar, Kent State professor of justice studies. In an Islamic context, punishment for infidelity is 100 lashes if the woman is single, or death by stoning if married. In both cases, however, four witnesses must testify that the sexual act took place, which makes proving the infidelity extremely difficult. 

Honor killings are a pre-Islamic, tribal custom. In these cultures, a family’s status depends largely upon its honor, as determined to a great extent by a daughter’s propriety, Ammar explains. A woman’s virginity is considered the property of her male relatives, whose duty it is to guard it. If the woman is even suspected of infidelity, whether consensual or forced, she may be mutilated, tortured, raped or killed in order to defend family honor. In most cases, the woman’s brother or husband carries out the punishment without fear of retribution; the male who had relations with or raped her also faces no reprisal. 

The true number of honor killings occurring worldwide remains unknown. In Jordan each year, honor killings may account for one-third of all violent deaths. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, since 1998 more than 2,000 cases of honor killings have been reported in that country. Honor killings also have occurred in Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Ecuador, Italy, Sweden and the United States. However, these killings often remain a private, family affair, so an accurate picture of the practice and its frequency does not exist. 

In the United States, some immigrant women who are afraid of returning home and being killed in the name of family honor fight to gain asylum, which is not an easy task. In addition to the sympathy and knowledge of an immigration lawyer, testimony from an expert witness often is needed to help these women. 

Ammar is one such authority, as one of a handful of scholars in the West who has worked on issues of violence against women in Islamic societies and immigrant women and children. She also has authored a number of United Nation documents on those topics. 

An American citizen who was born in Beirut, Lebanon, Ammar has served as an expert witness in nine U.S. cases, including a few in Cleveland, involving Muslim women from countries such as Egypt, Indonesia, Kuwait, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. All but two of the cases involved violence or potential violence against a woman at risk of being victimized in an honor killing. 

On behalf of these women, Ammar provides her expertise in immigration courts on societal and cultural issues, such as marriage and religious and social taboos, to corroborate the women’s claims of harm in their home country. She also has written reports to the immigration service explaining, from a cultural standpoint, why these women have acted in a certain way. 

“Sometimes all it takes is for someone to explain in a culturally appropriate manner for a judge or jury to make the right decision,” says Ammar. 

Bridging cultures 

“This was an emotional case for me,” says Ammar of the situation described in the opening paragraph. “I met the woman’s daughter, who was a beautiful, happy child, and saw how this woman’s American neighbors offered their help and love to protect both the mother and the child.” Ammar’s testimony and her ability to translate between two cultures helped the judge decide to rule in favor of the woman, who was granted full legal status and remains in the country with her daughter. “It was truly an uplifting experience to see how out of a difficult situation arose solidarity and love,” says Ammar. 

Pakistani Women Fight for Life

Pakistan is one of the few nations for which data on honor killings is available. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, more than 1,500 cases of honor killings were reported there between 2000 and 2005. Of the victims:            97 percent were female            63 percent were married            37 percent were single            26 percent were minors              2 percent were male Of those accused of committing the crime:           35 percent were the victims' brothers           26 percent were their husbands           24 percent were their in-laws, relatives,                 neighbors or employers;            9 percent were their fathers;            5 percent were their sons;          52 percent were reported to police;          17 percent were held or arrested. Data are taken from reports by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Recently, meeting the legal burden of proof in these cases has become more difficult because of the Real ID Act of 2005. Passed by Congress, it attempts to discourage illegal immigration by requiring driver’s license applicants to produce four types of identification: photo ID, birth certificate, proof of Social Security number and a document showing their full name and address. Immigrants must prove that they are a citizen or national of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien, or they must have a pending or approved application for asylum or refugee status. 

“Since then, all asylum applicants must corroborate each claim, so experts like Ammar are indispensable,” says Melissa Laubenthal, an immigration law attorney with David Wolfe Leopold & Associates who works with Ammar. Ammar was recommended to the firm as a potential expert by the Council for American Islamic Relations in Cleveland. 

“Ammar is so well-versed in questions of society and culture and their effect on our clients,” says Laubenthal. “She has a knack for bringing out meaningful analysis from seemingly insignificant details, which would otherwise have been lost, and she is devoted to using her expertise to better the lives of others.” 

Making a difference 

Ammar’s upbringing and family background help explain how she arrived at doing such unique and important work. Due to unrest in Lebanon, Ammar’s family moved often during her childhood, between Beirut, Lebanon; Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City and Baghdad, Iraq. She comes from a highly educated Muslim family that greatly values diversity, tolerance and education. 

“Education was the only thing my parents felt they could pass on to us,” says Ammar, whose father came from the poorest region in Egypt and moved up the socioeconomic ladder by educating himself. But to her parents, education wasn’t solely for financial and social gain. “To my parents, education meant making a difference,” says Ammar. “For many social scientists from the developing world, like myself, the academy is a vehicle to engage in issues that are relevant and make a difference in their communities.” 

About 10 years ago, Ammar met and worked with one of the pioneers of advocating for immigrant women’s rights in the United States, attorney Lesley Orloff. Eventually, she was invited to join the board of the National Network to Prevent Violence Against Immigrant Women, the only national organization of its kind. 

Ammar wants to teach others more about Arab cultural practices and her own Muslim religion. 

“Islam is not a violent religion. Sadly, though, Muslims have used violence for political reasons,” says Ammar. “While a number of countries with Muslim majorities are suffering from poverty, war and occupation, the use of violence is not a justifiable means to the just and deserving causes in many Muslim communities.” 

Ammar says helping immigrant and Muslim women is not a choice for her. “After reading and hearing about such cases, you can’t help but get involved, especially when you know you can make a difference in someone’s life,” she explains. “You just have to do it.”