23rd February 2024
We’re honoured to be featured in The Times Magazine today, shedding light on our mission to support survivors of Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage. Thank you to everyone who continues to champion our cause. Together, we’re making a difference.
NATASHA RATTU, chief executive of the charity Karma Nirvana, which helps victims of “honour” abuse, has supported Yasmin and her family since Javed died and sat through every day of the trial. She sees clear indicators that “honour” was a factor in Anwar’s abuse of his wife. “The shame element that was brought up, the fact that he kept saying she would never leave him and that she was told divorce was not acceptable in his family, these are all pointing towards her killing being an honour-based crime,” she says.
Yasmin contacted Karma Nirvana’s helpline under a pseudonym in the May before her daughter died. “Our call handler noted she had concerns about her son-in-law and about his parents, who she said didn’t like Fawziyah talking to anyone about her marriage issues because of the shame,” says Rattu. “They threatened to tarnish her reputation in the community, using that notion of honour.” Karma Nirvana is now calling for a statutory definition of honour-based abuse, a recommendation that was first made by parliament’s women and equalities committee last year, but was rejected by the government.
With Javed’s killing, the decision was taken to prosecute the crime as a domestic abuse case, not as an honour case. Given that plenty of evidence of coercive control and escalating abuse could be presented in court, the prosecution was concerned that introducing the honour element might distract a jury.
Anwar’s father told the film-makers that his son and Javed had “a love marriage” and “they were always happy”. He said, “In all marriages there can be friction and tension between couples, but to claim that there was any abuse of any form or that we had any indication of this is totally false.”
We’re proud to announce the release of “The Push,” a documentary that sheds light on the tragic case of Fawziyah Javed, produced by Candour Productions. Fawziyah, a victim of Honour-Based Abuse, lost her life after being pushed from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh by her husband, Kashif Anwar, on 2nd September 2021. Karma Nirvana is deeply involved in this project, aiming to honour Fawziyah’s memory and raise awareness about the devastating impact of honour-based abuse.
The documentary covers the murder trial, and delves into the complexities of Fawziyah’s experiences, highlighting the dynamics of domestic and Honour Based Abuse. It’s a heartfelt tribute to Fawziyah and her life, aiming to spread awareness and respect for her story. This is a 2-part series which will air on Channel 4 at 9pm on the 3rd March and 9pm on 4th March.
Join in the conversation by searching for #ThePush4Change