Zabia Afzal Missing:
When that girl is your former classmate
#FindZabia
On May 10th,
2018, a York University PhD student and activist, Ms Zabia Afzan went missing
in Toronto. The news of Zabia's disappearance shocked many of us who knew Zabia
personally. It is until such a time when a young woman that you know well
disappears that you start to feel shaken with the harsh reality of such assault
against women.
I first met Zabia in the
fall of 2010 at the prestigious Dalla Lana school of Public Health, the University
of Toronto, for the MPH degree. Zabia stood out quite early during our program
as an extremely intelligent student, quite critical and persistent. Beneath
Zabia's beaming intelligence was a quiet, respectful, thoughtful and passionate
student who pursued social justice and equity with intent. Zabia’s values bound
us together as friends forever.
Zabia proceeded to the
doctoral program in Health Policy and Equity at York University. Zabia where I
was to meet her again. I went to practice, Zabia went for academia.
It was again in the fall
of 2016 that I met Zabia on the stairs of the Faculty of Health building at
York University on orientation day. Zabia was quite delighted to see me, and so
was I.
Unfortunately, my first-year
schedule conflicted with Zabia’s, thus, depriving us much of Zabia's enterprises.
However, we occasionally met at the Graduate office while preparing for
tutorials or counseling under graduate students.
The last time I saw
Zabia was at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) in June of
2017 while I worked on a Journal article. The news of her disappearance, thus
hit me hard.
We, in Zabia’s
fraternity of scholarship felt horrified with the magnitude at which women have
become victims of assault. Whether in Uganda, where a significant proportion of
women are still subject to disappearance and gruesome murders, to the highly
surveilled streets and alleys of Toronto.
The CBC news online
reports and family sources observed that Zabia took an Uber from her home in
Vaughan, York Region and drove to the Ashbridges Bay, a beach spread along L.
Ontario at the Woodbine Ave and Lakeshore Boulevard, East end of Toronto. That
is where she disappeared from, and where her purse and phone were discovered.
A multitude of
volunteers responded to the family’s call and poured in the area to search for
Zabia relentlessly. It is now 11 days and no positive news have emerged as our
hearts sinks in agony for our friend. The Police has searched the waters and
combed every land in the area for days.
Young women disappearing
in Toronto area is not unusual. Several past incidences have occurred, moreover
with tragic endings. Some disappearances have ended with body parts, either
stashed in basements of their lover's homes, or mutilated and spread along the
lake shore. Quite gruesome an experience to say the least. And yet, this City
has this reputation of humility, peace and tranquility. How ironic?
The disappearance of
Zabia is a threat to all young women, activists, and an assault on all the
women. It is a counter statement that women cannot feel safe anywhere in a
society where gender equality is emblazoned in its conscience.
Such a community
enthusiasm and cooperation is what we need to sustain the search for Zabia. We
wish her the very best and still hope she is found alive, soon.
Only few weeks ago, a 25
years old man, Alek Minassian rammed his truck onto pedestrians at the Yonge
and Finch area killing 10 and injuring 15 innocent people. That incident was
one of the most traumatizing episodes in the modern history of Toronto.
Disappearance of Zabia
only adds an additional tragic layer to it!
The End.
