My podcast thematizes the subject of “honour killing” and prejudices going along with that subject, stated at the example of Morsal Obeidi, whose killing may be at first sight look like a typical act of “honour killing” … but like I said… Only on first sight.
From the outside everything seems clear and logic: a violent, criminal elder brother, who already announced to kill his sister, two years ago and who is said to having wanted to staple the dresses to her body, he regarded as too short, too colourful, too sexy. Parents who use violence on her. Numerous efforts to run away. Abducation to Afghanistan and the flight from there. A sixteen year-old girl, lying dead in the streets, numerous scars and over twenty stabs with a knife are registered.
Morsal Obeidi was a sixteen year-old girl in Germany who wanted the life of a sixteen year-old girl in Germany, though born in Afghanistan. Her life ended violently on a parking lot, on Mai, 29th 2008.
Still this case is not as easy and as obvious as it seems. In other cases – the word normal seems inappropriate in this case – the family sits together and decides what’s to do. In this case, Morsal’s mother was only informed after her daughter was already dead. Murdered by her son. In other cases it is usually the joungest, who is forced to execute, because he is usually punished after juvenil law. Morsal’s brother, Ahmad is 23 years old.
It was an nanounced murder. Announced in November 2006, when Ahmad said, he would kill Morsal and already threatens her with a knife. Announced in January 2007, when Ahmad hit her and tried to staple her clothes to her body. Announced in March 2008, when Morsal again, for the third time calls the police because her elder brother tried to beat her dead. Announced and reannounced in every single violent action taken by the family.
Ahmad is well known to the police in Hamburg. The danger emerging from him should have been more obvious to German administrative bodies, for him being known as multiple offender, also being involved in trials for collective violation and body harm. In this case, it only looks like an ‘honour killing’ . But the case is not going to be closed down under the pretext of being an “honour killing” … because it truly would be murder in affect, body harm with lethal conscience, under the simple pretext of being an honour killing. Though this would be the easiest. Just as it was the easiest ignoring the danger Ahmad embodies.
based on: ‘ZEIT’ Nr. 8, page 9; February 12th, 2009; “Mord mit Ansage”, by Rainer Frenkel









