Written by: Shalini Varatharajah
Three young girls, one older one. All beautiful, and all deserving to live. Instead their lives cut short, all in the name of honour.
Zainub Shafia (19 yrs old), Sahar Shafia (17 yrs old), Geeti Shafia (13 yrs old) and Rona Mohammad (52 yrs old). It’s a murder case that captivated Canadians all across Canada, how did a father, a mother and son murder their own family? That too, in the name of honour?
Mohammad Shafia, a wealthy businessman, his second wife Tooba Yahya Mohammad and son Hamed Shafia have all been convicted of First-degree murder, which carries an automatic 25-year life sentence with no parole in the murders of Zainub Shafia (19 yrs old), Sahar Shafia (17 yrs old), Geeti Shafia (13 yrs old) and Rona Mohammad (52 yrs old).
In a sick understanding of honour, the Shafia murderers believed that by murdering the young girls, who they felt were rebellious and brought them shame, they could regain a sense of honour back into the clan. Having been upset with the rebellion of his daughters, and his perceived shame, Shafia Mohammad felt he had only one choice. Rona Mohammad, the first wife, was an added causality. The trio devised a plan to murder the four women, three of them children of Mohammad Shafia and Tooba Yahya, and the final woman, the first wife of Mohammad Shafia (who had been living with them in Canada to help take care of the children).
In a meticulously planned trip, or “family vacation” the trio carried out their plan, these 4 women were found dead in a submerged car in the Kingston Locks. While it was staged to appear as an accident, evidence suggested otherwise. The women were believed to be dead even before being submerged in the water, that too, by their own father, mother, brother – and for Rona Mohammad, husband.
In the last 10 years in Canada, according to the Ministry of Industry (2011) there have been 730 spousal homicides, and 326 homicides committed by a family member against a child or youth. In fact, of these 326 homicides, parents committed 84% of them. Women continue to be more likely than men to be victims of abuse, in greater severity and are more likely to become victims of homicide stemming from family violence in Canada. The Ministry of Industry (2011) also reported that women are more likely to seek help (7 in 10 chose informal sources, whereas 3 in 10 chose formal sources). Compared to the last five years, fewer victims have been contacting a formal support service.
In the case of the Shafia sisters, these young girls reached out for help, however, they were not given the support they needed. Despite obvious signs of abuse, and many pleas for help, nothing was done.
In the name of honour, four girls were murdered. While honour was what the Shafia murderers hoped to achieve, the truth is that this was a dishonourable act. These girls were unnecessarily killed in a sick understanding of honour. We must however remember that the problem is not honour alone, the problem is family and domestic violence. We as a society need to be greater advocates for victims, and offer better support to victims. We need to as a society not tolerate violence, and provide greater legitimacy and support to victims who are suffering from family violence. Domestic violence cuts across all social denominators, race, class, ethnicity, religion – it can affect anyone, and therefore, it affects us all.
If you know someone who is suffering from violence, provide him or her with the support they need, and speak with a professional. Many schools, colleges and universities offer counseling services and support systems to help victims of family violence. If you are unsure what to do, you can always call the Victim Support Line at 1-888-579-2888, or in the Greater Toronto Area, 416-314-2447 to access more information. Speak to a medical professional, counselor, a nearby domestic violence resource center or someone you trust can trust in order to get the help that is needed.
If we do not provide support, we will only end up with another statistic.
Works Cited:
Ministry of Industry. (2011). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile. Statistics Canada. Canadian Center for Justices Statistics. Ottawa
Tags: Kingston, Shafia Murder, Speak Out
