Honour on ITV

No, I didn’t fancy this.

I watched Freddie Flintoff and Bulimia.

Really interesting.

I agree about the moping, Jane10

The sister of Banaz Mahmod isn't very happy about the script either.

Tricky one. This is what she said about it .

“It doesn’t really sit too well with me that that’s the angle they chose to go with because that’s not Banaz’s story, that’s somebody else’s story,” Payzee told the BBC.

"This is about somebody who lost her life very tragically and it’s not about somebody getting to tell their story. I don’t believe that it’s honouring Banaz.”

I watched and I usually love anything Keeley Hawes does but I too found her performance not up to her usual standard almost like it was all too much trouble.
A shame if they haven’t told the real story as I’m sure it needs telling.

I think it’s good that the story is being told. There’s always an issue about the perspective a story is told from. This is from the police perspective obvs. That doesn’t make it wrong but different. It’ll be interesting to see the final episode. What’s been clear so far is what we already knew - ‘honour’ killings were not taken seriously enough by the police because usually women are the victims.

These men make me raging spitting mad. Its just a licence for sadistic bullying and cruelty. I don't usually think like this but deport these men and any others who think the same way. It's not culture it's just evil.

It makes me furious as well Jane but sadly it is culture - just as are other cruelties of which women and girls are the victims. What the UK has to do is to take crimes against women more seriously whether it’s ‘honour’ killings or the murder, attempted murder, rape, sexual harassment, physical abuse of females by males born and brought up here. Cultural behaviour rooted in sexism is widespread( and sometimes promoted by religious beliefs) - of course it doesn’t always result in murder but it does result in limited, sometimes ruined lives for many women. Ultra orthodox Jewish women have very very circumscribed lives, women in NI are still not equal with women on the mainland re abortion rights.

I thought it was an interesting drama. The story is an important one and should be told.

It illustrates the determination of the woman police officer, to push her investigation to a conclusion, to secure some form of justice for the victim and the barriers she faced in doing so.

Perhaps it wasn’t what Banaz’s sister Payzee wanted to see, but nevertheless I thought it shone a light on an issue which needs greater illumination.
I have no words for the criminals who took this young woman’s life. Those actions are violent crimes not ‘culture’.

Nortsat I agree with most of your post. I think this drama really showed the woman detective ( and her team ) working hard to bring all the men to justice. There was a lot of effort put in to extradite the two men from Iraq which wasn’t of course covered in any detail. It was sad to learn that the fiancé committed suicide. I don’t agree wholly with your comment about it not being culture- it is imo both culture and evil. There have been throughout history cultures that have been intrinsically evil and wicked ( judged by our values) and generally women are frequently the victims. Saying something is cultural doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, just that that is where the behaviour is rooted and taught as acceptable in that society. There are lots of violent crimes that are not imo cultural but rooted in the individual for whatever reason eg the Wests, Sutcliffe etc.

Just saw the second part. Still unimpressed by Keeley Hawes wimpish portrayal. The real detective must have have had a steely determination to have persevered in the face of such dreadful people and to have extradited those two from Iraq. She must have had extraordinary skills of persuasion too. A worthy winner of the QPM.

I enjoyed the drama but found it distressing. We are supposed to be a civilised society but the cultural differences and casual cruelty to towards women made for uneasy viewing.

Was poor Banaz considered 'unreliable' because she was 'emotional, hysterical' instead of displaying the old British stiff upper lip when she first complained at the Police Station? The female PC didn't believe her and she must have felt truly desperate.

I watched both parts of the drama and had an idea it would make for sad viewing . I found it was well made and a true and factual interpretation of how an honour killing happens if
a daughter in one of these families refuses to intermarry with a relative.

It is shocking that Iraqi/Kurdish culture will go to these lengths and call it honouring the family . Banaz many times tried to get herself help and was let down. It is good that the men were finally brought to justice but too late to save her life and even her partner went on to take his own life.
A sad drama lets hope there are lessons that can be learnt from this.

I enjoyed it if one can enjoy such a sad story. I thought it inappropriate of Keeley Hawes weeping when speaking with Banaz's sister. Yes, it was sad but in her position, she should have risen above it and had a weep in private at home.

Sadly that culture still continues.

I read that there were at least 12 honour killings a year in UK. I suppose those are the only ones that come to police attention.
A teacher friend told me that they keep a very careful eyes on girls at school who suddenly disappear or don't return from family holidays 'back home.' Chilling.

I made the mistake of watching the documentary about Banaz which was made in 2012. I wish I hadn't. I can't unhear what they did to that poor girl.

I have it recorded I thought I would watch it all at once .

We have just watched both parts of this excellent programme - it made me rage and weep, DH also shed a tear or two. When the guy said that he would be a hero in his homeland for what he'd done to Banaz, my blood ran cold - this is the twenty-first century and this sort of thing is still condoned/encouraged in the name of "culture"!

I watched both episodes yesterday....i thought it was very good but i agree with you the DI was far too emotional, the camera was focussing on her facial expressions far too much.

I agree that Keeley Hawkes’ interpretation was poor. Apart from that it was gripping and very chilling. More typical of ignorant, uneducated people than the actual Kurdish race where their women took up arms and fought against ISIS.

It was only decades later that it dawned on me what teachers remarks about a couple of girls not returning to school after the holidays were actually talking about. I felt confused by their remarks and decades later this unsettling feeling returned again upon hearing about what some girls go through.

Decades later and the authorities know better but females are still ignored and it is not limited to different cultural backgrounds it's once again the idea some men have of power. A very sad drama but I thought interestingly told in a way not to tell Banaz's story but the police story of their realisation of what happened and their attemot to address their failings.

*attempt to address

Uncomfortable viewing.

In the documentary, the police woman, Caroline, did get emotional when reading out the transcript of the phone call by one of the perpetrators bragging about what he had done to the poor girl. She said that very few people loved Banaz but that the police felt that they loved her.
I believe Banaz was buried in an unmarked grave and a Kurdish women's group, the police and the prosecuting Counsel paid for s headstone. What a dreadful story.

Thanks for your post Kate. When I’ve read the criticisms on here of KHs ‘emotional’ portrayal of her, I did think that maybe it was accurate and that this was a case that really got to her. I once worked for years in an area that dealt with sometimes unbearably awful events. I can still remember the one case that, when it was all over, made me cry and still does thinking about it. But it was only one case.

suzie The officer admitted it 'got to them all' (they'd have to be made of stone if it hadn't) but that it made her more determined to bring those responsible to justice.