About the Book
Honour killing persists across the Middle East, where regimes refrain from tackling primitive traditions for fear of sparking unrest.
Ayse Onal interviewed imprisoned men in Turkey convicted of killing their mothers, sisters and daughters. The result is a revealing and ultimately tragic account of ruined lives – both the victims’ and the killers’ – in a country where state and religion conspire to hush up the killing of hundreds of women every year.
About the Author
Ayse Onal has won many awards for her work as a journalist, including the Courage in Journalism Award, and has reported on Turkish politics, organised crime and conflicts in the Middle East. She has been blacklisted by the government, threatened by Islamic fundamentalists, placed on death lists, arrested and shot. She lives in Istanbul.
Reviews
'Ayse Onal has done an immense service by revealing what it is like to live in an honour-based society and the terrible cost, not just to the women who are beaten and eventually killed, but to the perpetrators and other relatives.' Joan Smith
'This is a book that demands to be read ... Onal's bravery is remarkable. She lives in fear for her life. But her writing shows no fear.' Guardian
'Honour Killing is a powerful read and I was, by turn, horrified and intensely moved.' Lucy Popescu, Tribune Magazine
