Saman’s story

When Saman Abbas – a young girl from Italy who was killed in 2021 by her family – had boarded the plane to Italy with her parents in 2016, she would have dreamt of a life full of opportunities. Little did she know that her migration to a new country would not help her leave behind the shackles of patriarchy that rarely allow Pakistani women to exercise their free will. Almost three years later, her mother Nazia Shaheen, who was convicted of her murder and given a life sentence in absentia in December 2023, has finally been arrested from a small village in Pakistan. Her father Shabbar Abbas was already extradited from Pakistan to Italy in August 2023. Rumours that her mother might have flown to Pakistan were on the rise at the time of the incident. But Shaheen managed to avoid arrest for as long as she could.

Back in 2021, the tragic murder of a young girl shocked the entire Italian nation and prompted Muslim religious scholars based in Italy to release a fatwa against forced marriages. In Saman’s case, the reason for her brutal murder was her refusal to marry a boy of her parents’ choice. This was in 2020 and after this episode, Samar spent some time under the protection of social services. She moved back to her parent’s house seven months later. While we do not know what made her make the move, it is quite possible that her family made false promises to lure her out of the scant protection she had. In April 2021, she went missing, and in November 2021, her decomposed body was found near her house in Italy.

It is shocking that, despite this being 2024, we are still talking about honour killings being a reality. While strides have been made in holding perpetrators accountable in Saman’s case, much remains to be done to address the underlying societal attitudes and cultural norms that perpetuate honour-based violence. As the extradition proceedings unfold and the quest for justice continues, it is imperative that we not only seek accountability for Saman’s murder but also strive to create a culture where such atrocities are unthinkable. Saman Abbas was killed because she dared to challenge her parent’s choice. There is also an uncomfortable truth that we must acknowledge without falling into an orientalist trap: families who emigrate to Western countries refuse to accept that their children may be willing to live their lives on their terms. This needs to end. To change the mindset, a lot of work needs to be done. First, parents must have access to counselling services where they can be advised how they can free themselves of regressive thinking. Girls should also have access to safe shelters in their home countries as well with trained psychiatrists where they can get the help they need. We have to provide a safe environment to our women – both here and abroad. Saman’s story is a tragic reminder of just how many steps are still left to achieve this safety.