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A 17-year-old girl from Washington state narrowly escaped an alleged honor killing attempt by her parents after refusing an arranged marriage with an older man in another country. The harrowing incident unfolded outside Timberline High School in Lacey, prompting a school lockdown and an intense police investigation.
The girl’s father, Ihsan Ali, 44, and mother, Zahraa Ali, 40, have been charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, and assault, according to court documents. Authorities revealed that the teenager had been facing threats of violence from her father, who had reportedly warned her of dire consequences for rejecting the marriage.
Shocking Attack Captured on Video
According to reports, the teenager ran away from home on October 18, 2024, seeking refuge with school staff after enduring escalating threats. However, that same afternoon, her parents arrived at the school, where they physically attacked her and her boyfriend outside the building.
NEW: SICK Parents’ reaction after ‘trying to strangle daughter in Muslim honor k—-ng’ in Lacey, Wash.
Advertisement · Scroll to continueIhsan Ali, 44, and his wife Zahraa Subhi Mohsin Ali, 40, were charged with attempted m—-er, attempted kidnapping, and assault after the attack on October 18
The girl, 17,… pic.twitter.com/p46B3V4vab
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) February 23, 2025
Witnesses described a horrifying scene where Ali allegedly choked his daughter until she lost consciousness while students and the victim’s boyfriend struggled to intervene. “It’s not right … you are not supposed to do this,” the girl recalled her father saying as he tightened his grip on her throat.
Miraculously, she managed to break free and rushed to the school’s main office, screaming, “My dad was trying to kill me!” The school swiftly went into lockdown, preventing the parents from entering.
Recently released bodycam footage from the Lacey Police Department reveals Ali’s bizarre reaction during his arrest. Instead of showing concern for his daughter, he was heard yelling in Arabic, instructing his wife and another daughter to protect his car from being confiscated by police.
“Zahraa, Zahraa, come here,” he shouted, according to a translated transcript. “Take the car from [police] and drive it away so they don’t steal it!”
Even in custody, Ali pleaded with officers to let him speak to his daughter, insisting, “If I tell her to go home, she will go home.” However, officers denied his request, emphasizing that a criminal investigation was underway.
The victim’s boyfriend’s father, Victor Barnes, revealed that his family had been dealing with harassment and threats from the Alis for months. “We even had to get a temporary protection order,” he stated, adding that there had been a previous physical altercation involving both families.
Legal experts believe that this case highlights the continuing threat of honor-based violence in certain communities. According to Britannica, honor killings occur in societies where family members believe a relative, usually a woman, has brought shame upon them by violating cultural or religious norms.
Authorities have assured that the 17-year-old survivor is now under protective care as legal proceedings against her parents continue. The case has sparked widespread condemnation, with advocacy groups calling for stricter laws and protection mechanisms for young women facing forced marriages and honor-based violence.
