Brother of Harry Potter star admits beating her
By Alexandra Heilbron on December 23, 2010 | 17 Comments
The brother of Afshan Azad, who played Hogwarts student Padma Patil in three of the Harry Potter movies, admitted in court this week to assaulting the actress. Ahraf, 28, and father Abul, 53, were also charged with threatening to kill the 22-year-old girl but charges were dropped when she refused to testify, saying she fears for her safety. The two allegedly threatened to kill Afshan when they confronted her at the family home last July because she refused to enter an arranged marriage. They called her a “prostitute” because she was dating a non-Muslim man and after her brother physically attacked her, Afshan managed to escape through a window. Her brother was allowed to post bail on the condition that he does not contact Afshan. “Domestic violence can result, even for a man such as you, in imprisonment,” Judge Roger Thomas warned him. Ahraf is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21.
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I hope she’s gone into hiding because those guys who think their female family members have brought shame to the family don’t stop until they’ve killed them.
I agree with Rita on this one. In this particular case these types of individuals will not stop until she’s dead. They can now only see one way and that is to kill her. I do hope that the courts recognize this as the serious matter which it is and find a way to ensure she is kept safe. To be honest I think an overly harsh punishment for both father and brother are required. Let her continue with her acting career if she so chooses.
Sickening… this reminds me of the documentary I watched on CTV, called In the Name of the Family. I strongly suggest people to watch it.
I really hope it all turns out well for her.
I don’t know why they leave their home country if they want to keep archaic traditions. Why move to a democratic society, if it wasn’t because living under a dictator is unbearable?
I thought their religion was peaceful and prohibited killing.
Neil you are so wrong. Killing women seems to be a right to them.
There is no excuse to do that to a woman! She’s their daughter and sister, who cares if she is ‘dating’ a non-muslim. Doesn’t mean they are getting married. For all they know the relationship would end soon. For all they know, maybe the guy would convert. But instead they freak out about the current moment and assault their own blood? Things change, they always do. I guess everyone out there who isn’t muslim is a lesser person, not just their daughter. Any religion where they cannot tolerate someone elses background or religion should be banished. But, of course, everyone thinks THEIRS is the right one.
So funny, but mostly sad that they were prepared to prostitute her, and now they call her a prostitute. Wow!
I hope the courts take a hard line and through the book at these morons as a deterent to those who are unwilling or unable to give up the worst features of their cultural history.
There are plenty of twisted christian fundementalist groups as well. It’s time to stop people from using religion as an excuse for their twisted actions when it comes to being tried in court.
Funny how we’re quick to blame the religion in this case instead of the moronic brother and father. Women are killed everyday in America by husbands and family members and religion never comes up as the reason behind these killings, but as soon as a Muslim person does something illegal it must be the religion. Blame the person not the religion.
Islam does not condone honour killings; it does not condone forcefully marrying off women. These are cultural practices that exist in parts of Asia. The law was broken and the perpetrators should rightfully be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, irrespective of race or creed.
If its not the religion, then its the tradition of the culture. They beat her *because* she wouldn’t enter an arranged marriage and *because* she was dating a non-Muslim. I don’t know enough about Islam to make judgement but if, as you say and I agree, this isn’t a religious issue, it is most certainly a cultural one (but I believe it does extend to religion to a certain level). I think this is so sad because it means they love a life-style (for a lack of a better word) over their own flesh and blood.
regretably these men will not stop and a court penalty is most unlikely to have any affect upon their future actions. the lass should get away from them for her safety.
I agree wholeheartedly with Sukaina on this one, we need to make a clear distinction between religion and culture. Abuse against women is not an Islamic phenomenon as many would like to believe, unfortunatly it exists in every society in the world, it is the individuals who commit these crimes that should be held accountable not the religion they follow, especially when that religion explicitly forbids/prohibits the crimes they are guilty of. I’m sincerly glad she was able to get out this situation before it got a lot worse and i wish her the best of luck.
Remember that domestic violence occurs in every cultural background and it is not right to say that one culture is prone to it versus another.
She should hire someone to beat the sh.t out fo her father and brother with a guarantee of much worse to come if she is harmed in any way. Ifmore of these a..holes were to taste their own medecine,the might not be so anxious to bully around a helpless female.
I am not Muslim and even I know that Islam has nothing to do with honour killing carried out by brothers and fathers. Islam does not condone any sort of violence against your fellow man, woman or child. Extemism in any culture is so commonly confused with the religion but woman wearing the hejab or veil is also not a requirement to be Muslim and I hate the veil as it keeps women cowed. I have nothing but respect for the purist followers of any religion that does not include violence and hatred in their day to day belief systems and Islam is no acception. We all think the Mormons are nuts too but poligamy has nothing to do with true Mormonism, it is taken out of context in the line that states a man shall look after his brother’s or neighbor’s wife and this was brought about during the civil war in the US. Weirdos just took it to a level that should not have been reached.
this poor woman was called a prostitute by her brother/father specifically for dating a non-Muslim man. That is very clear, they reacted to her dating outside their religious beliefs. So, religion clearly came into this scenario.
Not to say it comes into every violent act against women but it is also not to say the female’s religious choice has not been the reason behind violence directed at them by others.
Hopefully jail time will be the result for the vile brother…
You nailed it Wendy (“when in Rome”). And although I agree with you to some extent Sukaina, the reaction to her dating a non-Muslim thing is about Religion, you can’t deny that.
The father/brother say she has disgraced them, but what do their actions say. Have they not disgraced their family by their actions which I might add are criminal (hers weren’t) – that’s just twisted if you ask me. I hope they get what’s coming to them. In cases like this I’m all for “an eye for eye”.