Abstract
This chapter focuses on changing media discourses and representations of honour-related femicide, otherwise known as “honour crimes”. Here, I select two moments of analysis. The first is 2008–2010 media coverage of multiple instances of honour-related femicide in news items and opinion pieces (published in Arabic), as well as readers’ comments and journalists’ and writers’ statements given in personal research interviews. The second moment of analysis is a 2020 case study of a single crime that ignited much media and public interest due to its gruesome nature. This is not a direct comparison between the two moment, but rather an attempt at sketching a rough outline of how discourses on honour-related femicide have changed over the years in response to consistent (and sometimes controversial) activism and pressure.
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Notes
- 1.
Article 340 of the Jordanian Penal Code exempted male killers who discovered their female relatives “committing adultery” from penalty, whilst article 98 reduced the penalty for those who commit crimes in “a fit of fury caused by an unlawful or dangerous act on the part of the victim”.
- 2.
Nashmi is an adjective, widely used in Jordan to denote several positive character traits, amongst them chivalry, generosity, and strength.
- 3.
Jinn are spirits or supernatural creatures found in Islamic mythology.
- 4.
Note that none of the news reports mentioned that Ahlam had been previously married, which would have been a convincing reason to omit the hymen status line.
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Mahadeen, E. (2022). Representations of Honour-Related Femicide: Changing Discourses. In: Women and the Media in Jordan . Gender, Sexualities and Culture in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9344-1_6
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