An honour killing in Aintab: The issue of killing fornicators in the Ottoman Empire
Journal: Acta Orientalia
Year: 2016

An honour killing that took place in Ottoman Aintab at the end of the 16th century is examined in this paper. As it seems the qadi ( kadı ) of Aintab did not punish the murderer at all. What underpins the qadi’s decision is the opinion held by shari’a jurists indicating that anyone who commits adultery could be killed and the killer, by doing so, will not be punished for the crime. The issue of killing fornicators has been generally addressed through the fatwas of the Shaykh al-Islam. How the qa