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Aqsa Parvez

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Aqsa "Axa" Parvez (1991 – December 10, 2007) was the victim of either an alleged honour killing or an act of domestic violence in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Mr. Parvez is accused of strangling his daughter, then calling police to turn himself in. Apparently, she was killed after she refused to wear the Hijab, a traditional Islamic headscarf for women, and declared her desire to dress like other Western girls. However, her closest friend Lubna asserted that the Hijab issue was just one of many clashes between the victim and her father and that the other women in the family do not wear the Hijab. Parvez's death was reported internationally and sparked a debate about the status of women in Islamic communities.

Background

Parvez was a student of Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Mr. Parvez, was a taxicab driver.

Growing up in a Muslim family of Pakistani origin, she was required to wear a hijab while out of the house. However, many friends claimed that she refused to wear the veil and would often change her clothing once she got to school and then would change back before going home. Her friends also claimed that she was drawn to Western culture though her family adhered to a devout form of Islam and that she was not getting along well with her family. A week before her death, she had moved in with her friend, Lubna Tahir, to escape tension with her family.

Incident

Around 8 am (EST) on December 10, 2007, Peel Regional Police responded to a 911 call from a man who had said he had just killed his daughter. When officers arrived at a single-family detached home, they found Parvez suffering from life-threatening injuries. She was immediately taken to Credit Valley Hospital and later transferred in critical condition to the Hospital for Sick Children where she died. Her father, Muhammad Parvez, had allegedly strangled her, causing her to die from neck compression.

One student reported that her father was threatening her, causing her to fear for her life. Parvez's friends also said she wanted to run away from her family to escape the conflicts with them.

Reaction

Mr. Parvez was charged with second-degree murder and denied bail. Her older brother, Waqas Parvez, who was ordered by his father to not communicate with police, is facing a charge of obstructing police and was in custody. He was released on bail and was ordered to reside with his surety and surrender his passport. Parvez' death has also revived the story of the similar honor killing that happened in 1989 where Zein Isa killed his 16-year-old daughter Tina.

On June 27, Waqas Parvez was charged by Peel Regional Police with 1st degree murder.

Some people consider her murder to be a case of an honour killing, while Islamic leaders state this is a case of domestic violence. Her death has also sparked a debate about the status of women in Islamic communities. Lubna Tahir, at whose home Aqsa Parvez had been living at prior to her death, asserted that the Hijab was not a major factor and that other girls in the family did not wear the Hijab. She branded as "rumours" news stories that Parvez's father allegedly killed her for not wearing the Hijab.

A public funeral was to take place for Parvez at 1:30 pm (EST) at a Mississauga mosque on December 15, 2007. However, hours before the funeral, her family decided to instead have a private funeral for privacy reasons. The rites were performed at an undisclosed location.

Syed Soharwardy, the head imam at the Calgary Islamic Centre and national president of Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, went on a hunger strike on December 15 and December 16 to denounce family violence, which he described as completely against the teachings of Islam.

Sheik Alaa El-Sayyed, imam at Mississauga's Islamic Society of North America, said Islam, like all other beliefs, denounces and condemns such acts.

Mohammad Alnadui, vice-chairperson of the Canadian Council of Imams, called the murder as "un-Islamic", and denounced the act "without any reservation".

Her death is the most recently publicized honor killing in Canada.

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Last updated on Saturday June 28, 2008 at 18:08:29 PDT (GMT -0700)
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