On June 30, 2009, a submerged car with four female victims inside was found at the Kingston Mills lock situated where the Rideau Canal meets Lake Ontario near the city of Kingston. The four victims in the vehicle were identified as the Shafia sisters Zainib, Sahar, and Geeti, aged 19, 17, and 13 years respectively as well as their father's first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad. In the following years what in ensued was a high profile murder trail in which the crown argued that the women were murdered to sustain "honour" for the father.
On January 29, Mohammad Shafia, his wife and son were all convicted with first degree murder.
Named by the Toronto Star as one of 2011's "People to Watch," Farrah Khan has spent the last 16 years working diligently to raise awareness of gender-based violence through community development, counselling and art creation. Farrah holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto and supports women survivors of violence as a counsellor and advocate at a Toronto violence against women legal clinic.
Farrah is an emerging leader in grassroots equity movements and has been presented with numerous awards including the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, Women Who Inspire Award and Urban Alliance Relations Community award.
Farrah spoke with Ellie Gordon-Moershel about the Shafia trail, so-called "honour killings," and the myth of Canadian secularism.
For more information on The F Word, please visit: www.feminisms.org
Thank you for reading this story…
More people are reading rabble.ca than ever and unlike many news organizations, we have never put up a paywall – at rabble we’ve always believed in making our reporting and analysis free to all, while striving to make it sustainable as well. Media isn’t free to produce. rabble’s total budget is likely less than what big corporate media spend on photocopying (we kid you not!) and we do not have any major foundation, sponsor or angel investor. Our main supporters are people and organizations -- like you. This is why we need your help. You are what keep us sustainable.
rabble.ca has staked its existence on you. We live or die on community support -- your support! We get hundreds of thousands of visitors and we believe in them. We believe in you. We believe people will put in what they can for the greater good. We call that sustainable.
So what is the easy answer for us? Depend on a community of visitors who care passionately about media that amplifies the voices of people struggling for change and justice. It really is that simple. When the people who visit rabble care enough to contribute a bit then it works for everyone.
And so we’re asking you if you could make a donation, right now, to help us carry forward on our mission. Make a donation today.
Comments
Do
Don't