THE PHENOMENON OF SO-CALLED HONOUR CRIMES IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE MUSLIM CONCEPT OF CHASTITY – OUTLINE OF THE ISSUE

Abstract

The phenomenon of “honour” crimes is definitely not new. Despite the fact that such cases took place hundreds or even thousands of years ago, nowadays problem is still actual. The issue occurs mostly in the Middle East and the Southern Asia, but as it is underlined in many reports, during last 20–30 years the phenomenon has expanded also in Europe. Simultaneously, the popular thesis is that “honour” crimes are strictly connected with Muslim culture as the majority of such crimes are committed by Muslims. Therefore, the author analyzes the phenomenon of “honour” crimes with regards to the Muslim’s concept of chastity. The main aim of this article is to decide if such (direct or indirect) connection exist or whether it is the effect of ‘islamophobia’.