No Safe Place: Murdered by Our Father

by Bekhal Mahmod

'My life will always be in danger. My beautiful sister Banaz Mahmod was murdered in an ‘honour killing’ ordered by our father and uncle. If those evil men find me, they will kill me too.'

Bekhal Mahmod was one of six siblings from a Sunni Muslim family in Iraqi Kurdistan who sought a new life as asylum seekers and arrived in London in 1998.

When Bekhal's father tried to force her into an arranged marriage at 15, she ran away. This caused her father to ‘lose respect’ within the Kurdish community and Bekhal became the target of an honour killing and her younger sisters Banaz and Payzee were quickly married off to restore the family's reputation.

When Banaz left her husband, claiming he'd beaten and raped her, Mahmod decided this 'shame' to the family meant Banaz must die. Within weeks, she had vanished.

Her body was finally discovered, crammed into a suitcase and buried in a garden in Birmingham. Banaz, age 20, had been raped and killed in a sickening plot orchestrated by her father and uncle.

Still fearing for her own life, Bekhal bravely faced her father and uncle in court—making her the first female in British legal history to give evidence against family members in an honour killing trial—and won justice for her beloved sister Banaz.

Bekhal now has a new identity after entering the police witness protection programme. She lives in terror of her father’s release from jail.

This is her story.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Audiobook, Biography

Audible Audio

Published July 14, 2022

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a True Crime Book about an honour killing. I have heard about honour killings, but I have to omit that I never really thought about it. This story may me really think about it, and how it would feel to have your father and brother wanting to kill you to get honour back to the family. I got pulled into this story, and I could not put it down. I just want to save the main character of this book, but she does not need anyone to save her because she is so strong and saves herself. The way this book was written you could really feel what the characters felt. This book will stay with me for a long while. I think this is one of my favorite true crime books I have read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Ad Lib Publishers) or author (Bekhal Mahmod and Hannana Siddiqui) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is scheduled to be released on September 15-2022.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of, No Safe Place, by Bekhal Mahmood; Hannana Sissiqui. Wow, this was not an easy read, knowing its a true story. Bekhal is an inspiration, and a strong survivor. I have never understood honor killing, or what people to their children.

[Rebecca Fowkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking book. I know honor killings happen but some of the stuff that they do is horrendous. I definitely recommend reading this book, I had a few tears in places.

[Lydia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking reality of honor based control / violence some girls face from their families 💔😢

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a messed up culture this author's family is from. How horrific the things she saw and experienced. This book is definitely an eye-opener into the strict Muslim culture.
I'm so happy justice was served and really hope Bekhal is doing well.

[Fiz|فيز (Substack link in bio) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragic and heart breaking. I heard about this originally through watching the ITV drama called Honour. It was about the horrific honour killing Banaz went through. This book gives a voice to her sister Bekhal. I watched Honour a while ago now so when I was reading this book I thought it would focus on Banaz's story, her death etc. However this book is written from Bekhal's p.o.v with an Intro and Conclusion by Hananna Saddiqui (Southall Black Sisters). Bekhal focuses on her childhood and her experience with Benaz until her death and the court case which she gets justice for Benaz.

This was such hard read. From questioning what she has done wrong as a child to suffer horrific abuse to standing in court giving evidence whilst thinking 'they're going to kill me'.

It also raises difficult questions about the treatment of women and institutional racism and how the police initially dealt with Bekhal and Benaz's claims yet another case of society's failure towards women who cry for help.

This is also so brave of Bekhal to write this book to give a voice to her story. It needs to be heard, it needs to be discussed and it needs to stop and I am glad Bekhal activists for this and works closely to stop it happening to others. An absolute must read!

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was saddened to learn about Banaz Mahmod earlier this year, I went online to read more about her life and discovered that her sister, Bekhal, had written a book about their life so I had to buy it.

This is by far the most difficult book I've ever read in terms of everything that happened to Bekhal and the girls in her family including Avin, the men in her life are absolutely demonic and I hope they suffer in this life and the next. I have so many thoughts on everything I read but mainly I'm horrified by all the violence and the women not speaking out to protect their daughters, the section on FGM was brutal and reading about the trial was heartbreaking.

I cannot wrap my head around how badly all the adults in Bekhal's life failed her and her sisters, from her mother, to her family, her teachers, the police, the staff at the refuge, social care workers, it's insane. I'm also left with some questions which weren't answered in the postscript:
Do Payzee and Ashti still speak to their mother even though she was complicit in Banaz's murder by allowing it take place?
Do they still have a relationship with Kejal even though she defended their murdering scumbag father?
What happened to Mariam?
How could the Kurdish community in South London allow this to take place?
Also, how on earth did Tisha manage to get a job in social care?

My only real criticism of the book is the digs towards Islam, such as the phrase 'Almighty Allah' being used sarcastically and the Prophet PBUH only being written with his name without PBUH. I really didn't appreciate Hannana Siddiqui's Islamophobic and white feminist attitude towards Muslim women who wear the hijab, that's some seriously disgusting UKIP behaviour right there.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I start writing this with tears in my eyes… this was such a hard book to read to imagine that there are girls that live this way today… yes I know the events in the book toke place between, 1985 to 2007 and somewhat to the present day… but this sort of things is still happening, and most girls afflicted by this don’t reach out, don’t run away, like baby sister Banaz they only search for help when they are at their end of the road, or simply disappear, because no one really cares for them… and if the authorities are afraid to help because they are in risk of sounding islamofobics, we need new laws that put honour killings and honour punishing aside in modern countries (ideally in the world but one can always dream) and really permit the authorities to dig in, in the private lives of these close communities and protect these women and sometimes man as well…

You hear how things happened to Bakha and you think, how could this possibly be real, how could a family tread like this a daughter, such hard core beatings, calling a child a whore, the FGM was completely horrifying… yes, when you start reading this book grab a box of tissues, you will need it…

I highly recommend this book for the fans of true stories, true crime and of human rights, its very hard to read but we cant let this kind of stories die, or let them be silent, because knowing this can help the next victim.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Dolly Sis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The UK doesn't have the resources to deal with this hot mess that they've imported. The UK authorities didn't/ couldn't protect their own sisters and daughters in Rotherham, so I can't imagine that them having any success in protecting Banaz and Bekhal. Too bad that girls have to live in these crappy cultures their male counterparts have created, but it's not up to Westerners to intervene in all the world's problems. We have our own criminals to deal with. How much $ have the regular Joe citizens of the UK spent on Grandpa Babakir's healthcare? Or Mahmod Mahmod's house & benefits (he never had a job)? How has bringing these men into the UK brought any benefit to people of the UK? And Bekhal is not exempt. Why become a baby mama to Imran & then immediately move on to Marcus?!? How much $ has the UK citizen spent on Bekhal & the baby she made with a bum? And no Bekhal, your school did not "fail" you. That school was built by UK $ to educate their children, not to sort out an Iranian family's dysfunction and police the behavior of foreign men. I'm done. I have compassion fatigue. People need deal with their own shit in the countries they've built. No more colonialism. No more reverse colonialism. Grown men should set up their own societies, not nest in the societies other men have built.

[thesapphiccelticbookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers for a copy of this book to review.

Bekhal Mahmod, originally from Iraqi Kurdistan. Due to her family and culture, she and her sisters had a horrifically abusive childhood. She ran away at 15 instead of facing an arranged marriage to her cousin. This act of defiance caused to father to 'lose respect' within the Kurdish community, she became a target of an 'honour killing' and her younger sisters Banaz and Payzee were quickly married off. Banaz later left her abusive husband so her father and uncle arranged her murder. Bekhal became the first woman in British legal history to testify against her family in an honour killing trial. She now lives in the witness protection program and is always looking over her shoulder.

This was not an easy read Bekhal and her sisters' childhood was brutal and oppressive. Her anger at many of her family members and of her misogynistic culture seeps off the page. This made me so anger for Mekhal, for Banaz, for all the women in the world who've gone through this bullshit, and still do.

This is a very important story to get out there. The world needs to hear the true horrors of what life is like for some women in cultures like this.

[Cherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and harrowing listen—but absolutely essential. I was already familiar with Banaz Mahmod’s tragic story through earlier media coverage and the ITV drama, but hearing it from her sister Bekhal’s perspective adds a deeply personal and haunting layer.

Bekhal’s courage is extraordinary. Her decision to speak out, knowing she’d have to leave her family behind and live in constant fear, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She’s a beacon for other women trapped in similar circumstances, and her voice deserves to be heard.

The book is beautifully structured, giving a full picture of the sisters’ lives and the oppressive environment they endured. It shines a necessary light on honour-based violence—an issue that’s still far too hidden.

Some parts were incredibly difficult to listen to, but that discomfort is part of what makes this story so vital. The postscript, which touches on another honour killing case, reinforces just how urgent and important Bekhal’s testimony is.

If you're drawn to true crime or stories of resilience, this is a must-read. It’s not easy, but it’s unforgettable.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very moving and startling book about the personal experiences of the author being raised in an incredibly abusive family, coupled with unbearable cultural traditions such as honor killings. For most readers, it's going to be an eye-opener and a glimpse into a world we know little about.
I'm struck by the author's honesty as she feels pulled in two directions. She wants to belong to her family so badly that she inevitably sabotages her escapes until the wrong doing is not to her, but to her beloved sister.

A sad sad story that will affect the author her whole life. There is no total escape or happy ending here. One can only hope that time and awareness will put an end to this kind of horrific abuse. Thank you to the author for being brave enough to tell her story in her own words.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I hope it is very very widely read.

[Federica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read, but an important and powerful one to get out there. And an heartbreaking one as well: Berkhal and her sisters had a brutal, oppressive upbringing and horrific lives. I can't believe the extent their misogynistic family went to. I profoundly admire Berkhal's courage for testifying against her family in the "honour killing" (it chills my blood writing these words) trial and for writing this book and advocating for all the women who still must endure this kind of treatment in certain cultures. I would recommend this book to anyone, this is a book that has to be read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen Latto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true story of Bekhal Mahmod and her sister Banaz and the shocking family life that led to their father and uncle planning their murders. This was a powerful and brutal read, it made me feel all of the emotions, horror, disgust, sadness, I was absolutely shocked at what these poor girls have had to go through and I had goosebumps throughout! No one should be treated this way! Good for Bekhal to get her story out there! These things should not be happening in this day and age and hopefully awareness can help other victims to seek help.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely harrowing book as this was a real life story. The abuse and the horrendous things the children had to suffer, is truly shocking. You could thjnk this was a work of fiction as so shocking. Need a strong stomach to be able to get through the story. Written so well as absolutely revulsed by the ‘father’ not that he deserved to be one. So glad that work is being done to change laws and provide support to those that face this sort of abuse.

[Ruth Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartbreaking read. A beautifully honest written book from the heart.
This was by no means an easy read but it touched my heart. To learn about a culture where oppression can be celebrated and what the women have to endure is an eye opener. So called honor based violence/killings - where is the honor in treating another human in this way.
Bekhal and her sister had to endure so much pain from those who should have protected them.

[Milly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First 100 pages were in my opinion a bit slow and I struggled to remember who is who.

The rest of the book absolutely shocking, but in a 'good' way.
It still amazes me how these things can happen. I am not racist, but some people living in this culture act like from the middle ages and are so barbaric.

Truly shocking story about abuse and bravery of Bekhal fighting for justice for her sister, herself and many other women in the same situation.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard book to get through at times. Never because it was a bad book, just because it is so hard to know parents can treat children this way. Bekhal and her sisters went through so much. It was so much insight into the strict Muslim culture. Bekhal is such a brave, strong woman. Thank you for sharing your story.

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking to understand this happens every day in Western countries! This book will go into my professional library.

It’s important that these stories are told and for anyone to do the best they can to protect girls and women when they are brave enough to ask for help.

I was crying, feeling sick and becoming very angry. Forced marriage and FGM is an absolute no!

[Suzan Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cry of grief for a beloved sister, an indictment of a culture that seems to despise women, a cautionary tale against rebellion, or a view of a dysfunctional Middle Eastern family ...you pick. This highly emotional first person narrative about an "honor killing " is all of that.

[Toni Rebeka Wellings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot describe how hard this hit me. I have just finished and the tears are still rolling. It is an awful, tragic but fiercely eye opening read. I will recommend this to anyone, however heart breaking it is. A must read. But don’t forget the tissues.

[Diane Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to read in parts, but worth it.
A life cut short in the name of family honour.
It must have been heart breaking for the story to be told but it need to be told so people are aware of what could be happing in their towns and street.

[Julie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying and moving

Beautifully written, with evident warmth. An emotional roller-coaster of a read,through horror, sadness, unfulfilled hopes and dreams and abiding soiserly-love.

[Howard Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most harrowing books I have read. Unbelievable and yet at the same time disturbingly believable.
These people are wired differently to the rest of us but that this sort of heinous crime goes on in this country shows how far we have slipped down the slippery slope.

[Helen Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel hugely emotional having finished this story. The incredibly honest and open narrative humbled me greatly and it was superbly well written, harrowing and incredibly poignant.
The bravery of the writer really shines through in her writing and the horrors of what she has lived through and the love for her sisters and even the family members who severely wronged her or at least, let her down was so evident.
I feel enlightened and horrified at some of the loopholes and failings that allowed the events to progress, unchallenged, as they did and completely respect the campaigning and awareness the co-authors bring with this book.
Very brave of you to share. Thank you.

[Natalie Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Heartbreaking Read.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrendous, but so moving, the evil of "honour" killings

[Ines Grela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy triste pero es una verdad que hoy por hoy, sigue lo recomiendo

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking. How is this happening in the uk and how many more situations like this are young girls and women living in.

[malgosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put the book down.

A very well written personal narrative… page turner… raw, honest and beautiful. Must read for all interested in personal stories of honour killings