#BanazMahmod #ALoveStory #HonourOnITV
Our sisters and daughters in the ME dream of traveling abroad, living in Europe or the USA, lands of freedom and safety.

But what when those people you go to for safety are the ones that put you in danger, (1)

when your own family betrays you and wants to erase you out of shame for your "mistakes"?

And your whole community justifies honour killings. Is it dishonourable to be a woman and a person. To live, work and love. Or to murder your own child in cold blood? (2)

People find it shameful to talk of these issues because we shouldn´t intrude into the family´s private business and it´s "probably for the best". They assume the girl has done something shameful and deserves to be punished. But what is shameful? Is it shameful, to be a woman? (3)

Is it shameful. To want to live? Banaz and Pela and Bekhal and I didn´t have the choice to not be born women. We didn´t have the choice to not be born into this culture. Why should we live less than a life? Why do others get to decide how we should live our lives? (4)

Stand up for them! Protect them as you would protect yourself, not less, because sometimes they have no one else to go to. Don´t betray their hopes when they put their hopes in you. Be the black sheep to the family because sometimes the black sheep is a hero to a someone. (5)

Why does Blnd and Ali get to live life to the fullest. Live and learn from their "mistakes". Dictate what is right and what is wrong. When we were brought into this world equals? (6)

We are born with no one supporting us. Go to the police, they don´t believe you. You´re making something up! Why was Banaz so left alone? Because she was a Middle eastern woman? Banaz had to pay for everyone´s mistakes with her life. (7)

She didn´t have the chance to love and be loved. To be herself. Which was all she wanted.

Some say they support women with only words, others think we´re extreme, , as we continue to try not to live in constant danger one day. (8)

Banaz, Ghazala, Heshu, Samaira, Noor, Fadime, Aqsa, Sonay, Morsal,Sanaa, Amandeep, Tulay,Hina,Saadia, Hatun, Gülsüm. Jian, Pela, Güldünya, Gonuel, Nejat, Amandeep, Rand,Yasemine,Ayman, Hatice, Ayah, Shawbo,Rim,Shafilea,Shaima, Nirupama and many others (9)

Whose voices were never heard. You live in our hearts forever.

Rest in peace you never found here. (10)

Last but not least, thank you @Deeyah_Khan for loving Banaz the way you did, and bringing light to this most important conversation and raising awareness.

And thank you Bekhal, Banaz´s sister for being as strong and brave as you are.