Mahmod Mahmod, Ari Mahmod, Mohamad Hama, Omar Hussein, and Mohammed Ali

Banaz Mahmod, 20, was from a strict traditional Kurdish family. She was 10, when she and her father fled from Iraq to Britain in order to escape Saddam Hussein’s regime(Her father once served in the Iraqi army.). At the age of 17, she entered an arranged marriage with a man from her clan, whom she had only met on 3 occasions before the wedding day. She was expected to be a traditional subservient wife and mother.

However, Her husband was ill educated and old fashioned. Banaz Mahmod told police in September 2005 that she was raped on at least 6 occasions and she was beat regularly by her husband. In one assault she claimed one of her teeth was almost knocked out because she called her husband by his first name in public. At one point depressed Banaz even attempted to hang herself. She told her family that she wanted out of the marriage, but, her family persuaded her to stay with him.

After two years of marriage, Banaz finally insisted that she be able to come home to seek sanctuary. During her time back home Banaz fell in love with Rahmat Suleimani, whom she had met at a family party in the late summer of 2005.

When Banaz’s father Mahmod Mahmod, 54, and Uncle Ari Mahmod, 51, found out about their relationship they were enraged. Rahmat, was not a member from their clan, wasn’t religious, wasn’t chosen by the family, and Banaz was not yet formally divorced from her husband.

This was seen as a threat to their family honor. Banaz’s sister Bekhal moved from her family home at the age of 15 to escape her father’s violence. Bekhal’s moving led to Mahmod losing status in the family. Mahmod’s brother Ari then took over as head of the family.

On, December 1, 2005 Ari called his niece Banaz and warned her to end the relationship with Rahmat or face the consequences.

A day later, Ari called a family meeting to plan her murder and the disposal of her body. Afterwards, Banaz was secretly told by her mother that hers and Rahmat’s lives were at risk.

Banaz went to the Mitcham Police Station to report that her family was threatening to kill her and Rahmat. Police offered to send her to a refuge, but scared at the thought of her families reaction, Banaz decided not to press charges and asked police to take no action.

The next day, an officer arrived at Banaz’s house for a check up but Banaz refused to let him in. Banaz felt that her mother would protect her from any harm.

A week later Banaz still weary of the situation went to the police station to give the police a list of names of people she believe would kill her. One of the men listed was Mohamad Hama.

On New Years eve 2005 Banaz was lured to her grandmothers house to discuss the divorce with her father. Banaz claims her father forced her to drink half of a bottle of brandy which she said made her dizzy. Her father asked her to sit of the floor facing away from him and left the room. When her father returned wearing a pair of gloves Banaz panicked and escaped barefoot bleeding from both wrists (she had to break a window to escape) to a Southwest London Cafe.

The police who attended the scene and accompanied Banaz to the hospital did not believe her story.

After this incident Banaz and Rahmat pretended not to be together, although they were secretly meeting with each other. On one of these secret meetings a member of their community saw them and snapped a photo of them together and her family was informed.

Mohamad Hama and three other men attempted to kidnap Rahmat, but, were thwarted when Rahmat’s friends intervened. Hama threatened that Rahmat would be killed later.

Rahmat called Banaz to warn her about what had happened, and Banaz went to the police. This time Banaz said she would co-operate with the police with bringing charges against members of her community and her family. The officers tried to persuade her to go into a safe house, but, again she felt she would be safe at home with her mother.

On January 24, 2006 Banaz left her home of her own will, alerting her soon to be assassins.

According to a secretly taped conversation between Mohamad Hama and another prisoner it is revealed that Banaz was kidnapped by himself and 3 other men. Banaz was then raped, tortured, and strangled to death with a boot lace. This assault lasted close to 2 and a half hours (2 hours of rape and torture. And, it took them a half hour to kill her.).

Police noticing her disappearance started investigating fearing the worst. After an exhausting 3 month investigation, Banaz’s decomposing corpse was discovered crammed into a suitcase with the boot lace still around her neck. The suitcase with her body was found buried beneath a garden at a house 100 miles from her home in Birmingham.

Police arrested Mahmod Mahmod, Ari Mahmod, and Mohamad Hama. Omar Hussein, Mohammed Ali and another man all fled back to Iraq.

Mahmod Mahmod and Ari Mahmod both have been convicted of murder. Mohamad Hama, plead guilty to the charges of murder. All three men have been sentenced to life in prison.

Mohammed Ali, was arrested recently in Iraqi Kurdistan over a separate matter. The Kurdish authorities say they are willing to extradite him, but British prosecutors are refusing to ask for his removal, raising fears there and among honor killing opponents in the U.K. that some of those responsible for the death of Banaz Mahmod will not face justice.

Banaz’s death has been labeled an “honor killing” (In my book, there is no honor in killing a family member. None.).

Do the People Directly Involved In An Honor Killing Deserve To Be Sent To Hell? Yes, murder is murder (97%, 373 Votes)

No, it's a cultural thing and we as Westerners should stay out of it (3%, 10 Votes) Total Voters: 383