ARIZONA: Muslim Family Tries to Kidnap Woman With Non-Muslim Boyfriend for Honor Killing
My latest in PJ Media:
Amid all the discussion about the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the United States, few are focusing on the question of the compatibility of their societal mores with American culture. At this late date, we all know that such inquiries are “Islamophobic.” However, a recent incident in Arizona suggests some of the difficulties that could arise among the new arrivals. Fox 10 Phoenix reported Saturday that “police arrested six members of a Phoenix-area family they say targeted a 20-year-old relative and tried to kidnap her because they disapprove of her boyfriend, who doesn’t share their Muslim faith.” This family is Iraqi, but the Afghan refugees share the same religion, and many have the same ideas about women, marriage, and the permissibility of honor killing.
Fox reported that “the woman, who is 20 weeks pregnant, told police she was afraid her relatives will kill her because they believe she has brought dishonor to the family.” Arizona police “believe the family wanted to send the victim back to Iraq,” where she would face almost certain death. Court records “describe accusations of threats and assaults, most recently at a medical building in Avondale last week. Police said the relatives took the woman’s cell phone and purse, along with her boyfriend’s gun, during a ‘violent assault.’ The woman grabbed onto a responding officer, pleading ‘please, don’t let them take me.’”
This woman’s father, mother, three brothers and her sister, who are all “described as traditional Muslims,” were arrested. The entire family has “a history of harassment against the victim because of her relationship with a boyfriend, who is described as being of another religious faith.” Islamic law forbids Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men, although Muslim men may marry Jewish or Christian women; the idea is that the Islamic community is always growing at the expense of non-Muslim communities. For appearing to be on the path toward breaking this rule, the woman says that her family members tried to kill both her and her boyfriend.
The woman and her boyfriend moved away from the Phoenix area, but then the threatening phone calls began. One brother left this message: “This is Ali, her brother. If you don’t bring my sister back, I’m going to kidnap your sister. I’m not scared of your American laws.” Ali was relentless, declaring that “he would still find the victim even of he was in prison, and the victim was 80 years old.” It is not surprising in light of all this that the woman told police that she was afraid she was going to be killed because she had “dishonored the family.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
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