Iraqi woman severely beaten in Calif. home dies

[doggie]

I am sure she was a terrorist. The asshole that did it should look in the mirror if he wants to see terrorist.

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) - A 32-year-old woman from Iraq who was found severely beaten next to a threatening note saying "go back to your country" died on Saturday.

Hanif Mohebi, the director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he met with Shaima Alawadi's family members in the morning and was told that she was taken off life support around 3 p.m.

"The family is in shock at the moment. They're still trying to deal with what happened," Mohebi said.

Alawadi, a mother of five, had been hospitalized since her 17-year-old daughter found her unconscious Wednesday in the family's house in El Cajon, police Lt. Steve Shakowski said.

The daughter, Fatima Al Himidi, told KUSI-TV her mother had been beaten on the head repeatedly with a tire iron, and that the note said "go back to your country, you terrorist."

Addressing the camera, the tearful daughter asked: "You took my mother away from me. You took my best friend away from me. Why? Why did you do it?"

Police said the family had found a similar note earlier this month but did not report it to authorities.

Al Himidi told KGTV-TV her mother dismissed the first note, found outside the home, as a child's prank.

A family friend, Sura Alzaidy, told UT San Diego (http://bit.ly/GYbfB7) that the attack apparently occurred after the father took the younger children to school. Alzaidy told the newspaper the family is from Iraq, and that Alawadi is a "respectful modest muhajiba," meaning she wears the traditional hijab, a head scarf.

Investigators said they believe the assault is an isolated incident.

"A hate crime is one of the possibilities, and we will be looking at that," Lt. Mark Coit said. "We don't want to focus on only one issue and miss something else."

The family had lived in the house in San Diego County for only a few weeks, after moving from Michigan, Alzaidy said. Alzaidy told the newspaper her father and Alawadi's husband had previously worked together in San Diego as private contractors for the U.S. Army, serving as cultural advisers to train soldiers who were going to be deployed to the Middle East.

Mohebi said the family had been in the United States since the mid-1990s.

He said it was unfortunate that the family didn't report the initial threatening note.

"Our community does face a lot of discriminatory, hate incidents and don't always report them," Mohebi said. "They should take these threats seriously and definitely call local law enforcement."

El Cajon, northeast of downtown San Diego, is home to some 40,000 Iraqi immigrants, the second largest such community in the U.S. after Detroit.

[Third]

How awful. I cannot imagine what the people who murdered this woman were thinking.

I find it odd that her wearing a Hijab would be much of an issue in an state where lots of people of all cultures wear different types of dress. Then again I'm not racist and don't want to beat someone to death.

[Sunnichick31]

Has anyone seen the video of her daughter? I can't decide if she's so distraught that she's acting weird, or if something fishy is going on.

No matter what, I can't believe that a woman was killed. I HATE racism and hope that any sort of religious persecution ends soon.

(Hey fundies-THIS is persecution. Having someone disagree with you isn't.)

ETA_this is the video I'm talking about

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RrnMYg62boM

[RR88]

I honestly cannot comprehend the level of hatred and ignorance on display by many of those who have commented on Fox's coverage of the story:

"Though the culprit should be caught, I feel no outrage, sorrow nor grief for these people."

[lilwriter85]

This is a very sad case and Islamophobia is pretty rampant in this country. I feel for the victim's family.

[debrand]

I honestly cannot comprehend the level of hatred and ignorance on display by many of those who have commented on Fox's coverage of the story:

"Though the culprit should be caught, I feel no outrage, sorrow nor grief for these people."

That quote makes me sick.

[doggie]

all we have to do is look at mitt or frothy or rick parry to see the non tolerance of anyone's faith that is not theirs. the Whole religious freedom thing going on is about forcing Christianity on everyone.

[Third]

I think she's simply very upset and not comfortable with the TV cameras.

[RR88]

all we have to do is look at mitt or frothy or rick parry to see the non tolerance of anyone's faith that is not theirs. the Whole religious freedom thing going on is about forcing Christianity on everyone.

Yeah, most of the people I know who pull the "religious freedom" card don't actually want religious freedom.

[nomi]

Has anyone seen the video of her daughter? I can't decide if she's so distraught that she's acting weird, or if something fishy is going on.

No matter what, I can't believe that a woman was killed. I HATE racism and hope that any sort of religious persecution ends soon.

(Hey fundies-THIS is persecution. Having someone disagree with you isn't.)

ETA_this is the video I'm talking about

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RrnMYg62boM

I'd really love to know more background on the family before saying that, but whenever a child or woman is kidnapped/murdered and a note is left behind I'm instantly suspicious. Honestly, I'm instantly suspicious of the family (namely the father/husband or mother) whenever something like this happens. Usually stuff like this is internal.

[theologygeek]

Has anyone seen the video of her daughter? I can't decide if she's so distraught that she's acting weird, or if something fishy is going on.

The impression I got was that the daughter would not be winning an Oscar for that performance.

[SimplyMe]

I'd really love to know more background on the family before saying that, but whenever a child or woman is kidnapped/murdered and a note is left behind I'm instantly suspicious. Honestly, I'm instantly suspicious of the family (namely the father/husband or mother) whenever something like this happens. Usually stuff like this is internal.

I agree- some of the wording in various articles about this murder makes me think there may be suspicion that this isn't a hate crime, but rather a crime committed by a family member.

No matter what, it's a horrible thing, but I'd hold off calling this a racially/religiously provoked crime until more investigation is done.

[emmiedahl]

I'd really love to know more background on the family before saying that, but whenever a child or woman is kidnapped/murdered and a note is left behind I'm instantly suspicious. Honestly, I'm instantly suspicious of the family (namely the father/husband or mother) whenever something like this happens. Usually stuff like this is internal.

I am suspicious in these situations as well.

Is there a gaping cultural difference that would make it non-weird to talk about how respectable the girl was post-death?

[Georgiana]

I am suspicious in these situations as well.

Is there a gaping cultural difference that would make it non-weird to talk about how respectable the girl was post-death?

Maybe.

In Irani/Persian culture, talking about a woman's respectability is a conventional form of praise. Like when you are talking about someone's new girlfriend, in Western European culture it's more common to say how pretty, funny, etc she is, whereas Persians might talk less about her beauty or wit, but instead talk about her respectability. It's part culture, part politeness towards the woman.

I really don't want to over-generalize her because everyone is different, but I do hear that when I'm at Persian events.

ETA: I don't know if this is true of Iraqi culture as well. I only have experience with Irani, and I can't say whether this is something that is a larger phenomenon or Irani-specific.

[fakepigtails73]

I'd really love to know more background on the family before saying that, but whenever a child or woman is kidnapped/murdered and a note is left behind I'm instantly suspicious. Honestly, I'm instantly suspicious of the family (namely the father/husband or mother) whenever something like this happens. Usually stuff like this is internal.

So do I, unfortunetly...

Sad for the woman. Wonder what the police will find out.

[valsa]

Honestly, I'm instantly suspicious of the family (namely the father/husband or mother) whenever something like this happens. Usually stuff like this is internal.

Exactly. A woman is far, far more likely to be murdered by a loved one than by anyone else.

I just hate this whole thing (even more than I'd already hate it due to there being a murdered woman involved) because I know there are going to be assholes on all sides, no matter what turns out to be the truth. If she was killed in a hate crime, there will be people talking about how she deserved it for being Muslim. There will also be people talking shit about anyone who doubted it was a hate crime, saying they only doubted it because the family is Muslim (for the record, I'd doubt it in any case with the info we've been given) On the other hand, if she was killed by her family, there will be people saying that it's not surprising because she was a Muslim (because white men don't kill white female family members :roll: ) Total clusterfuck.

[Mama Mia]

It seems kind of strange that there would suddenly be a hate crime against a woman in a community that already has a large Muslim population - the second largest in the U.S. according to the article. And the daughter did seem very 'off' .. and if it was just her and her mom at home when this happened......

On the other hand, reading the hideous comments people are leaving, who knows, maybe the world has become just that crazy and hateful

[Elle]

I don't think the daughter seems suspicious. If you've been lucky enough to not know what it's like to find out a parent was killed, then you shouldn't judge. I didn't even cry and worried the cops would think I was the killer, but thankfully one of them told me she could tell I was in shock. It wasn't for a few days that I finally felt something, and that took pushing my fist through a wall in anger that I wasn't feeling sadness. I was confused. My hand hurting finally did it. I think it's wrong to say her daughter must know something because she's not grieving the way you think she should. That's no different than when Michelle tries telling us how to mourn miscarriages, only we snark her for thinking she knows the "correct" way to mourn.

What I don't like though is that she said that whoever did it is someone who doesn't believe in god. Atheists aren't the only people who murder. Hitler, Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary), Bin Laden, etc., all believed in some sort of god.

[QAF_Rocks]

Tragic news, but something seems odd about the ages. The victim was 32 with a 17-year-old daughter?

Mohebi said the family had been in the United States since the mid-1990s.

That means she would have given birth at 15, so quite possibly she was pregnant at 14. And this marriage happened in the United States?

[Sunnichick31]

Can't remember where, but I read that they immigrated here from Iraq in the 90's, so the marriage would have taken place there.

[fundifugee]

Can't remember where, but I read that they immigrated here from Iraq in the 90's, so the marriage would have taken place there.

Only if the marriage and immigration were pre-1995, and even then the woman would have been younger than 14.

I thought Saddam-era Iraq was a relatively less fundie place.

[lilwriter85]

That quote makes me sick.

It makes me sick too and i've heard stuff like this before. I used to post on a TV related message board in which some of the posters were huge Islamphobes and a few years back when the Arizona honor killing incident happened, the posters were making fun of the victim.

[BelieveinScience]

It makes me sick too and i've heard stuff like this before. I used to post on a TV related message board in which some of the posters were huge Islamphobes and a few years back when the Arizona honor killing incident happened, the posters were making fun of the victim.

I used to be weary of Muslims. I would never be okay with anyone getting murdered or wishing harm on someone who was muslim but I would avoid them if I saw them out and about. I was taught muslims were bad and that's what I believed. Then I met someone who was Muslim and after knowing her for a few weeks I asked her if she was okay with me asking questions about her faith and she was okay and was happy to set straight any misconceptions I may have had. It was really nice and she was really nice about it even with some of the questions I asked that were probably stupid. Now I know better than to judge a group by one persons actions. It was a great lesson to learn and wish I hadn't allowed myself to be brain washed at such a young age.

[QAF_Rocks]

Only if the marriage and immigration were pre-1995, and even then the woman would have been younger than 14.

I thought Saddam-era Iraq was a relatively less fundie place.

Even if the marriage took place in Iraq, it would certainly have been illegal in California. I would have assumed immigration would have something to say about a pregnant child bride entering the country. Unless her family falsified her age or posed her as a daughter or other relative?

[emmiedahl]

In the 90's, you could marry very young in California with some sort of state approval--I think you had to personally plead your case to a judge. Perhaps there is a judge who was sympathetic to immigrant traditions. Or, perhaps she was married religiously and did not get the actual certificate until she was of age.