A Washington state couple, Ihsan Ali and Zahraa Ali, have been charged with attempted murder following an alleged assault on their 17-year-old daughter outside her high school. The incident, which was partially captured on camera, is believed to have been an attempted “honor killing” in response to the teenager’s refusal to participate in an arranged marriage with an older man.
The assault took place outside Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington. According to police, the father also physically attacked the girl’s boyfriend during the incident. The daughter, whose identity has not been disclosed, had previously reported that her father had threatened her with an honor killing due to her refusal to enter into an arranged marriage with an older man from another county.
The teenager had sought assistance from school staff on October 18, which reportedly incensed her parents. The father, Ihsan, is alleged to have choked his daughter to the point of unconsciousness while other students, including her boyfriend, attempted to intervene. The girl reported to police that her father had told her, “It’s not right … you are not supposed to do this,” as he choked her.
Footage obtained by Fox 13 Seattle shows Ihsan on top of his daughter, pushing her face into the dirt while surrounded by a group of students pleading for him to stop. The father also reportedly punched the girl’s boyfriend in the face. The mother, Zahraa Ali, is also accused of attempting to choke her daughter.
Josh Wagner, a witness to the incident, was driving by with his family when he intervened, believing he was breaking up a fight among a group of children. Wagner held the father down until police arrived. The girl and her boyfriend managed to escape and ran to the school’s main office, triggering a school lockdown as staff prevented the girl’s parents from entering the building.
Victor Barnes, the boyfriend’s father, told KOMO that there have been ongoing issues with the Ali family, including a previous physical altercation that resulted in a temporary protection order. Court records also indicate that the mother had been banned from school property.
Honor killings are a practice in some societies where family members justify the murder of a relative, typically a woman, claiming the victim has brought dishonor to the family. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that up to 5,000 women are killed each year in such circumstances.
The school has since found a safe place for the girl to stay while authorities continue their investigation.