Honour Killings in United States

A Maricopa County Superior Court jury on Tuesday found an Iraqi immigrant guilty of running down his daughter and another woman in a Peoria parking lot in Oct. 2009.


Faleh Hassan Al-Maleki was found guilty of second-degree murder for killing his daughter Noor, 20, and of aggravated assault for injuring her boyfriend's mother, Amal Khalaf, 41. He was also found guilty of two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal or injury accident. He stalked her. Tormented her. Threatened her and finally murdered her for not being Muslim enough. She was too "westernized." So the Muslim misogynist murdered his own daughter in cold blood. He was convicted today of second degree murder.

What exactly does being too 'western' mean? Is it about the way a person dresses or is it about personal independence? After witnessing the attack on unions speciffically those predominantly in the field of women's occupations such as nursing and teaching and not firemen and policemen, there could be a subtle attack on female independence of western women. Also as Planned Parenthood is being defunded, an institution which offers medical care targeted towards women, we must take a look to see if the voices of women are being hushed to a whisper in the United States.

There is no doubt Muslim countries have complete say even ownership of their female counterpart. Young girls are subjected to arranged marriages done by the men of the clan. The clothing women don has to be determined by the men as well as their financial security or lack there of. Women live within the guidelines and boundaries of the religion watched over by the men.

As with Christianity, we know there are tennants listed within the religious manual, i.e. the Bible, that we do not fully agree with, but in faithfulness to the chosen religion, we adhere to. The Muslim religion has the same and have followers who may not love the restrictive guidelines, but none the less follow. But what is to be done when a Muslim decides not to willingly follow the dictates of their national religion?

In the United States, contrary to some teachings of so called patriotic Christians, America was set up as to allow religious freedom without the threat of persecution; and this means more than just for Christianity. Any and all followers of religion are suppose to be free to practice their religion as long as no other laws of the land are broken. Murder is against the law in the United States (I will not bring abortion into this particular discussion. Roe vs Wade was a law instituted for this particular taking of life making abortion legal and protected).

So, the fact remains, the father would have been within his rights to commit an honour killing if it had been done in a nation which allowed such an act to occur. Relocating from his homeland to the United States meant that he would have to abide by the laws of the land in which he resided. Being faithful to the rules of his culture and religion did not allow him to sit back and watch his daughter break long established rules, no matter where he lived. Within his heart, he believed he had to do what he had been taught to be right, regardless of society and what they believed and followed. As I have said before, we choose and make decisions and then we must live with, be rewarded, or suffer the consequences of as he did.

The laws of our land were upheld over religion, separation of church and state at work. For Americans, who could never understand the depth a person is willing to go to uphold antiquated beliefs, justice prevailed.

In a time in our own country where CHANGE is causing extreme growing pains and 'old ways' of the 'old guard' are being held on to in the clutches of a dying generation of power holders, there is little sympathy for those wanting to return to the old America.

The old America longed for by many, also treated women as a entity without a voice or as an object to be owned and kept within guidelines and rules decided by their male counterparts. Just as baffling as it is for us to comprehend a father killing his own daughter for becoming too 'westernized' it is just as baffling to me how anyone, especially a woman could stand and declare they want to return to 'the old America,' a time of crushing oppression for women.