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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sarah Ward & Kathleen Speirs & Fionnuala Boyle

Mourners gather in Edinburgh for tragic mum-to-be Fawziyah Javed's vigil

Mourners gathered at a vigil for a mum-to-be who tragically died at Arthur's Seat - the same day her baby was due to be born.

Fawziyah Javed, 31, died in September and her husband Kashif Anwar, 27, appeared in court charged with her murder.

He made no plea as he appeared in private during a short hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in September.

Photographs taken at the scene show mourners as they honour the tragic newlywed.

Fawziyah Javed died in September (Yasmin Javed / SWNS)

Campaigners from Reclaim the Street Edinburgh, a group that works to end sexual harassment and violence, spoke at the service.

Farah Siddiq, from AMINA The Muslim Women's Resource Centre, also went along and, like many others laid flowers as a mark of respect.

Farah also took to a megaphone and spoke to those who attended.

One of her grief-stricken relatives, Adnan Hanif, who is studying in Edinburgh paid his respects.

Mourners were asked to maintain social distancing and wrap up warm when paying their respects (DAILY RECORD)

He was seen carrying a bunch of red and white flowers.

Candles were lit alongside numerous signs, posters and placards - one read 'how many more vigils?' in a poignant dusk display.

We told how Fawziyah died on September 2 - two days before her 32nd birthday which she planned to celebrate in Yorkshire, and less than a week before she was due to start a new job.

The newlyweds had been married for eight months, and Fawziyah was four months pregnant and thrilled at the prospect of becoming a mum.

One of the many placards placed down at the scene of the vigil on Friday afternoon (DAILY RECORD)

Fawziyah - whose name means 'success' in Arabic - was described by her parents as 'an angel on earth' who would help anyone.

She was a successful solicitor and did a lot of charity work.

Trudy Kalvynaite of Reclaim The Streets Edinburgh (DAILY RECORD)

Her parents, Mohammed and Yasmin Javed, adored her and couldn't wait to become grandparents.

The couple, who live in Leeds, West Yorkshire, will travel to Scotland for the court case.

Yasmin, 54, said every day feels surreal and she needs sleeping pills to get through the night.

Yasmin and husband Mohammed, 56, have found their lives put on hold since the tragedy, which happened two days before Fawziyah was due to travel home to Pudsey, West Yorkshire.

Fawziyah's relative Adnan Hanif attended and brought a bunch of red and white flowers (DAILY RECORD)

Yasmin said: "It's surreal, I can't get my head around it.

"Our lives are finished - we lived and we breathed for Fawziyah.

"We are just existing.

"We are staying in all the time and going to sleep with the aid of sleeping tablets.

"I'm the complete opposite of what I used to be like.

"She was about to have a baby and we are planning a vigil."

The distraught mum added: "She had her whole life ahead of her.

"She was nearly four months pregnant.

"She was really excited, she would have been a wonderful mum.

"It's absolutely heartwrenching, my heart is broken into a million pieces.

The vigil which took place at 4.30pm twinned with another service in Leeds.

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