A Pakistani man in Atlanta, Georgia has been charged with murder after he apparently killed his daughter because she did not want to remain in an arranged marriage. The man, Chaudhry Rashid, appeared in court on 8 July 2008 and told a judge that he had done nothing wrong. A police spokesman said Rashid killed his daughter during an argument about the arranged marriage. Rashid’s wife, who called the police on the night of the murder because she heard screaming in the family’s home, told the authorities that Rashid’s daughter had recently gotten married in Pakistan, but she had not wanted to wed and did not want to stay married. Refusing an arranged marriage and seeking divorce are two of the many perceived indiscretions that have been used as excuses for the murder of women by their male family members in honor killings, which occur around the world and are a grave abuse of human rights. The United Nations Population Fund has estimated that each year, up to 5,000 women and girls are the victims of honor killings.
Compiled from: “Dad charged with murdering reluctant bride,” CNN.com, 9 July 2008; “Frequently Asked Questions About ‘Honour Killing,’” The Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women, last accessed 14 July 2008.