Suicide of Hamed Nastoh
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Hamed Bismel Nastoh (December 18, 1985 – March 11, 2000) was a Canadian high school student who killed himself by jumping off the
Pattullo Bridge The Pattullo Bridge is a through arch bridge that crosses the Fraser River and links the city of New Westminster to the city of Surrey in British Columbia. It was named in honour of Thomas Dufferin Pattullo, the 22nd Premier of British Columbia. ...
due to
bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
.


Early life

Nastoh was born to Afghan parents in
Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city located in British Columbia, adjacent to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver and the Fraser River. With an estimated population of 153,524 people it is the largest municipality in the province outside metrop ...
. His parents fled Afghanistan in 1984 during the Soviet-Afghanistan War. His mother Nasima, who has a degree in psychology, got a job at
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC; french: Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program since 2015; the legal title is Departm ...
, while his father Karim, a professor of geography and history, sold Persian rugs. Nastoh attended
Enver Creek Secondary School Enver Creek Secondary School is a public high school located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and is part of the School District 36 Surrey. Academics Students are required to enroll in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Sciences, and Physi ...
in
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
along with his brother Abdullah. Nastoh was described as a smart student who liked horror movies, reading, dancing and music. Nastoh, then 14 years old, was bullied in person. In a note, he mentions to his parents that high school was terrible for him, everyone in his school would call him "gay", "fag", "
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
", "four-eyes" and "big-nose" because his average grades were above 90 percent. He left a suicide note saying "I hate myself for doing this to you," he wrote to his parents. "I really, really hate myself, but there is no other way out." The Nastoh family lived on 143rd Street in Surrey, around away from the
Pattullo Bridge The Pattullo Bridge is a through arch bridge that crosses the Fraser River and links the city of New Westminster to the city of Surrey in British Columbia. It was named in honour of Thomas Dufferin Pattullo, the 22nd Premier of British Columbia. ...
, which spans the
Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...
and links
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
and
New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capita ...
. At 5:00 pm, Nastoh's mother, father and younger brother David went outside to hang out with a neighbour. Hamed and his older brother Abdullah were home during the night. One hour later, Abdullah took a shower. Hamed put on his new Tommy Hilfiger jacket, left the house and made his way, probably by bus, to the Pattullo Bridge. When Nastoh arrived at the bridge, he jumped to his death.


Investigation

When Abdullah got out of the shower, he realized that Hamed had disappeared. He phoned his parents, and their father, Kirim, rushed home to investigate. On finding the note, he phoned the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
(RCMP). Hamed did not give any hints about how he killed himself, and the RCMP searched around Nastoh's home. The day after, police found his body in the
Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...
, just south of the Pattullo Bridge. He wore a blue Nike backpack filled with rocks to weigh himself down. According to the coroner's report, "They were unnecessary." Hamed Nastoh died from
blunt trauma Blunt trauma, also known as blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is physical traumas, and particularly in the elderly who fall. It is contrasted with penetrating trauma which occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue ...
after his eye hit a rock in the water at around . The only noticeable mark was a minor scratch on his nose. A week before his death, Hamed had attended a suicide awareness talk at Enver Creek Secondary School, given by a mother who had lost her son. In his note, Hamed wrote that he'd given his parents a "hint" when he mentioned that the speaker had said that suicidal people give hints.


Aftermath and impact on schools


Homosexuality issues high school course

Hamed's suicide from the Patullo Bridge made the
Government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assumi ...
to introduce the Grade 12 Homosexuality issues course. This course was developed in 2007 and is considered an elective course for Grade 12 high school students. This course was meant to prevent a trial in court before the
British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal is a quasi-judicial human rights body in British Columbia, Canada. It was established under British Columbia's ''Human Rights Code''. It is responsible for "accepting, screening, mediating and adjudicati ...
, which made the agreement to listen to a gay couples complaints that secondary schools in British Columbia are blameworthy of prejudice by not talking about sexual identities as how the curriculum expects. As a comeback, the Liberal Party of Canada agreed with the Government of British Columbia in developing this course, which discusses the topic of tolerance, especially how it relates to sexual identities, ethnicity and race. However, the course will not be mandatory in 37 secondary schools in
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
that represent over 8,000 students.


Hamed Nastoh's Anti-Bullying Coalition

Hamed mentioned in his suicide note for the reader to go to all the secondary schools in Surrey. He wanted other students to know that all forms of bullying can have a bad impact on the victim. Listening to his message, Nasima formed Hamed Nastoh's Anti-Bullying Coalition, to raise awareness of bullying in elementary and high schools, and help parents of children suffering from bullying. Nasima has presented Hamed's suicide note and story to numerous schools in British Columbia. His mother states her message is clear and simple: "Suicide is not the solution." Using her son's suicide note to show how much he suffered in high school before committing suicide, Nasima hopes to give support to teenagers and the community and assure them they are not alone. Nasima said, "Seek help. If you don't talk about it nobody can hear," noting that children and teenagers are afraid of having discussions about being bullied if they notify their parents or teachers. Nasima says that Hamed Nastoh's Anti-Bullying Coalition has given her confidence to overcome her agony and misery.


See also

*
Cyberbullying Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital ...
*
List of suicides that have been attributed to bullying The following is a list of suicides attributed to bullying — both in-person and via the Internet (aka cyberbullying). For a list of people who died from suicide, regardless of reason, see List of suicides and List of suicides in the 21st ...


References


External links

*
Hamed Nastoh Memorial Page

Anti bullying Nasima Nastoh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nastoh, Hamed, suicide of 1985 births 2000 deaths 2000 suicides Canadian people of Afghan descent 2000 in British Columbia Bullying and suicide Deaths by person in Canada Youth suicides Victims of cyberbullying Suicides in British Columbia Suicides by jumping in Canada