"He could see his mother at the window, waiting"
Businesswoman Naveed Raza has been spared jail after she threatened to kill her youngest son for dating “a white girl”.
She also stalked Mohsin Raza and subjected him to “emotional blackmail” when she discovered his relationship with Caralyn Downie.
Prosecutor Katie Cunningham told Falkirk Sheriff Court:
“The family hold Muslim faith and the accompanying cultural traditions.
“Mohsin began a relationship with Miss Downie in March 2019, and this was to be kept secret from his family.”
At the same time, Mohsin was still living with his parents in West Lothian.
Mohsin realised that his parents had become suspicious in July 2019 after his mother rang his football coach asking what time he had attended training and when it ended.
He usually met Caralyn after training.
Miss Cunningham said: “Mohsin discussed this with Miss Downie, and both were even more careful not to be caught.”
But on July 14, 2019, Mohsin returned home having been with Caralyn.
Miss Cunningham said: “He could see his mother at the window, waiting for him.
“She confronted him and told him the relationship could not continue, and he was ‘bringing shame on the family’.”
Mohsin refused to end the relationship. Raza, a director of a property company in Edinburgh, then fetched “a large black-handled knife”.
Miss Cunningham continued:
“She stood in front of Mohsin and held the knife close to her chest pointing towards her chin.
“She told him he should use the knife on her as this was the only way he’d be allowed to continue the relationship.
“She went on to say she could not live with the shame of him being in a relationship with a white girl.
“Mohsin was terrified and was praying that his mother would put down the knife.
“He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders and pleaded with her not to do anything with the knife.”
The businesswoman put the knife down and a “visibly upset and frightened” Mohsin went outside and was driven off by Caralyn, who was waiting for him.
He then received “a constant bombardment” of texts and messages from his mother, and “various efforts at making him feel guilty through emotional blackmail”.
Raza referred to Caralyn as a “gori [white] b**ch”, asking: “Why disappear with her?”
She added:
“Allah kasam, if you don’t get back tonight I’ll find you and I’ll kill you, I’m not joking.”
“If this thing leaked I’ll kill myself, and I won’t let you live or the rest!!!!”
Another text read: “At work, gori don’t care, they’ll talk and talk and that’s gori history.
“But in our religion it’s completely different, people won’t ever let this go, and your mother would never let your father live, either.
“We don’t eat pork or have big dogs on our sofa or beds.”
Mohsin eventually moved out and went to live with Caralyn and her family in Stirlingshire.
After an incident in which his parents turned up when he was parked outside Asda, the police were called and Raza was arrested.
The businesswoman pleaded guilty to stalking and using threatening behaviour.
Paul Sweeney, defending, said Raza had spent three nights in police custody and two in Cornton Vale Prison after her August 2019 arrest and was “deeply embarrassed and ashamed at her behaviour”.
He said: “She is a proud Muslim woman from a proud Muslim family.
“Mohsin is still engaged to Miss Downie and hopes to marry her in 2022.
“Mr and Mrs Raza wish to reconcile with Mohsin and have a positive relationship with Miss Downie going forwards. They are happy for Mohsin to have his own life.
“This is a family that now needs to go away and be allowed to heal.
“Mohsin is about to embark on married life, and very much wants his parents and family to be part of that.”
The businesswoman was spared jail but was fined £500.
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