The Vice President's Citizenship Assistant for Women and the Family stressed the need to criminalize anti-human rights traditions against women.
Shahnaz Sajjadi, Assistant to the Vice President for Civil Affairs on Women's Affairs, on the re-attempt to nationally register the "Khoon Bas" tradition in which a girl marries a man from the murdered tribe to end a bloody conflict and revenge and bring peace, said, " The Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs has considered this issue in the Bill on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and it is predicted that this kind of tradition, which is forcibly imposed on girls and women, will be opposed to creating a kind of culture. More humane arrangements must be made to satisfy the next of kin, and this tradition is an instrumental view of women and contradicts their human dignity. Also, it is against the rights of the child, especially if it happens to a girl in her childhood.
Prohibition of anti-human rights traditions against women in the Ensuring Security Against Violence Bill
She continued, "Traditions such as female circumcision and "Khoon Bas" may be in some parts of the country, but it is more common in Arab, African, and some other countries. However, because it exists in some limited parts of the country, Ensuring Security Against Violence Bill generally prohibits such anti-human rights traditions against women.
The need to criminalize traditions anti-human rights and against women
She continued, "Of course, with the criminalization of such traditions, culturalization will take place over time to correct false and irrational traditions, and a humane and rightful view of all women and children will emerge."
Given that for some of these traditions, indigenous peoples and their practitioners provide justifications for endorsing their actions, is there no need to address these issues in more detail in the bill?
"The bill conveys the concept that traditions against girls and women with a burden of psychological and physical violence must be stopped. Forced marriages, bullying, and threatening a girl as a "Khoon Bas bride" to end aggression and hate between two families or two tribes, is great cruelty on that girl. Especially in the family and tribe of the victim, except for the hatred and constant blame of the bride for the murder in which she had no role in it and no emotions and love await her.

Verbal, psychological, and physical violence by the victim's family against the "Khoon Bas" woman
Sajjadi added, "This tradition has the aspect of violence for girls and women, a tradition that occurs through forced marriage and abuse through verbal, psychological, and physical violence by the victim's family, like the groom, against the "Khoon Bas bride" during the married life.
She by regarding the possible agreement of indigenous people with the tradition of "Khoon Bas" in areas where this tradition has been common, added, "If any law is passed, naturally there are some opponents and supporters of that law, but first the law must be in the interest of all members of society including women, men, and children, and especially protect the vulnerable group which are women and children. Therefore, if the ban on the "Khoon Bas" tradition is approved, there will be no debate, and the law will be respected and obeyed by all members of society.
Khoon Bas increases the number of suicides and self-immolations
Sajjadi added, "In case of such marriages, the girl's complaint is raised in the form of civil and family laws. In such legal forms, the issue of cancellation of marriage, divorce, alimony, and the mistreatment of the couple is raised, but in continuation of the "Khoon Bas" tradition, women do not have the right to divorce. In this regard, the "Khoon Bas" tradition sometimes, unfortunately, increases and promotes suicide and self-immolation of women as a result of domestic violence."
Sajjadi said, "It is true that the tradition of "Khoon Bas" is a significant and positive action to end the revenge and hate of the two tribes or two families and prevent the execution of the murderer, but among them, there is one victim and among the Arabs, there are several victims and that victim is a "human". A girl from the family of a murderer may voluntarily take on this role to achieve the approval and forgiveness of the victim's family from the execution, in which case there is no question because it is a selfless act based on admiration,
but the whole discussion is challenging. The issue of "Khoon Bas" in cases of forcing a girl into forced marriage is expedient and marital life is accompanied by blame and violence because, in forced marriage and the circumstances of murder between two families, tension and ill-treatment against the "Khoon Bas bride" are unavoidable.
Source: Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs

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