Jordanian teen in another ‘honour killing’

A Jordanian teenager is being questioned after reportedly confessing to strangling his older married sister in a so-called “honour killing”.

Jordanians protested over decision to quash harsher laws

The 17-year-old unidentified suspect confessed on Wednesday to strangling his sister, 25, to death in their family home, reported the Jordan Times on Thursday.

After he turned himself in, he told police he had been receiving phone calls from unidentified people that his sister was seeing someone while her husband was away and that she might be pregnant, said official sources.

The suspect told interrogators the calls led him to kill his sister to clear the family’s reputation.

No tolerance

A post-mortem examination showed the mother of four was not pregnant and had not been involved in any recent sexual activity, according to a source quoted by the daily.

“There is certainly no justification for such a practice in Islam”

Queen Rania

The confession came as Jordan’s Queen Rania condemned such crimes.

“We should have no tolerance for the acceptance of ‘honour killings’,” said the queen in an interview on Tuesday with AFP.

“There is certainly no justification for such a practice in Islam.”

The victim was the 13th woman reported murdered in a so-called “honour” crime in Jordan since January.

Queen Rania backed a bill to change the law which provides for those guilty of such crimes to receive lighter sentences, but it was rejected by Amman’s parliament.

“I hope the parliament will eventually vote for laws in keeping with Jordan’s reputation as a humane nation which respects the human rights of all of its citizens,” she said.

Source: AFP