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In Iraq, Honor Crimes Spread to Cities

Once common only in rural areas, the practice of murdering women and other Iraqis for what some perceive as immoral acts has made its way into the country’s urban centers.
A woman grieves at a cemetery in Baghdad's Adhamiya April 2, 2009.  REUTERS/Ahmed Malik (IRAQ SOCIETY) - RTXDJ6S
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Although Ahmad is in prison, he considers what happened an “honor.” Friends and relatives see him as a courageous man who washed away the shame of a “deviant” girl who strayed from religious and tribal values.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, social worker Qassem Hussein says honor crimes are still legally applicable to many girls who declare their “forbidden” feelings for foreign men, not only in Iraq, but also in other Arab and Muslim countries. 

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