Fawziyah Javed: Vigil for Sheffield graduate allegedly murdered by husband a year ago
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Solicitor Fawziyah Javed, 31, who was expecting her first child, died after falling from the city landmark on September 2 last year. She was in Edinburgh on a short break from her home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, with her husband when the tragedy happened.
Fawziyah's mother, Yasmin Javed, said she had originally vowed never to visit Edinburgh again because it would be too traumatic, but she had decided she had to make the trip for her daughter.
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Hide AdThe vigil on Friday September 2 between 2pm and 5.30pm will take place outside the Scottish Parliament, close to Arthur's Seat.
Fawziah attended University of Sheffield from 2008 to 2011 to study law, and then pursued her career as a trainee solicitor in Leeds.
During her time in Sheffield, she took up a part time job in the Marks and Spencer store in the city.
She then got married in December 2020 and was pregnant when she lost her life.
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Hide AdMrs Javed said: "It's really, really difficult. This will be the first time I've been to Edinburgh since the horrific tragedy. I always said I wouldn't go because it would just be too much for me, but I've decided it's something I need to do for Fawziyah. I need to come."
She said her husband Mohammed and a couple of other members of the family would be coming with her. The vigil will include speeches, prayers and poetry.
Mrs Javed said: "Fawziyah was our only child, pregnant with our first grandchild. It has been absolutely tortuous and painful. To say that we're devastated doesn't even come close. The pain is just so deep, I don't have the words to describe the depth of our pain. There are just so many layers to this grief.
"Fawziyah was popular, she was well-loved and well-liked, she was a very successful solicitor and had her whole life ahead of her. It has destroyed our lives and our world.
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Hide Ad"We're still in shock. Every day I wake up and I think 'Has this really happened?' I can't believe it's coming up to a year because every second of the day since this happened we're just in deep pain and grief. It still feels very surreal, as if it's not happened."
Fawziyah’s husband Kashif Anwar, 28, is due to go on trial for her murder in March next year.
The family does not know what happened on the day Fawziyah died. "You're second-guessing things – we weren't there and obviously the police are not allowed to say much, we have to wait for the trial."
But she said Fawziyah's death had touched a lot of people. "A year on, people are still coming to see me, messaging me, writing to me."
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Hide AdWomen's groups from Edinburgh will join the vigil along with others travelling up from other cities
Mrs Javed said: "It would be good to have a lot of people there. It's going to be painful and very emotional but I need to do it. I'm doing it for Fawziyah."