Rana Husseini talked about her book Murder in the Name of Honor: The True Story of One Woman's Heroic Fight Against an Unbelievable Crime (Oneworld Publications; June 25, 2009). She talked about so-called "honor killings" - the murder of women by members of their own family - which take the lives of over 5,000 women around the world every year. People who engage in honor killings say that the women who are killed are guilty of dishonoring their families and deserve to die. She talked about how she became involved in the issue. Her reporting in Jordan led her to become involved in grassroots activism that led to legal changes that suggest tougher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes. She talked about the breadth of the problem and what progress had been made in changing attitudes. Ms. Hussenini responded to questions from members of the audience.

Ms. Husseini spoke Tuesday, October 27, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C.

Rana Husseini has been a reporter for The Jordan Times and has worked as a regional coordinator for the United Nation's Development Fund for Women.