THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In May 2024, an 18-year-old woman named Ryan Al Najjar disappeared from her home in the Netherlands. Six days later, her body was found in a swamp. She had been tied up and drowned. This was not a random crime. Dutch prosecutors say Ryan was killed by her own family in what is called an “honour killing.”
Ryan wanted to live like other young women in the Netherlands. She used social media. She wore makeup. She chose not to wear a headscarf. She talked to male friends. These are normal activities for most teenagers in Western countries. But her family saw these choices differently.
According to prosecutors, Ryan’s father and brothers believed she was bringing shame to the family. The final trigger appears to have been a TikTok video where Ryan appeared without a headscarf and wearing makeup. Soon after, she was killed.
Her father has fled to Syria and cannot be easily brought back to face justice. Her two brothers are on trial in the Netherlands, facing charges of murder.
Honour killings happen when family members murder a relative, usually a woman or girl, because they believe the person has brought shame to the family. This “shame” might come from:
1.Choosing who to date or marry
2. Refusing an arranged marriage
3. Wearing certain clothes
4.Using social media
5. Being too independent
6.Being the victim of sexual assault
These killings are called “honour” killings because the murderers believe they are restoring the family’s honour. But there is no honour in murder.
A Global Problem
Honour killings happen in many countries around the world. They are not limited to one religion or culture, though they are often associated with deeply traditional communities. The United Nations estimates that thousands of women are killed this way every year, though many cases are never reported.
These killings happen in the Middle East, South Asia, North Africa, and even in Western countries among immigrant communities that hold onto strict traditional values.
Ryan’s case is important because it shows that honour killings can happen anywhere, even in modern European countries. It reminds us that some young women face terrible danger simply for wanting basic freedoms.
Ryan wanted what most young people want: the freedom to choose her own clothes, to express herself online, and to make her own decisions. She should have been protected by her family. Instead, they took her life.
The Real Problem
The real problem is not social media or Western culture. The problem is the belief that a woman’s choices belong to her family, not to herself. The problem is the idea that a family’s reputation matters more than a person’s life.
In free societies, people have the right to make their own choices about how to dress, who to see, and how to live. When families use violence to control these choices, it is not honour. It is murder.
Ryan Al Najjar was just 18 years old. She had her whole life ahead of her. She died because she wanted to be free.
True honour comes from respecting human rights, protecting the vulnerable, and allowing everyone to live with dignity and freedom.
References
1.https://www.gbnews.com/news/ryan-al-najjar-muslim-family-drowned-teenage-daughter-western-lifestyle
2.https://www.ibtimes.sg/dutch-teen-tied-thrown-into-swamp-honor-killing-because-her-western-behavior-brought-shame-82636
3.https://dnyuz.com/2025/11/30/cowardly-father-sons-drown-tragic-female-teen-kin-over-western-lifestyle-officials/
4.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15341253/Teenage-girl-tied-drowned-swamp-honour-killing-upset-father-refusing-wear-Islamic-headscarf-using-social-media.html?ito=native_share_article-top
