Namus

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In many oriental societies, namus is a central value alongside respect, honor and dignity. In a broader sense, Namus denotes family honor and is of great importance for relationships of authority within the family. In a narrower sense, Namus refers to the sexual unaffectedness of unmarried female family members and is therefore strongly gender-specific. Since the monitoring of female sexual integrity is traditionally the responsibility of the male relatives (fathers, brothers), the violation of the female namus also means a violation of the public reputation of the male relatives.

A violation of family honor or Namus, whether from the inside through inappropriate behavior of one's own relatives (sexual or criminal), or from the outside by strangers (for example in the form of physical or verbal attacks on relatives), always threatens personal honor of the other family members.

etymology

With the word ناموس / Nāmūs becomes u. a. In the hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, reference is made to the Archangel Gabriel, taken from the Torah . an-Nāmūs al-akbar , ( Arabic الناموس الأكبر, "He is in possession of the highest secrets", variant: "the absolutely good") is according to Islamic tradition the Archangel himself, sent down on Moses and then on Mohammed . It should be emphasized that the Arabic lexicographers in the 8th century treat and understand the term as a purely Arabic word from the root nms ("keep secret"; "entrust a secret to someone"). The early Arabic poet al-Kumait († 743) also uses it in this sense . Another meaning of the word that is only sporadically verifiable in Arabic is: (positive) law ( qanun ) and Shari'a .

Since the Greek name of the Torah Greek  νόμος , Nomos ( "Order, Law") is, it is assumed that Nomos the etymological origin of Namus is. The word is also known in other oriental languages, including Kurdish , Persian , Turkish and Urdu - all with the meaning of "respectability".

meaning

The honor of the man and his relatives is defined, among other things, by the sexual integrity of the women in the family, in particular by their sexual abstinence . The woman must not violate certain rules to protect her chastity. The honor of the future wife and her family can only be preserved by going into marriage as a virgin . The man's honor is also in danger when crossing the boundaries of his property, fields and house, as well as verbal or physical attacks on the members of his agnatic group.

According to Schiffauer , it should be noted that the value of honor ( namus ) is subject to the notion of a clear boundary “that separates the 'inside', the area of ​​the family, from the 'outside', the (male) public of the village or town . The man's honor is defiled if this limit is exceeded, if someone from the outside harasses or attacks a member of the family, possibly one of the women. ”( Karen Jahn, 2003 ). He adds that only the boundary violation is relevant, not the reasons for it.

Significance in today's society

Namus is one of the most important values ​​of many traditional oriental societies . With urbanization and westernization, the urban population is increasingly breaking away from the traditional value system. In contrast, Namus retains its original meaning in the rural population. In contrast to the cities, traditions are continued in the villages and there is greater social control.

impact

The man has to answer socially if the daughter does not dress according to the convention, behaves "dishonorably" in dealing with men, if he is betrayed by his wife, but also if he accepts serious insults without a reaction. Even many men who describe themselves as progressive follow these rules out of fear of social exclusion. Often the dishonored is accused of his "weakness" at every opportunity. He is not taken fully, the women in the family are harassed. Honor does not only refer to relationships, but also extends to the protection of property and other areas.

“The concepts of sevgi , saygı , şeref and namus guarantee that we are closely integrated into a social network that exercises social control and provides mutual support. Children should be subordinate, obedient , conform and show loyalty so that a high degree of cohesion and mutual dependence is guaranteed. Processes and educational goals such as individuation , autonomy, initiative, activity or curiosity are rather undesirable with children because they would endanger the cohesion of the community. "

- Bilsky / Toker 1999

In a stricter interpretation of these rules of action, an abused woman is not seen as a victim. This can lead to the relatives of a raped woman restoring family honor through an honor killing of the victim or the woman killing herself under social pressure.

The women's organization Terre des Femmes estimates the number of girls and women who are murdered in the name of honor around the world at 5,000 every year.

Proof of virginity

It is very important to go into marriage untouched. The blood stain on the bed sheet caused by the defloration on the wedding night is considered evidence of this in some societies. In the eastern regions of Turkey, the blood-stained bed sheet is referred to as an "honor rose" and is proudly hung in front of the door of the house after the wedding night, publicly visible. “Therefore, the evidence of virginity and defloration are public affairs. Since honor is a public concept, the honor of the bride must be publicly established. ”( Elçin Kürşat ). "The symbolism of the red color with the blood mark on the wedding sheet as proof of the virginity of the bride is completed" ( Anke Bentzin ).

In the big cities of Turkey, this custom is usually considered outdated and also not reliable evidence, since the bleeding caused is variable and can also be completely absent. If it is still observed, this control by third parties is usually more discreet: In the event of suspicion, the groom's mother can insist on her “right” to inspect the bed sheet after the wedding night. The result of the control then remains among women and is only evaluated by them.

Unmarried young women may voluntarily seek out a gynecologist to certify their virginity in order to escape social pressure from rumors. “Both in Turkey and in Germany, doctors are commissioned by Turkish girls to surgically restore the maiden skin . This often happens without the knowledge of the parents and the future husband. "( Uli Pieper )

See also

literature

  • Esma Cakir-Ceylan: Violence in the Name of Honor. An investigation into acts of violence in Germany and Turkey. Peter Lang Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2011, pp. 4–10, ISBN 978-3-631-61356-6
  • Serap Çileli : Your honor - our sorrow. I fight against forced marriage and honor killing. Blanvalet, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-7645-0301-7
  • Wolfgang Bilsky, M. Toker: Young people of non-German origin in the criminal process. In: R. Lempp, G. Schütze, G. Köhnken (Ed.): Forensic psychiatry and psychology of childhood and adolescence. Steinkopf, Darmstadt 1999, pp. 287-299
  • Moral judgments as action-guiding social rule systems as reflected in cross-cultural research. In: A. Thomas: Kulturvergleichende Psychologie. Hogrefe, Göttingen 1993
  • Turkish Village Disputing Behavior. In: Laura Nader, Harry F. Todd Jr .: The Disputing Process. Law in Ten Societies. Columbia University Press, New York 1978 (English)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hülya Özaktürk: Honor killings in Turkey / Türkiye'de Namus Cinayetleri (= Pera-Blätter. 22). Orient-Institut Istanbul / Max Weber Foundation, Bonn 2012 ( online in German and Turkish )