MP: ‘My mum killed the man who abused her – but we’d see her as a victim today’
MP: ‘My mum killed the man who abused her – but we’d see her as a victim today’
Labour MP Naz Shah shared her mother’s story of abuse with Sky News, highlighting how it led to the fatal decision to kill her abuser. She argued that society should shift the stigma associated with the South Asian concept of ‘izzat’—or honour—just as French activist Gisèle Pelicot has done for sexual violence survivors.
Ms. Shah was interviewed by Sarah-Jane Mee on UK Tonight about her new memoir, Honoured: Survival, Strength And My Path to Politics. The Bradford West representative recounted the trauma her mother endured, including the years of sexual exploitation by a man she called “uncle.”
“My earliest memory was of my father physically abusing my mum,” Ms. Shah said. “She was left in a vulnerable position when her husband left her, and Azam, the man who became her “uncle,” took advantage of that.”
At 23, a woman with three young children, unfamiliar with the language and living in poverty, could be sexually exploited, Ms. Shah explained. She described the isolation her mother faced, compounded by financial struggles and cultural expectations. “Imagine someone in a foreign country, without support, surviving in rented housing with little resources,” she said.
Zoora, the mother, eventually killed Azam with arsenic after over a decade of abuse. Concerns about her children being harmed by him pushed her to take action. Despite her efforts, she was convicted of murder and received a 20-year sentence, Ms. Shah noted.
“She was sentenced to 20 years because she was viewed as a woman who sought stability through the house, not as a desperate mother fighting for survival,” the MP said. “The justice system still fails to recognize the true circumstances of women in such situations.”
Ms. Shah emphasized that the “honour” system in South Asian communities often silences women, keeping them responsible for their own shame. “The idea is that women carry the burden of disgrace while men are celebrated for their actions,” she stated. She urged the community to embrace a shift in perspective, placing blame on men for their harmful behavior.
She recalled a jury foreman’s reflection during the trial: “If I had known the full story, I might not have found her guilty.” This highlights the potential for a different understanding of the case in modern times.
