Lebanese Sunni Tribal Leader Manee Advocates For 'Honor Killings': If My Daughter Were To Fornicate, I Would Kill Her; If A Man Refuses To Marry The Woman With Whom He Fornicated, He Should Also Be Killed

Lebanese Sunni tribal leader Jihad Manee said on Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV, on November 21, 2022, that both men and women should be held accountable to “honor” violations. He said that if his daughter were to “fornicate” with a man, he would hold her accountable by killing her if he could. He said that if a girl “makes a mistake” with a man she should tell him to ask her family for her hand in marriage, and that if he refuses, they should both be killed.

 

Jihad Manee: "For us, honor is manifest in land and in the honor of women. Honor is not exclusive to women. It's not that if a woman makes a mistake, the [violation] of honor is exclusive to her."

 

 

Interviewer: "The honor of women is identical to the honor of men? Are men held accountable just like women are?"

 

Manee: "Yes, men are held accountable just like women."

 

Interviewer: "What is your definition of a man's honor?"

 

 

Manee: "When a man makes a contract with anyone..."

 

Interviewer: "When he gives his word, then."

 

Manee: "Yes, when he gives his word."

 

 

Interviewer: "And what about women's honor?"

 

 

Manee: "Women are sacred. It is forbidden to harm her."

 

Interviewer: "What does this mean? Please elaborate."

 

Manee: "She must not cross the red lines."

 

 

Interviewer: "Where do you draw these red lines for women?"

 

Manee: "These red lines are drawn by our religion, which says that both the male and the female fornicators should be stoned to death."

 

 

Interviewer: "So if your daughter...If a young woman, I don't want to say 'your daughter'...If she falls in love with someone and has sex with him, it's considered fornication?

 

Manee: "She is welcome to fall in love, but [sexual] relations, absolutely not. This is not part of our values."

 

Interviewer: "What happens? What is the rule in such a case?"

 

Manee: "There will definitely be a severe punishment."

 

Interviewer: "What will her punishment be?"

 

Manee: "If I could not kill her, I would renounce her..."

 

Interviewer: "If you 'could not kill her?'"

 

Manee: "Yes."

 

Interviewer: "Would you kill her [if you could]?"

 

Manee: "Yes. The state does not hold anyone accountable. A lot of things that happen in our tribes are caused by the state. The state is at fault. If someone attacked my daughter, the state would not arrest him."

 

Interviewer: "Who is the one who kills the woman who 'fornicates,' according to what you say?"

 

Manee: "The tribe assigns one of its members."

 

[...]

 

Interviewer: "Isn't a woman's honor connected to her mind, her values...?

 

 

Manee: "It has to do with her entire body, with her hair, with her fingernails...If a girl makes a mistake with some guy, she should say to him: Go to so-and-so, and send him to ask my family for my hand in marriage on your behalf."

 

 

Interviewer: "And what if the guy refuses?"

 

Manee: "Then he should be killed."

 

 

Interviewer: "He should be killed? What about her?"

 

Manee: "The same thing."

 

 

Interviewer: "She should be killed too?"

 

Manee: "Yes."