E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2 page 39 beliefs.211 Although officially banned as long ago as 1829 and again in 1987, the practice is tolerated by the State, which turns a blind eye to the many rituals and rites which glorify it in different regions of India (E/CN.4/1997/47, section III). The practice, which has survived with occasional instances of voluntary or forced self-immolation,212 is believed to have its roots in a combination of harmful cultural traditions and economic interests. A woman’s sole raison d’être is bound up with her deceased husband. By committing sati, a widow resolved two problems, the possibility of accusations of infidelity and the fact that her presence would be considered an evil omen. Still today, widows are viewed in some cultures as witches or sorceresses.213 Widows are shunned by the community and exposed to sexual exploitation by male members of their husband’s family. They are in some instances forbidden to remarry. Such status clearly reflects the belief that women have no role outside marriage, a widow being defined by comparison with a wife. A widow’s property—often land—is reportedly coveted by the parents-in-law and sometimes by her children (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/11, paras. 103 and 104). But the religious basis of the practice is not at all established and there appears to be some ambiguity regarding its cruel origins. It seems, for example, that, in ancient tradition, although a widow remained with her husband in his last moments, lying beside his body atop the funeral pyre, she climbed down just before it was lit and thereafter led a quiet life with her children.214 153. As noted by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, formal religions are not the only belief systems which are relevant in regard to the position of women, reference being made to still prevalent practices, including the killing of women suspected of witchcraft. Two hundred women are reportedly murdered each year in India. Most victims are landowning widows or women with unwanted pregnancies (E/CN.4/1997/47, section III). 154. Burning also appears to be a custom practised in Pakistan. As a form of domestic violence, this goes beyond the specific issue of inhumane practices imposed on widows.215 3. Honour killings 155. The crime of honour is a long-standing practice which, to varying degrees, prevails in some countries of the Middle East, South America and South Asia and in the past existed also in Mediterranean countries (Italy, Greece, etc.). It recognizes a man’s right to kill with impunity any woman of his family suspected of having violated family honour by, in particular, engaging in sexual practices before or outside marriage. A woman is thus more a symbol of honour and an item of property belonging to the male members of her family than an actual human being. 156. In Lebanon, under article 562 of the Criminal Code, men who commit crimes of honour against women of their families benefit from attenuating circumstances but the Lebanese Government has reportedly announced that it plans to strengthen this law.216 In Jordan, honour killings claim more than 20 victims every year. The governmental proposal to abolish the muchtalked-about article 340 of the Criminal Code, which guarantees impunity to a man who kills or injures his wife or a close female relative caught in an adulterous situation, has repeatedly been rejected by Parliament, whose members argue that the practice is a safeguard against debauchery and loose morals.217 Honour crimes are also widespread in Pakistan. The practice of karo-kari, which may be translated as “dishonoured man, dishonoured woman”, is an ancient tradition in Sindh province which allows men to kill a woman of their family if she is suspected of adultery. Although it is difficult to compile statistics in this connection, it appears that more than