If you are against Honour Killing, support the Ashraf Family

Muhammed Aamir Ashraf is a JOURNALISM graduate and holds a diploma in IT. His wife Hummera has a Master's Degree (Literature) and was an M.Phil student. They married each other in Pakistan on their own choice against their families.

Due to the threat of Honour Killing, Aamir and Hummera escaped from their parent's home. After family members published an article in a newspaper against them and following police raids, it became very difficult to hide themselves in the other parts of their country. Pakistan has many different ethnic groups, who have separate languages, dress and even facial appearance. No one would take a risk to provide accommodation to a young couple for fear of jeopardising their own security. In this worst situation, with the help of a Professor, they were able to flee from Pakistan in 2002.

The Pakistani Police do not offer adequate protection from HONOUR KILLING; In fact the couple is also under threat by the police because Hummera's family made false allegations against them.

The report “State of Human Rights in 2004” published in February 2005 by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan notes that “despite the passage of a bill on honour killings no effort was made to ensure an improvement in ground realities” and that “little attention was devoted to the plight of an increased number of couples who faced a death threat to their lives after choosing to marry of their own free will”.

According to The Home Office country report on Pakistan (Oct 2004), which draws on information from an Amnesty International document, “Insufficient protection of Women: Honour Killings are carried out by men who assume that their wives, daughters or sisters have in some way contravened norms relating to the behaviour of women thereby damaging a man's honour”.

The US State Department report notes that “The [Pakistan] Government also failed to prosecute vigorously cases in which families punished members (generally women) for marring or seeking a divorce against the wishes of other family members”.

Meanwhile, they have received bad news from Pakistan. The Professor emailed to Aamir that he had been threatened by his wife's brother and that “your family would be in danger if you return to Pakistan”. Hummera's family continues to hunt the couple down and have used threatening behaviour against a friend of theirs who gave evidence to their solicitor.

Hummera's claim has been rejected. In Ashraf's case the Immigration Adjudicator allowed the claim on human rights ground but the Home Office appealed against that decision. The case had been “remitted back” to an adjudicator three times. The whole process has taken 3 years so far. They have two children now, both born in Manchester.

What you can do to help
The Ashraf Family with friends and supporters have set up a campaign to try and persuade the Minister for Immigration to them to remain in the UK. The campaign has drawn up a petition and model letter, which they are asking everyone to print off, fill them in and get as many other people as possible to do the same, and return them to the campaign office. When they have collected enough signatures, the campaign will present them to the Minister.

Download model Letter: Ashraf Family Model Letter

Download petition: ASHRAF FAMILY Petition

Let your friends know about the ASHRAF FAMILY MUST STAY ! Campaign and get them to visit the web page, read about the case and download the model letter and petition.

Individual letters of support addressed to the Minister for Immigration are very much welcome - please ensure the below reference numbers are included

MUHAMMED AAMIR ASHRAF, Home Office Reference No. A1147849
HUMMERA AAMIR, Home Office Reference No. A1184573

See Aamir in his Digital Diaries DVD !
Community Arts North West (CAN) in conjunction with the Basement social centre in Manchester teamed up with people facing deportation who have NCADC-supported anti-deportation campaigns to tell the untold stories behind the political and media hype. Why not hold a screening of these films at your school, college, church, mosque, or even just show friends at home on your computer !

For further information please contact
ASHRAF FAMILY MUST STAY !
PO BOX 111 Chorlton
Manchester
M21 0YU

Email : aamirhu63@hotmail.com

Source for this page: ASHRAF FAMILY MUST STAY ! Campaign