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 discusses her mother’s struggle with domestic violence and the cultural pressures of ‘izzat’
Labour MP Naz Shah shared her mother’s story with Sky News, revealing how abuse led to a tragic act of violence. She emphasized the need to challenge the South Asian concept of ‘izzat’—or honour—by shifting the blame from women to men, much like Gisèle Pelicot has done for rape survivors.
“Society needs to ‘flip the shame’ of the South Asian idea of ‘izzat,’ just as Gisèle Pelicot did for those who endure sexual assault,” said Ms. Shah.
Ms. Shah was speaking to Sarah-Jane Mee on the UK Tonight program about her upcoming memoir, Honoured: Survival, Strength And My Path to Politics. The book details her family’s experiences, including the domestic violence her mother faced.
Ms. Shah described her earliest memory as her father physically abusing her mother. When she was six, her father fled with a neighbor, leaving Zoora—Ms. Shah’s mother—to endure further hardship. A man named Azam, whom she knew as “uncle,” became the source of her mother’s torment.
“Imagine a 23-year-old woman, with three young children, living in poverty and rented housing. She doesn’t understand the language, and she’s completely isolated,” Ms. Shah explained.
Azam initially appeared as a savior, helping Zoora secure a home after her husband left. However, over time, he sexually abused her, creating a cycle of exploitation that lasted years. The abuse escalated to the point where Zoora feared her children would also be harmed.
Driven by desperation, Zoora killed Azam using arsenic. She was convicted of murder and received a 20-year prison sentence. Ms. Shah highlighted the irony: “She was punished for her actions, but the real tragedy was her poverty and vulnerability.”
Justice System and Cultural Pressures
Ms. Shah criticized the unequal treatment of women in the justice system, arguing that cultural norms like ‘izzat’ continue to silence survivors. She noted that organisations now support women in prison who have killed due to domestic violence, but change is still needed.
“The idea is that women carry the shame, while men are celebrated for their actions. Today, we’d view her as a victim, not a criminal,” she said.
Ms. Shah recalled a jury foreman who, after learning of her mother’s story, admitted he might have ruled differently. “He said, ‘If I had known, I might not have found her guilty for murder,'” she recounted.
Her mother’s decision to keep the truth hidden was driven by the fear of losing family honour. Zoora’s loss of ‘izzat’ after her husband’s departure left her trapped in a cycle of shame and silence.
Ms. Shah called for the South Asian community to reject patriarchal values, urging them to place the burden of shame on the men who perpetuate abuse. “Just like Gisèle Pelicot flipped the narrative around rape, we need to do the same here,” she added.
