Trump Order Targets 'Honor Killings' of Women

President Trump's new executive order blocking refugees from six terror-related countries includes a section requiring federal law enforcement agencies to collect data on "honor killings."

 

The order calls for officials to "collect and make publicly available … information regarding the number and types of acts of gender-based violence against women, including so-called 'honor killings,' in the United States by foreign nationals."

 

The administration denies that the honor killing provision targets Muslims, but some left-wing groups such as Human Rights Watch say the order is based on a stereotypical view of Muslims.  Daniel Mach, director of the American Civil Liberties Union told Religion News Service,  "This reference to honor killings is part of a broader effort to smear an entire faith by the extreme acts of a few, and its inclusion in this order bolsters the argument that this is simply another attempt at a Muslim ban."

 

But the new order was praised by conservative analyst James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation, who said, "While critics will continue to demonize the administration's policies because they don't fit their politics, Americans who crave a foreign policy that prioritizes American interests, puts a compassionate face on statecraft that reflects our values, and acts responsibly will find much to respect in the order."

 

Honor killings are a form of violence against women in which family members conspire to murder another family member for some transgression or for allegedly bringing shame to the family.

 

There are approximately 5,000 honor killings internationally each year.