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"This is not an honor killing. I hope all of us will stop using this term. It has nothing to do with honor. It only has to do with taking the life of a human being," said Nabil Al-Ja'Abari, chairman of the Hebron University board of trustees.
"We call upon the Palestinian Authority to punish those who committed this crime with the maximum penalty possible -- which is the penalty of execution they deserve," said Hassan Khallaf, one of Ayah's fellow students.
This sentiment was reiterated by the masses who attended her funeral last week.
"The people want the execution of the killer," mourners chanted in the thousands.
Ayah's case has cast a bright light on the dark and one-time taboo subject of honor killings in Palestinian society, and it has stirred a public outcry for reform of laws that treat the crime as justifiable murder.
In the weeks since her body was found, the debate around Ayah's death has not subsided. Massive shows of support and public pressure led Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to issue a decree directing the judiciary to hand out the "utmost punishment" in honor-related attacks.
Disappearance, then discovery leads to 'honor killing' outrage - CNN.com
Honor killings are a big problem throughout the Levant. As tragic as this story is, it has helped to provoke public outrage. Hopefully it will lead to some long overdue reform in those societies, and lead authorities to crack down upon honor killings.