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Stalked by family honor, some Muslim women hide By Madeline Chambers
Fri Apr 27, 3:13 AM ET



BERLIN (Reuters) - Fidan, her hair dyed blonde, is in hiding from her husband, who she says beats and rapes her. She is terrified her family will kill her if she goes home to eastern Turkey.


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Back in Anatolia, the 19-year old's relatives believe she has brought shame on them by leaving her 50-year old Turkish husband, who is also in Germany.

She will not say exactly where he is.

"I won't go back. I am afraid. Death awaits me there," said Fidan, nervously biting her fingers and fiddling with her long hair. She has only basic German language skills and her lawyer interprets her broken sentences from Turkish.

"God willing, I can be happy here. I want to find a job and a flat, but no husband, no children," said Fidan with a smile.

LEGAL HEADACHES

But it isn't easy.

Fidan, who wants to take her husband to court for beating and raping her, has to wait another year before she can act without risk of deportation.

In Germany, immigrant women have to be married for two years before they can divorce and stay in the country independently.

A ruling in Frankfurt last month highlighted the conflicting attitudes which enable honor crimes to continue, say Muslim women. A judge refused a quick divorce to a battered wife of Moroccan descent saying it was not unusual for a man with a Moroccan background to physically punish his wife.

"Women need greater legal protection," said Bayram.

"The EU and Germany are helping women in forced prostitution and people-trafficking, but little is being done about protecting women from honor crimes."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070427/lf_nm/muslimwomen_europe_honour_dc