IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 296 
Expressing the sense of Congress that there is no honor in ‘‘honor killings’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 10, 2005 
Mr. NADLER submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that there is no honor 
in ‘‘honor killings’’. 
Whereas so-called ‘‘honor crimes’’ are acts of violence, usually 
murder, committed by male family members against fe-
male family members who are perceived to have brought 
dishonor upon the family; 
Whereas thousands of women and girls around the world are 
stabbed, shot, beaten, burned, or maimed every year by 
male relatives, including husbands, fathers, and brothers, 
who accuse them of dishonoring their families by not 
abiding by tribal or religious traditions, being unfaithful, 
seeking a divorce, refusing an arranged marriage, or 
marrying according to their will; 
Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 
61st Session, March–April 2005, working with the Spe-
•HCON 296 IH 
cial Rapporteurs on violence against women and 
extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, received 
reports of so-called honor killings from numerous coun-
tries; 
Whereas although honor killings may be outlawed, law en-
forcement and judicial systems often fail properly to in-
vestigate, arrest, and prosecute offenders, and laws fre-
quently permit reduction in sentences or exemptions from 
prosecution for those who ‘‘kill in the name of honor’’, 
typically resulting in a token punishment, impunity, and 
continued violence against women; and 
Whereas the right to exist is the most fundamental of all 
rights and must be guaranteed to every individual with-
out discrimination, and the perpetuation of honor killings 
and dowry deaths is a deliberate violation of women’s 
human rights that should be universally condemned: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) the United States Agency for International 
Development should— 
(A) work with foreign law enforcement and 
judicial agencies to enact legal system reforms 
to address more effectively the investigation and 
prosecution of so-called ‘‘honor crimes’’; 
(B) make resources available to local orga-
nizations to provide refuge and rehabilitation 
for women who are victims of honor crimes and 
the children of such women; and
•HCON 296 IH 
(C) encourage public awareness and edu-
cation of human rights and women’s rights; 
(2) the Department of State, in preparing the 
annual Country Reports on Human Rights Prac-
tices, should include— 
(A) information relating to the incidence of 
honor crimes in foreign countries; 
(B) the steps taken by foreign govern-
ments to address the problem of honor crimes; 
and 
(C) all relevant actions taken by the 
United States, whether through diplomacy or 
foreign assistance programs, to reduce the inci-
dence of honor crimes and to increase investiga-
tions and prosecutions of such crimes; 
(3) the President should direct the United 
States Permanent Representative to the United Na-
tions to communicate to the United Nations the con-
cern of the United States regarding the high rate of 
honor-related violence toward women worldwide and 
request that the appropriate United Nations bodies, 
in consultation with relevant nongovernmental orga-
nizations, propose actions to be taken to encourage 
these countries to demonstrate strong efforts to end 
such violence; and
•HCON 296 IH 
(4) the President and the Secretary of State 
should— 
(A) communicate directly with leaders of 
foreign countries in which honor crimes, includ-
ing honor killings, dowry deaths, and related 
practices, are endemic, in order to convey the 
most serious concerns of the United States re-
garding these gross violations of human rights; 
and 
(B) urge such foreign leaders to adequately 
investigate and prosecute all honor crimes, in-
cluding honor killings, dowry deaths, and re-
lated practices, with appropriate penalties. 
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