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Last update - 03:03 24/07/2007
Hamas investigates suspected 'honor' killing of three sisters
By Reuters

A Hamas security force said on Monday the brother and cousin of three sisters who were stabbed to death last weekend are suspects in what was likely to have been an "honor killing" and ordered the men jailed.

Witnesses said unidentified men dumped the bodies of the women in a pre-dug grave in a cemetery late on Saturday and informed Hamas's Executive Force. Medics said the sisters had multiple stab wounds.

The deaths of the women, who were aged 16 to 22, were the first such killings in Gaza since Hamas seized the area in June after routing loyalists of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
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"There is a law and no one should take the law into his hands," said Executive Force Spokesman Islam Shahwan. "The defendants will be jailed and brought to justice".

Shahwan said a preliminary inquiry showed the brother and cousin to be suspects in the killing of the sisters and that their motive was likely a desire to protect family honor.

"Honor killings" are usually carried out to punish women suspecting of committing acts seen as dishonourable to the family, such as being the victim of a rape or sex crime, refusing an arranged marriage or cheating on a husband.

Such killings are often seen in the Arab and Muslim world.

Palestinian human rights groups in Gaza on Monday called for tougher punishments for those who carry out such crimes.

They said the deaths of the sisters brought to 12 the number of women killed in similar ways in 2007, in addition to 30 others who died in internal factional bloodshed and violence between clans, or extended families.

Bringing any suspected felons in Gaza to trial in the near future may be difficult as courts there have not functioned and Abbas ordered the Palestinian Authority attorney general not to cooperate with Hamas following its takeover of the territory.

The al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights urged prosecutors to resume their jobs in order to look into crimes in Gaza. A Hamas official said Ismail Haniyeh, who Abbas had sacked as prime minister, could soon appoint a new attorney general in Gaza.

The leading Palestine Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said short jail terms were to blame for the reoccurrence of such killings.

Some human rights groups said killers sometimes use the pretext of protecting family honour to gain a short court ruling in a Muslim regime, where adultery is forbidden, while their motive is to deprive women from inheritances left by parents
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  1.   MUST BE.... 14:53  |  Brant 23/07/07
  2.   Killers at work 14:54  |  maurice 23/07/07
  3.   Ig convicted, they should get a heavy sentence 15:23  |  Rami 23/07/07
  4.   I wondder: Will Israel Bashers blame honor killings on Israel? 15:50  |  Vittorio 23/07/07
  5.   Hamas will liberate Palestine 15:50  |  Reltih 23/07/07
  6.   Moslems & honor killings. 15:58  |  curious 23/07/07
  7.   5 Vittorio. Absolutely - A Mossad plot to make Hamas look bad. 16:01  |  common sense 23/07/07
  8.   Just another day in the palestinian sick society 16:06  |  Chick 23/07/07
  9.   To curious - Counter Question 16:11  |  CuriousToo 23/07/07
  10.   To Chick of Chicago 16:15  |  LookWhosTalking 23/07/07
  11.   Hamas investigates murders... 16:20  |  Even Steven 23/07/07
  12.   8, chick 16:23  |  bashar 23/07/07
  13.   A culture of death 16:25  |  Jean 23/07/07
  14.   Look who`s not thinking 16:33  |  Ray 23/07/07
  15.   Evidence of barbarian behavior 16:38  |  rob 23/07/07
  16.   Place your bets: how soon will `defendents` be released? 16:43  |  Joe Sittizen 23/07/07
  17.   #6 An Interesting Question! 16:44  |  Tony Anthony 23/07/07
  18.   Glad that Hamas is taking decisive action against the 16:47  |  lakshmi 23/07/07
  19.   To Jean of Lausanne 16:49  |  Survivor 23/07/07
  20.   Relith 16:53  |  Brad 23/07/07
  21.   Curious Too 16:54  |  Brad 23/07/07
  22.   I Just Figured Out How They Try To Keep Up With The Supply Of... 16:55  |  Yosemite 23/07/07
  23.   Islam is the Answer 16:57  |  Joe 23/07/07
  24.   Court system + Mistakes in haaretz report 16:59  |  Palestinian 23/07/07
  25.   Reilth: don`t hold your breath... 17:03  |  Richard S 23/07/07
  26.   to vittorio at #4 17:03  |  scanadu 23/07/07
  27.   # 19 survivor 17:13  |  Lynn 23/07/07
  28.   It seems Arab honor lies between their legs 17:15  |  El-Birawi 23/07/07
  29.   # 26 scanadu 17:15  |  Lynn 23/07/07
  30.   #12 Bashar 17:27  |  * BEN JABO 23/07/07
  31.   `mon Hamas...This is the Islamist Way 17:31  |  Dr. Dave 23/07/07
  32.   no early release for the honor killers ... but ... 17:33  |  Even Steven 23/07/07
  33.   to curious #5 17:35  |  christine 23/07/07
  34.   #9 - its called reform 17:38  |  curios the hypocrite 23/07/07
  35.   30, Ben 17:48  |  bashar 23/07/07
  36.   #9 17:48  |  USA 23/07/07
  37.   28,El-Birawi: A M E N ! 17:50  |  bashar 23/07/07
  38.   #35 Bashar 17:54  |  * BEN JABO 23/07/07
  39.   El Birawi and Bashar 18:06  |  Yair ben Avraham 23/07/07
  40.   19 - you stuck in the past 18:09  |  Today 23/07/07
  41.   Hamas 1 - Israel 0 18:11  |  Zac 23/07/07
  42.   hamas: *we`ll* do the honour killing round here, thank you 18:11  |  frenz 23/07/07
  43.   #16 - odds are in 18:13  |  hamas recruits 23/07/07
  44.   I see 9( curiousToo) could not answer simple question 18:19  |  Victor_The_Egyptian 23/07/07
  45.   All I can say it is not Islam 18:47  |  El-Birawi 23/07/07
  46.   EYE FOR N EAR-hamas play unfair! 19:04  |  hotentotsgod 23/07/07
  47.   And these are the people you wish to live with side by side 19:09  |  Choni Davidowitz 23/07/07
  48.   Wait a second... 19:33  |  Sensible 23/07/07
  49.   Bleak pictures of Muslims 19:42  |  Teacher 23/07/07
  50.   28birawi, give me a break! 19:53  |  blind to the truth 23/07/07
  51.   Europeans caused more death and Misery in one century 19:55  |  Shister 23/07/07
  52.   Looking back few years ago. 19:59  |  El-Birawi 23/07/07
  53.   "Honor" killing 20:04  |  Abu Yusuf 23/07/07
  54.   Curious Too...you are delusional 20:14  |  Dan 23/07/07
  55.   Do NOT open the gates 20:14  |  Dovid Yanna 23/07/07
  56.   Jewish honor killing 20:40  |  Tosefta 23/07/07
  57.   Curios too 20:49  |  Sarah 23/07/07
  58.   Death penalty 20:49  |  Omar 23/07/07
  59.   To: Common Sense 20:53  |  Omar 23/07/07
  60.   DEPRAVED CULTURE 20:54  |  Paul 23/07/07
  61.   Hey Chick from Chicago 20:55  |  Omar 23/07/07
  62.   Zac 20:57  |  Sarah 23/07/07
  63.   #47 YUP B4 you Choni & the Wannabees from CANADA 21:12  |  Ari ben Yisrael 23/07/07
  64.   #18 LAKSMI`s ACTION URGENTLY REQUIRED HERE... 21:13  |  Paul 23/07/07
  65.   #18 LAKSMI`s ACTION URGENTLY REQUIRED HERE... 21:13  |  Paul 23/07/07
  66.   To Jean 21:14  |  Ralph 23/07/07
  67.   Tosefta 21:16  |  Albert Seligman 23/07/07
  68.   What can be expected 21:17  |  KUTW 23/07/07
  69.   53 Abu Yusuf 21:19  |  KUTW 23/07/07
  70.   #9 21:43  |  Neal 23/07/07
  71.   THESE ARE THE ANIMALS WE MAKE PEACE WITH ?? 21:57  |  paul harris 23/07/07
  72.   Sharia barty has started under Hamas rule, but still Izrail fault 22:10  |  Jalal 23/07/07
  73.   Crying out loud (Albert Seligman #67) 22:10  |  Tosefta 23/07/07
  74.