A brave woman murdered by her husband on Arthur’s Seat has left a legacy that will save countless lives, her mum said yesterday.
Pregnant lawyer Fawziyah Javed, 31, was just two days away from leaving her violent husband Kashif Anwar, 29, when he mercilessly shoved her from the Edinburgh landmark to her death.
She had carefully plotted an escape plan but was tragically unable to carry it out before Anwar killed her.
But the measures she took helped secure Anwar’s conviction last week and expose his web of lies and history of abuse.
Now Fawziyah’s family are to launch a charity in her name, which will support the vulnerable and help other abused women find a way out.
Her mum Yasmin told the Record: “Fawziyah was a highly-educated lawyer. Strong. Independent. She was empowered.
“The common misunderstanding is that women who are abused have got nowhere to go and have no support. Fawziyah was the opposite.
“She was financially very comfortable. She had the support of her family. She was bright and articulate and had everything in place to leave.
“She had a plan but he didn’t allow her to carry it out in time.
“This goes to show that if this can happen to Fawziyah it can happen to absolutely anybody.”
Anwar was found guilty by a jury of the murder of his wife and her unborn child at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Fawziyah, who was 17 weeks pregnant, identified her husband as her attacker as she lay dying, having suffered multiple blunt force injuries plunging 50ft from the hill in September 2021.
Chilling CCTV images revealed the pair’s movements as Anwar led his employment lawyer wife to Arthur’s Seat, during what the killer had described as a “mini-moon” just nine months on from their wedding.
Anwar, from Leeds in Yorkshire, denied the charge but was found guilty after a week-long trial and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years.
Fawziyah married University of Bradford optometry student Anwar at an Islamic ceremony on December 25, 2020.
The couple had checked into a hotel in Edinburgh on August 31 and were to return to Yorkshire on September 4, which would have been her 32nd birthday.
The trial heard she planned not to return to Anwar’s home but to go to her parents’ house and contact police to retrieve her belongings.
On September 2, she was pushed to her death from the landmark in Holyrood Park.
Lying Anwar claimed his wife slipped in an accident while they were taking a selfie. But the trial heard a catalogue of evidence, much from Fawziyah herself, which sealed his fate.
Unknown to Anwar, Fawziyah had reported details of his abuse to West Yorkshire Police for them to keep on file and recorded conversations between the pair.
Procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime David Green said Fawziyah’s bravery had helped prosecutors show that the tragedy on Arthur’s Seat was “the terrible culmination of a campaign of abuse” at the hands of her husband.
He said her strength allowed prosecutors to “expose his lies” on how she met her death.
Yasmin said her daughter’s bravery and her desire to help others would now be her “legacy”.
She said: “People may say he was a few steps ahead of her in terms of carrying out this horrific heinous crime. But she was the one who got him convicted.
“Listening to her testimony, asking if she was going to die and if her baby was going to die was just heart-wrenching.
“She was two days away from leaving this imbecile. Two days. Everything was in place and all the evidence was there. She’d done everything she could. It’s so frustrating and painful.
“She was my only child and she was perfect in every way. Nobody deserves this but least of all somebody who had given so much to society and would have continued to do so.
“She was generous, kind, a beautiful inside and out, independent, clever and articulate. All these things that attracted him to her in the first place are all the things that made him insecure.
“She was one of those people who would always give people a second chance. She would take food and go and find homeless people to feed them.
“She would do a full time job as a lawyer and still help people afterwards. She never turned anybody away who needed help. I’m so proud of her.
“We’re in the process of setting up a charity, The Fawziyah Javed Foundation.
“We’re going to help a lot of vulnerable, needy poor and destitute people. Homeless people, people who have suffered abuse or had a bereavement.”
The family say they will never come to terms with their grief at losing Fawziyah and say her killer should never be granted parole.
Yasmin said: “I can’t believe what’s happened to Fawziyah. It’s all too massive for me to process and I keep thinking she’s going to come back.
“I just hope that he’s locked up for far longer than 20 years. Life should mean life and he has taken two.
“We’ll never recover from this. It’s a lifetime of pain and grief forever.”
Campaigners encourage victims to follow Fawziyah's lead
Women's rights campaigners yesterday encouraged other victims of abuse to take inspiration from Fawziyah’s bravery and seek help.
Janet Henderson, the founder of former Fife-based domestic abuse charity Saje Scotland, warned that planning an escape from a controlling or violent relationship can be a dangerous time. But with the right support, victims can find safety.
She said: “This is an absolutely tragic case. It shows that women from every walk of life, all ages, backgrounds and cultures can find themselves suffering abuse.
“It’s a very dangerous time when victims are planning their route out. If the perpetrator gets wind of it they can start to think they’re losing control of the person or situation. It can be incredibly difficult.
“I would encourage victims to be mindful of how dangerous a time it is but to plan a route out is a great thing to do and having those arrangements in place does often mean that it will be more successful.
“You can get the support you need and get to a safe place.”
Susan Smith of For Women Scotland, who campaign on equality and human rights issues, said she hoped other victims would follow Fawziyah’s example in getting support.
She said: “What happened to Fawziyah was a horrible tragedy. She did very nearly get out of her situation and while it wasn’t the conclusion everyone wanted for her, we can learn from her strength and commitment to trying to get justice for herself.
“She was an incredibly brave woman and we just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“This situation can affect anyone in terms of their background and personal circumstances.
“We know how difficult it can be when victims are trapped in controlling relationships and I hope other people can follow Fawziyah’s example.
“It’s really important that women have support in place to help them to exit these situations.”
If you are suffering abuse and are in immediate danger contact police on 999. If it’s too dangerous to speak, dial ‘55’ on your mobile when you’re prompted. You can also let the operator know you need help by tapping the phone or making a noise.
You can get in touch with Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234.
Email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk or visit sdafmh.org.uk.
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