Nazia
Listen to Nazia's story
Throwing Flowers
Nazia’s story begins in movement from Afghanistan to India, and then to Harrow, where she has remained rooted ever since. Her earliest memories are filled with colour: monsoon rains, Indian weddings, Holi celebrations. Yet alongside those vivid flashes is one image that never left her - her mother dressed in black, leaving for England. Even as a toddler, Nazia sensed it was not a celebration but a separation.
For over a year, she lived without her mother, forming a deep bond with her father, who stepped into both parental roles. When she finally arrived at Heathrow and saw her mother again, the reunion was so emotional that even immigration officers wept. But the fear of losing her again lingered, shaping Nazia’s fierce devotion to her own children today.
Growing up in Harrow without English, she slowly built confidence through school clubs and friendships, finding strength in small communities that helped her belong. Later, when her first marriage ended, she faced not only heartbreak but the weight of cultural judgement. Yet in that moment, her father stood firmly beside her, choosing her health over outside judgement.
Supported by her family and the wider Afghan community, Nazia rebuilt her life with faith as her anchor. Rather than respond to gossip or criticism with anger, she chose something different.
“If someone throws stones at you, throw flowers back at them.”
Today, Nazia is a devoted mother, proud of her roots and determined to raise sons who are compassionate, respectful and grounded in both faith and understanding. Her story is one of separation and return, loss and rebuilding but above all, it is about choosing love as strength, and community as protection.
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