The Psychology Behind Stonings and Honor Killings in Islam and Their Impact on Social Culture, Both on Women and on Men
Index
1. Introduction
2. Chapter 1: Religious and Legal Foundations in Islamic Texts
3. Chapter 2: Psychological Aspects of Stonings and Honor Killings
4. Chapter 3: Impact on Women
5. Chapter 4: Impact on Men
6. Chapter 5: Impact on General Social Culture
7. Conclusion
8. Index of Sources
Introduction
Honor killings and stonings represent extreme forms of gender violence rooted in cultural and religious contexts, particularly in societies influenced by traditional interpretations of Islam. These acts, which involve the execution of individuals —primarily women— for alleged violations of family “honor,” such as adultery or extramarital relationships, not only reflect deep psychological dynamics of control, shame, and fragile masculinity, but also perpetuate patriarchal social structures that disproportionately affect women and men. This thesis examines the underlying psychology of these practices, drawn from Islamic texts, academic critiques, human rights reports, sociological studies, and Western psychological analyses. It is argued that, although these practices are often justified through selective interpretations of Sharia, their origin is more cultural than strictly religious, generating a cycle of collective trauma that erodes social cohesion and gender equality.
The analysis is based on an exhaustive review of primary sources such as the Quran and hadiths, critiques such as those by Kecia Ali, reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and psychological studies that explore collective punishment and honor dynamics. It seeks to unravel how these acts not only traumatize victims, but also impose psychological burdens on perpetrators and society in general, fostering an environment of fear and repression.
Chapter 1: Religious and Legal Foundations in Islamic Texts
Stonings and honor killings are frequently linked to hudud —punishments prescribed by God in Sharia— for zina (illicit sexual relations). However, a crucial distinction lies in the fact that stonings are a legal punishment for married adulterers, derived from the prophetic Sunna, while honor killings are extrajudicial executions, not sanctioned by Islamic law.
In the Quran, the punishment for zina is described in Surah An-Nur (24:2): “The adulteress and the adulterer, flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.” This verse prescribes flogging for unmarried fornicators, but stoning (rajm) for married adulterers is based on hadiths. A key hadith in Sahih Muslim 1691a relates that ‘Umar b. Khattab, on the Prophet’s pulpit, declared: “Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s Book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or if there is pregnancy, or a confession.” This hadith emphasizes the need for four eyewitnesses or voluntary confession, making the application extremely rare to deter, not to punish routinely.
Critiques of these texts argue that stoning contradicts the Quran, which does not mention it explicitly for married adulterers, suggesting it is a pre-Islamic tradition incorporated. In “Stoning and Hand Cutting—Understanding the Hudud and the Shariah in Islam”, it is explained that hudud, including stoning, seeks to “deter” crime through deterrence, citing Quran 5:38: “The Qur’an specifies that the thief, male or female, should have their hand cut off ‘as a requital for what they have done and as a deterrent ordained by God’.” The purpose is psychological: to instill divine fear to preserve social chastity.
Regarding honor killings, sources such as “Honor Killings, Illicit Sex, and Islamic Law” by Kecia Ali affirm that they have no sanction in the Quran or hadiths: “Honor killings find no sanction whatsoever in Qur’an, prophetic traditions, or law.” The Prophet emphasized legal procedures over emotional reactions of honor (ghira), declaring: “God’s honor was greater than any human’s.” Critiques such as Amnesty International in “Violence Against Women in the Name of Honour” point out that these practices are Baluchi and Pashtun tribal customs, not Islamic: “The practice of honour killings had nothing to do with the teachings of Islam but ‘has its roots in ancient tribal customs’.”
In summary, while Sharia prescribes equitable punishments for men and women for zina, honor killings violate these principles, prioritizing human honor over divine justice.
Chapter 2: Psychological Aspects of Stonings and Honor Killings
The psychology behind these practices is anchored in honor cultures, where reputation is the supreme value, fostering fragile masculinity and coercive control. In “How to Understand Honor Killings” from Psychology Today, it is explained: “In an honor culture, reputation management is perhaps the most important social ethic there is, superseding all other values.” Men seek reputations of “toughness” and intolerance to dishonor, while women must embody loyalty and sexual chastity. Losing honor is “worse than death”, as it leaves the family “naked in a world full of thorns and thistles.”
From Western psychology, collective punishment in religions, as in hudud, reduces human responsibility by externalizing it to God. In “Outsourcing Punishment to God”, it is argued: “Beliefs in powerful, intervening Gods reduces altruistic punishment and support for state-sponsored punishment,” because “people perceive a psychological trade-off between earthly and divine punishment.” In Islamic contexts, this justifies stonings as “deterrent ordained by God”, but in practice, it fosters extrajudicial executions due to collective shame.
Studies such as “Honor Killings in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Narrative Review” identify “fragile masculinity” as a key factor: men view women as extensions of their masculinity, responding to rumors or perceived violations with violence to restore honor. Psychosocial factors include poverty, unemployment, and rapid modernization, exacerbated by pandemics like COVID-19, which increase stress and surveillance over female sexuality.
In “The Psychology of Honor Abuse, Violence, and Killings” by Nazneen Baig, a triphasic model of perpetration is proposed: control and shaping of behavior, punishment for “dishonor” and protection of the perpetrator by blaming the victim. This reflects culturally oriented shame and guilt dynamics, where honor is measured by collectivism vs. individualism.
Sociological critiques, such as in “A Literature Study on Honour Killings Focusing on the Link between Gender, Religion and Rumours”, emphasize rumors as a psychological catalyst: “Rumours could force some parents to kill their daughters… I am against rumours and I do not accept it.” This generates a cycle of paranoia and control, rooted in patriarchy, not in Islam per se.
Chapter 3: Impact on Women
Women suffer disproportionately, as objects of sexual control and family honor. In Pakistan, Amnesty reports: “Every year in Pakistan hundreds of women… are reported killed in the name of honour. Many more cases go unreported. Almost all go unpunished.” Victims include prepubescent girls, widows, and grandmothers, for suspicions of infidelity or even rape: “In some especially tragic instances, even women and girls who have been raped are slain to remove the stain from the family honor.”
Psychologically, this induces chronic terror and isolation. In “Violence Against Women in the Name of Honour”: “Women in our society are killed like hens; they have no way to escape and no say in what happens to them.” Rumors lead to self-harm or suicides, like Qaisrana Bibi, who committed suicide due to marital pressure. In Jordan, Human Rights Watch documents 17 killings in 2003: “Up to forty women at a time are incarcerated for protection from ‘honor’ crimes, sometimes for… ten years.”
Socially, it reinforces submission: “The lives of millions of women in Pakistan are circumscribed by traditions which enforce extreme seclusion and submission to men.” In the Eastern Mediterranean, methods such as strangulation or live burial cause intergenerational trauma, with victims facing post-mortem ostracism: “Karis remain dishonoured even after death. Their dead bodies are thrown in rivers.”
Chapter 4: Impact on Men
Although less victimized, men bear pressures of hypermasculinity and collective responsibility. As perpetrators, they experience post-act guilt and social isolation: in narrative reviews, “HK does not restore family honor but damages reputations, leading to social isolation.” In Pakistan, the U.S. State Department report from 2023 notes that men participate in jirgas that sentence women, but face ostracism if they fail to “protect” honor.
Psychologically, it fosters internalized aggression: “Men in honor cultures are encouraged to seek reputations for being tough and intolerant of disrespect.” This generates chronic stress, with men like brothers or fathers acting under family pressure, resulting in remorse or community stigmatization. In “A Literature Study…”, it is cited: “Honour related violence is connected to the old traditions… [affecting] male relatives.”
Men are also occasional victims, as in cases of “karo” (dishonored men), but the impact is lesser, reinforcing roles as violent guardians.
Chapter 5: Impact on General Social Culture
These practices erode social cohesion, perpetuating impunity and inequality. In Jordan, “honor killings accounted for one-third of the murders of women in 1999”, minimized by officials: “Only fifteen killings per year… is negligible.” In Pakistan, 53 women died in honor killings from May to August 2023, fostering a “atmosphere of fear” in rural areas.
Sociologically, it reinforces patriarchy: “Cultural and religious norms significantly perpetuate domestic violence.” Studies such as “Women in Islamic Societies” highlight low female labor participation and gender violence. In Muslim contexts, it clashes with modernization, generating intergenerational divisions and stigma toward immigrants.
From human rights, it violates treaties such as CEDAW: “States… may not be subjected to scrutiny from the perspective of rights.” It fosters cycles of vengeance, as in “How Collective Punishment Harm Intergroup Relations”.
Conclusion
Stonings and honor killings, rooted in the psychology of honor and externalized divine punishment, devastate Islamic societies by perpetuating inequality and trauma. While Islamic texts emphasize mercy —“Ward off the hudud… if you find a way out… it is better to err in mercy”— cultural practices distort them. Legal reforms, gender equality education, and destigmatization of rumors are essential to break the cycle, promoting an Islamic interpretation of equitable justice.
Index of Sources
• A Literature Study on Honour Killings Focusing on the Link between Gender, Religion and Rumours, by Amani Al-Natour (Uppsala University, 2020).
• Honor Killings in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Narrative Review, by Ayman El-Setouhy et al. (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022).
• Honor Killings, Illicit Sex, and Islamic Law, by Kecia Ali (Brandeis University, Feminist Sexual Ethics Project).
• Honoring the Killers: Justice Denied For “Honor” Crimes In Jordan, by Human Rights Watch (2004).
• How to Understand Honor Killings, by Joe Yamamoto (Psychology Today, 2016).
• Outsourcing Punishment to God: Beliefs in Divine Control Reduce Earthly Punishment, by Kristin Laurin et al. (Psychological Science, 2012).
• Stoning and Hand Cutting—Understanding the Hudud and the Shariah in Islam, by Omar Qureshi (Yaqeen Institute, 2017).
• The Book of Legal Punishments (Sahih Muslim 1691a), compiled by Imam Muslim (s. IX).
• The Psychology of Honor Abuse, Violence, and Killings, by Nazneen Baig (Routledge, 2024).
• Violence Against Women in the Name of Honour, by Amnesty International (1999).
• Pakistan 2023 Human Rights Report, by U.S. Department of State (2024).
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