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 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.
Source
Between the subject above, this shit and someone spewing all sorts of vile nonsense about multiculturalism being anti-white... I just want to scream and break down completely.
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 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.
Source
Between the subject above, this shit and someone spewing all sorts of vile nonsense about multiculturalism being anti-white... I just want to scream and break down completely.
I agree its too common, even up in Carlsbad - but its still awful and tragic and after already crying from seeing Hunger Games, I'mma go punch my walls now.
And also home to more than it's fair share of "good ol' boys".
My family wonders why I moved away and don't come back to visit.
This is not just a hate incident, it's MURDER.
I hope to everything that the culprit rots in every way imaginable. I'm so tired of stories like these.
I'm a Black Muslim woman with three sons. After Trayvon, Rekia and now this? I'm really thinking about getting out of the USA in the next few years.
it sucks, and i'm sorry :(
BTW, lj tag ordering is unfortunate in this case. It reads as this: arabs attacks california. Not cool, lj. Not cool.
Edited because I realized that the OP's article was only a few hours old.
Edited at 2012-03-25 08:02 am (UTC)
The fact that I dare not read comments at the source because there will be racist douchebags cheering it on is just another ingredient in the fail stew.
Of course the family didn't report the initial incident. They probably don't have much faith or rapport with or in the police. The police probably would've shrugged and told them to buy a dog or something.
Edited at 2012-03-25 08:11 am (UTC)
Twitter is abuzz as well. From what I'm seeing, people are drawing parallels with Trayvon's tragedy re: individuals killed for the color of their skin. And I don't think I would dismiss that train of thought entirely. While islamophobia appears to have been the foremost motivating factor, a good deal of persons who are islamophobes also fall head-first into the racist pit.
It just might start wider dialogue at the national level, you never know. Regardless, I advise linking the article and telling others, if at all possible.
When it comes to Iraq or Afghanistan, the least we can do is accept refugees.
"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."
Ummmm, what makes them think it wasn't a hate crime?? The family got the same threatening letter before and a woman was severely beaten to death with the letter near her.
It's a hate crime.
This definitely falls under "the things that scare me about America's future" category. I feel like our national mainstream Islamophobia is growing so out of control that it reminds me of the Antisemitism of 30's Germany.
Edited at 2012-03-25 04:46 pm (UTC)
There's also a lot of racist trash out there.
I don't mean to be an ass... I say this as someone who has followed anti-Muslim hate-crimes... I have to be honest. The 'details' on this case are sooooooooooooooooooooooo sketchy, I wish the police would release more info-- the horror and extent of the crime somehow does not match up with the either notes, and the circumstance under which the crime appears to have occured. I hope these issues are clarified before this picks up steam.
If this blows up big-- it turns out that it was not a hate crime, and worst an in family/in community crime/framing, it's going to really cast a long shadow over every other case of hate crime. :/
Edited at 2012-03-25 05:46 pm (UTC)