In Honor of Fadime: Murder and Shame

Fadime Sahindal, a young Kurdish immigrant who was brutally murdered by her own father in 2002, became a rallying cry in the struggle to combat honor killings. Unni Wikan narrates her story through her own eloquent words, along with the testimonies of her family. This book provides profound and timely insights into conservative Kurdish culture, but the heart of the story is Fadime's courageous and tragic story, and Wikan's telling of it is riveting.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 314 pages
Publication date: 06 September 2021
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Fadime Sahindal, a young woman of Kurdish descent, faced a tragic end in 2002 when her own father brutally murdered her. She belonged to a family of immigrants who had settled in Sweden for nearly two decades, but her relationship with a man outside their community caused deep dishonor to her family. Despite the unbearable pain and humiliation, Fadime's death was seen as the only way to restore their honor. This horrific crime shocked the world, and her name became a rallying cry in the fight against so-called honor killings.

Unni Wikan, in her powerful book "In Honor of Fadime," narrates Fadime's heartbreaking story through her own eloquent words, alongside the testimonies of her father, mother, and two sisters. What unfolds is a tale of courage, betrayal, loyalty, love, power, and humiliation, as well as a clash of cultures. Despite enduring years of threats over her emancipated life, Fadime advocated compassion for her killer until the very end, believing that he was trapped by an unyielding code of honor. Wikan contextualizes this shocking event by analyzing similar honor killings across Europe, Canada, and the United States. She also delves into the concept of honor in historical and cross-cultural depth, concluding that honor killings occur across religious and ethnic traditions, rather than being solely attributed to Islam.

"In Honor of Fadime" offers profound and timely insights into conservative Kurdish culture, but at its core, the book is Fadime's courageous and tragic story, and Wikan's storytelling is captivating. Fadime's life and death serve as a reminder of the devastating consequences of honor-based violence and the urgent need to address these issues on a global scale. This book is a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit, even in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Weight: 420g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226896878