Family of Harry Potter Actress Afshan Azad Charged Over Kill Threats - Possible Honour Killing Attempt?

Attachment 360The father and brother of Afshan Azad have been charged with threatening to kill her in her Manchester home after discovery that she was with a Hindu man.

Abdul Azad, 52, and brother Ashraf, 28 are both Muslims, and although the details of the alleged threats are not clear, the potential role of religion in this case has raised questions about the men's motivation.

Honour killings occur when a family member is perceived to have brought shame upon a Muslim family. As a result, that member of the family is killed in an attempt to emancipate the family from the perceived shame.

According to the UN Population Fund, approximately 5,000 women worldwide were killed in the name of honour during year 2000, although many cases are unreported and as a result, the number may be much higher¹.

Both the father and brother appeared in court last Wednesday and were released on bail with conditions including a curfew and ban on traveling to London².

Afshan Azad has appeared in four Harry Potter films playing the role of Padma Patil.


¹Solberg, K.. "Killed in the name of honour. " The Lancet 373.9679 (2009): 1933-1934. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 3 Jul. 2010.

²CNN Wire Staff. "Relatives of Harry Potter Actress Charged in Attack - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. CNN Justice, 2 July 2010. Web. 03 July 2010. .