Sana Yousuf’s Murder:” When a Society Celebrates Brutality in the Name of Honor” – By Noor Afzal
On 29th May, a tragic incident shook Chitral and the rest of Pakistan. Sania Yousuf, a young TikToker and social media influencer, was brutally murdered—simply for saying “no.” Her crime? Rejecting a man’s repeated advances.
Within 24 hours, Islamabad Police arrested the accused, Umar Hayat—himself a TikToker—who had been contacting Sania persistently, pressuring her to meet him. She refused his requests twice. The second time, Umar took this refusal as a blow to his so-called pride. Driven by ego and entitlement, he entered her home and mercilessly ended her life. A daughter was taken from her parents. A life full of dreams was cut short.
The news spread like wildfire across social media. Many influencers and civil society members condemned the act, calling for justice. Hashtags trended. Protests erupted online. But amidst all the outrage, a horrifying reality surfaced—some people were celebrating her death.
Yes, celebrating.
A Dark Reflection of Our Society
A group of social media users took to comments and posts, not to mourn Sania, but to justify and even encourage the killing of women like her. They called it “cleansing the society.” They cheered on the murderer and demanded more deaths—of women who, in their view, crossed invisible lines of “honor” and “modesty.”
This isn’t just disturbing—it’s a mirror showing how far we’ve fallen as a society.
These people are not just sick-minded individuals; they represent a deep-rooted societal disease—the belief that a woman’s existence and freedom must be controlled, punished, or destroyed if it threatens male ego.
And what’s even more painful? They justified it using religion.
Religion: A Tool of Mercy, Not Misogyny
These defenders of brutality use Islam to validate their actions. But they do so while ignoring the very essence of our faith.
Islam is a religion of peace, mercy, and justice. It came to end the barbaric practice of killing daughters—yet today, some are invoking Islam to justify it.
The Quran says:
> “Whoever kills a soul… it is as if he had slain mankind entirely.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32)
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) raised his daughters with love, gave them respect, and taught others to honor women. He never shamed, humiliated, or harmed a woman—even when he disagreed with her actions.
So, how can we claim to follow his Sunnah while supporting murder?
A Society That Lost Its Soul
Whether one agrees with Sania’s lifestyle or not—TikTok, social media content, etc.—criticism in life is one thing. But death? A brutal, unjustified murder?
How can anyone celebrate that?
” Hell is empty, all devils are living here” [Shakespeare]
What happened is not just the murder of Sania Yousuf. It is the murder of compassion. The murder of justice. And the murder of our collective conscience.
Parents have lost a daughter. But more painfully, we have lost our soul as a society.
The Root Problem: Misogyny, Ego, and False Pride
This incident reveals how many still see women as inferior beings—who must not be allowed to grow, succeed, or even exist freely. There are men who can’t accept women being more confident, more visible, or more independent than them. Their false pride can’t bear rejection.
These people believe being a “man” means having control. That real masculinity is proven by dominating or silencing women.
We must ask:
How did we raise such men?
How did we allow these ideas to live in our homes and our hearts?
Final thought’s
Now is the time to reflect seriously. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Now.
We are failing—as a society, as Muslims, as sons, as fathers. If we don’t confront this disease now, more Sanias will die. More parents will bury their daughters. And worse, more people will clap.
We need to:
Teach our sons that rejection is not an insult.
Teach our daughters they have the right to live free and safe.
Correct the misuse of religion for personal egos.
Demand justice, not just from courts, but from our communities.
It is time to stop saying “How can you do this? Are you not a man?”
And instead, start saying: “Be a man—by being just, respectful, and merciful.”
Let Sania Yousuf’s death not be another forgotten story. Let it be the fire that ignites real change—so that no one ever has to mourn another daughter, and no one ever celebrates another .
