ABSTRACT

This chapter provides a focus on Britain and the nature of the problem of honour-related violence (HRV) among British-born Muslim men and Muslim women in the context of post-war post-colonial societies. It explores the ideas of assimilation, integration, multiculturalism and the (re)turn to Islam among second and third generation Muslim minorities on the one hand, and the desire by nation-states to perpetuate the myth of the Oriental ‘Other’ in the wake of the ‘war on terror’ on the other, both of which provide the context for the emergence of HRV among Muslim men – however, the essential dynamics of patriarchy and a crisis of masculinity also exist at the heart of the patterns found. The experiences of British Muslim minorities are analysed in the post-war period, with a particular focus on immigration, settlement, adaptation and institutionalisation of Islam into Britain, as well as other gender differences. The author considers how notions of honour and violence permeate the psychological, ideological and cultural premises behind the actions taken by not just men but also elder women in the household in an attempt to discern the nature of how such violence is related to attempts to maintain honour in a secular Western European context. The chapter defines notions of honour among Muslim men, incorporating sociological, criminological, theological and philosophical understandings, historically and contemporaneously derived, and using the notion of the decline of masculinity to identify how men relate to others, especially Muslim women, in this context. The concerns emanating from issues of HRV have come to the fore more

and more, with new criminological questions raised in relation to the deaths

of young Muslim women that were previously unexplained. As society has become more aware of this issue, academics have also determined it as an important field of enquiry. In the context of post-7/7 Britain, the focus on Islam and Muslims has been greater than ever, and while there is a degree of concentration on political and social matters, the cultural issue also becomes significant in discussions of the ‘good multicultural society’. An aspect of the cultural dynamic relates to questions of gender and, in particular, the nature of power relations between men and women in the context of questions of sexuality, equality and diversity. This chapter provides a discussion of the ways in which honour permeates critical cultural discourse and how concerns in relation to masculinity have also impacted on the wider sociological phenomenon of HRV towards Muslim women. But, crucially, many of these acts of violence towards women are not just a function of men, first and second generation, but also of the elder women in the household who see their own honour at stake because of their daughters’ behaviour. This is an important issue to understand. If the violence is perpetuated by men, it is not the case that only men are involved in its design or are party to its execution – elder women in the household sometimes have a role in sanctioning murder (Observer 2009). First, this chapter provides a sociological overview of the history of

migration and the settlement of Muslims in Britain, emphasising the nature of the idea that there are many rural and subsistence-level communities which have arrived in complex urban metropolises and held intact notions of ‘honour’ and ‘respect’ (izzat and ghairat in the South Asian sense) which are at odds with the wider sexual freedoms and liberties of majority societies. Second, the policies of integration are examined, and how, in effect, ignoring aspects of the cultural dynamics of communities and their practices, or rather letting them pass by undetected underneath the radar, has given space and almost a tacit acknowledgement of the issues. Third, the nature of the question of the breakdown in masculinity among Muslim men is explored, in the context of the inter-generational disconnect. Although this gap has many deep chasms, notions of honour and respect have remained intact, in particular in relation to how women in the family ought to be ‘protected from themselves’. Women, particularly in Middle Eastern and South Asian families, are seen to be the holders of moral uprightness within those communities, and if a woman is seen to have left the flock the entire community is made to feel shame and embarrassment. In the remote villages of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, from where the largest diaspora communities in Britain have come, ideas of honour and revenge are everyday. Finally, the ways in which society views notions of HRV have their own misconceptions and complex issues relating to identity and representation, particularly in the media. In a climate of post-9/11 Islamophobia, Muslim communities are homogenised and stereotyped in general, and routinely objectified as the ‘enemy other’, particularly in the context of

terrorism and as part of wider geopolitical East-West tensions. The risk here is that while a significant issue has finally caught the attention of authorities and has led to greater focus and attention, which is important and necessary, it is being carried out in the context of widespread antiMuslim sentiments among the wider public and in social and media discussions. It is necessary and important to begin to treat the many cases as criminological phenomena rather than ones which are seen to be culturally generalisable.