Honour Killing

In all known human societies, the deliberate killing of another human being most especially when the victim is a close relative of the perpetrator is invariably viewed as an exceedingly serious offence. It is easy to see why. Over and above the fact that human life is universally regarded as being sacred in its own right, no family and beyond that no community can hope to survive in good order unless all its members’ respect each others’ right to exist. Hence incidents of homicide and hence the ultimate betrayal of such expectation of mutual respect invariably attract calls for severe sanctions to be implemented, up to and including the elimination of the perpetrator him or herself. This also serves as a reminder that there are circumstances in which acts of homicide are regarded as legitimate. Warfare is one example; execution by properly constituted authorities of those found guilty of a criminal offence is another; and in acephalous...