The Murder of Shafilea Ahmed: The UK's Shocking Honour Killing

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My brother in law helped a young woman escape a situation not too dissimilar to this. He knew her from school and was only ever her friend, nothing more. We're also British and it was around the time of this case. He got her out and drove half the country to relocate her. It's been about 20 years, and she's alive and well. My brother in law refuses to disclose her name even now to our own family, none of whom would knowingly compromise her, but he saved her and he's determined to keep her saved. Absolute legend.

CULTURE 👏NEVER 👏EXCUSES👏 ABUSE👏

The most heartbreaking thing for me is that Shafilea was so close to freedom so many times. Her friends and teachers went above and beyond for her, she was so so close. It’s absolutely heart wrenching

The “tell your friends” thing rings true. This happened with one of my brothers friends. He opened up to him one day about his home life and when my brother came home with him one day (a rare occurrence) my brother told my dad what was happening and my dad told him he would always be welcome at our house for dinner or a place to sleep or just to get away or whatever. He came over a few times a week but never stayed overnight for about a month or two. One night though, there was a knock on the door and it was him with a black eye and fat lip apologizing for coming late but he needed help. My dad just told him to come inside, told my mom to stay with him as my dad walked out the door and drove off. A little while later he came back with his clothes and some of his things and told him he’d be staying with us for a while. Apparently his foster parents were happy with that arrangement and he stayed with us for a few weeks until he started splitting his time with the two of them… with his foster parents being threatened by my dad (who was a 6’5 280lb guy) that if he ever had so much as a scratch then they’d have to deal with him. My parents were eventually able to get custody of him when he was 16. This was more than 20 years ago and I still consider him one of my brothers.

I was only 3 when Shafilea was murdered and my brother was 6 but my brother remembers being sat down by our Pakistani dad and Bosnian mum. He was promised that neither of us would ever be put through a forced marriage by our parents. I was also there but I don't remember. I have definitely been a piece of crap to my parents. But because of what happened to her my parents made a promise to us that we would never be forced to be traditional.

This reminds me of a recent case of Seda Suleimanova from Chechnya. Her family kidnapped her back to Chechnya; she was paraded on local TV wearing traditional clothes and hiding a massive bruise on her neck, and now she's just gone. Nobody has seen her in months. Nobody has heard of her. Her russian fiance took Islam to be with her, but the family denied him still. I think some investigations were launched back in April, but Seda is most likely already dead by her father/brother hands. Thank you for visibility towards these cases. This "family honor murder" bs has to be erased from existence, I don't care what culture deems it normal.

Cultural or not, murdering your child because you don't like their career path or anything else about them is rightfully illegal. It's this way because it's horrific, disgraceful, and all manner of other words that aren't as civil. Surely the parents recognized that, as they also didn't have enough honor to call the police and face the consequences. Instead they threw their daughter away, and I hope every time they close their eyes, they are haunted by the vision of how amazing she is...and how utterly despicable they are.

You don't say YOU have a bomb, you say your dad does. HE gets tackled, and you're temporarily the hero... at least long enough to get help

What a weak man her father seemed to be. He couldn't stand up to his family, and when his daughter showed more spine than he did in standing up for herself, he regurgitated all the controlling hatefulness that had been poured into him over the years onto her.

53:45 "These are her parents" No, they're not. They're the creatures that gave birth to her, but they have no right to ever be described as "parents". They're just things deserving of nothing but contempt.

"Tell your friends, you need support, you need someone to tell you what to do" I got very emotional when Simon said that. As someone who had an abusive childhood it really resonated

As someone Shafelias age, from West Yorkshire, and now a teacher in a school with a large Pakistani heritage, this story makes me so absolutely sick.

This was such an awful case. I never really understand any killings, but particularly honour killings. Isn’t murdering your child going to bring more shame? It’s just so evil

Her friends' parents failure to help her is heartbreaking. I had a friend who ran away from an abusive home and my mom was ready to shelter her for as long as she needed it. She even lied to the girl's stepfather when he showed up. By then though, my friend was already with her older brother. I had contact with her about a year ago and she's doing good now.

There is No Fk Honour in Killing your own Daughter!! No matter who or what you Believe in! Shame on Both of these Fks! Thank you for telling us this heartbreaking story with kindness! Stay safe stay fabulous Leeds England

One girl in my program at college was a first-generation Iraqi, was raised religious, and was originally going to be in an arranged marriage where she would take the role of the housewife. She told our class that she hadn't even met him when she was told by her family what would happen. She instead ran away at 18 and was able to escape that situation. She was lucky and had a friend's family to go to and have a place to stay. She finished her high school and college education, later got married to the man she loved, and was accepted lovingly into his family while also having a career. I lost touch with her after school, but am still in awe of her bravery. I don't want to say that she could have been a victim of an honor killing as I do not know her family and how they view that potential aspect of their religion, but it still took a lot of bravery for her to leave her family, cut ties and fully start over. My heart shatters when I hear stories like Shafilea's. There is no honor in murdering your own kin.

Thanks for helping, Rachel! You're awesome!

The irony of these people killing a good kid who despite all the abuse and threats had the brain and demeanor to make it in life while being considered bad by her parents to have that be a catalyst for having their other kids become actual criminals that ended up robbing them and turning them in for murder. Karmic justice.

I think the trouble George had for finding all of this really shows a lack of care by so many people and organizations. Makes everything he did more impactful, mad props and respect