Activism of Khaleeji feminists and civil society organizations have sparked a public discussion of gender-based violence in the Arabian Gulf, demanding accountability for the aggressors and seeking support services for victims. The discourse as to why the problem occurs remains shallow, blaming traditions and honor as the motives for heinous crimes that takes the lives of women. This article highlights how the “honor killing” argument erases institutional factors that uphold patriarchal structures ripe to inflict more violence on the vulnerable.