Honour killings in the spotlight after Palestinian woman is brutally killed

Palestinian Israa Ghrayeb was purportedly murdered last week at the hands of her brothers after she reportedly posted a picture with her fiancé, in what has been labelled an “honour killing”.

Israa was hospitalised after sustaining severe injuries to her back as a result of the beating. Her brothers returned and she died having received a fatal blow to the head.

News of Israa’s death sent shockwaves on social media with users calling for justice to be served against the perpetrators.

Using the hashtags “honorkilling”, “weareallIsraa” and “#IsraaGhrayeb”  in both Arabic and English, in solidarity with the young Palestinian, Twitter users – such as Miss Iraq Sarah Idan – expressed their concern for “millions of women like Israa Ghrayeb in the middle-east.”

I cried hearing her story. Why? Because I know there are millions of women like #Israa_Ghrayeb in Middle-East with no voice or media outrage.
An entire hospital heard her cry while her family beat her to death but didn’t interfere because it was #HonorKilling.#weareallisraa https://t.co/SwNMRAew9k

— Sarai (Sarah Idan) Miss Iraq (@RealSarahIdan) September 1, 2019

US-Palestinian Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib highlighted that Israa’s death illustrates an “ever present toxic masculinity and control over women’s bodies and lives.”

"Isra’s death illustrates an ever-present toxic masculinity and control over women’s bodies and lives."

Help get #JusticeforIsraa by exposing the truth: https://t.co/YghpBO6l0V pic.twitter.com/QkrpBRx63h

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 1, 2019

Protests have been held in the occupied West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem outside the prime minister’s offices advocating for the rights and protection of women in Palestine. Protesters used Arabic statements such as “I am not part of your honour” and “my life is more important than the honour of my family.”

https://twitter.com/riizx__/status/1167367550713389056

Social media users have also called for the perpetrators of her murder to be brought to justice by calling on the Canadian government to revoke the citizenship of Israa’s brother Mohammad.

Influencer Banat Zayed said: “We want justice for Isra’a”, tweeting at the Canadian government in an effort to force it to take action.

https://twitter.com/banatzayed/status/1168030697786884096?s=20

Some have used the story to advocate for women’s rights in Palestine, reinforcing the deep-rooted patriarchal system that exists globally. In an Arabic entry, Lamar wrote: “The pain of women is my pain.”

https://twitter.com/iLamar_i/status/1167091149942730753?s=20

While, Arwa shared a Facebook status posted by Israa herself in Arabic saying: “A male society you complain about isn’t made by males alone.

https://twitter.com/awwa_95/status/1168218925961744384

READ: #MyPalestinianSitty trends after Tlaib refuses to enter Israel