When I originally started working on an Honor Killing thread, I intended to put everything in a single post, but as I started writing I realized a single thread would be VERY long. My experience has been that the longer a thread is, the less likely it will be read. So I decided on two threads. Below are some more examples of Honor Killings in America. Methal Dayem On January 8, 1999, in Cleveland, Ohio, 21-year-old Methal Dayem, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, was shot four times from behind. Three bullets hit her legs and torso, while the fourth, fatal, shot hit her in the back of the neck. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "She died suffocating on her own blood." Police were baffled by what seemed a motive- less crime. It took four months to make arrests in the case. Two of Methal's cousins - Yezen Dayem and Musa Saleh - were charged with the murder. Prosecutors said that the two young men were angry because they believed Methal had shamed the family by backing out of a marriage arranged for her by her parents, and by her un-Muslim independence displayed by her learning to drive and getting a job. Methal's sister told police that the cousins had started secretly following Methal as she went to school or work. They sometimes called the house to ask where she was. Police found a security videotape that showed Yezen's Honda CRV near the murder site that night. Records showed that Yezen had made a call on his cellular phone from near the spot the murder took place. All this, however, was circumstantial evidence and the two young men were acquitted. Marlyn Seajattan Hassan Marlyn was born to Baldeo and Bernadette Seajattan In Leonora, Guyana, and raised in her parents' Hindu faith. She and her parents moved to the United States, where she met and married Muslim Alim Hassan. Marlyn, Alim, and the Seajattan family all lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. Alim worked as a mechanic in Little Falls and, like his wife, was a Guyanese immigrant. When Marlyn became pregnant with their first child Alim began pressuring her to convert to Islam and raise their child as a Muslim, which led to several arguements. Eventually, Marlyn succumbed to the pressure and argeed to convert, but Alim was still not satisfied because of her lack of enthusiasm, and the arguements continued. Alim wanted her to pray to Mecca five times a day, but Marlyn - who had learned she was carrying twins - said she was too tired. On July 30, 2002, a frustrated Alim realized his wife had no interest in Islam and stabbed his 7-months pregnant, 29-year-old wife to death - along with her 49-year-old mother Bernadette Seajattan and 30-year-old sister Sharon Yassim. All three women were stabbed multiple times. Their bodies were dis- covered by Sharon Yassim's two sons, aged 5 and 2, in the house they all shared. The husbands of Bernadette and Sharon were at work at the time of the killings. Alim fled to Buffalo, NY, where he was arrested trying to escape into Canada. He pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of aggravated murder on December 1, 2003, and was sentenced to 90 years in prison. Hatice Peltek On April 15, 2004, a Turkish immigrant named Ismail Peltek mudered his 39-year- old wife, Hatice Peltek, with a hammer and severely injured his 22-year-old daughter and 4 year-old daughter. His daughters suffered fractured skulls from the hammer blows. What triggered this violence? Ismail had learned that his brother had molested his wife and oldest daughter (wouldn't have made more sense to attack the brother?). He attacked the 4-year- old daughter because she had been "sullied" by a gynecological exam (given to see if she had been molested as well). The attack took place in Scottsville, NY. "I was concerned that my family's honor was taken" Ismail told the police. A policeman asked him "If you had the opportunity to kill the family again, would you?" to which he answered "yes." Amina and Sarah Said On January 1, 2008, in the Dallas suburb of Las Colinas, Egyptian immigrant Yaser Adbel Said shot to death his two daughters Amina Said (18-years-old) and Sarah (17-years -old). The two girls had been physically abused by their father for years and had recently run away from home. Their American mother, Patricia "Tissie" Owens, managed to talk them into coming back. Yaser had been angered by the girls' refusal to accept arranged marriages with older Egyptian men, by their rejection of traditional Muslim customs, and by their dating of non-Muslims. He lured them into his taxi on the pretense of taking them out to eat. He shot Amina twice and Sarah nine times, and then fled the scene. Sarah managed to call 911 on her cell phone, crying "Help, my dad shot me! I'm dying!" By the time police found the taxi, both girls had died. Yasser Said has never been caught in spite of $100,000 rewards and being put on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Noor Almaleki Speaking of Iraqi born Noor Almaleki, Abigail Pesta of Marie Claire Magazine said, "She lived a life of subservience, often left to care for her six younger siblings." But, Noor had lived 16 of her 20 years in the USA and couldn't accept the passive role of Muslim women. She and her parents argued frequently over such subjects as socializing with boys and wearing jeans, and Noor rejected a plan of her parents for an arranged marriage with a much older first cousin in Iraq. In the Spring of 2009, Noor, fed up with life at home (the family lived in Phoenix, Arizona), moved out and got her own apartment over her parents objections. She got a job at Chipotle to support herself, but her parents found out and began showing up at work and insisting she return home. Noor quit her job there and went to Applebee's instead. Her parents found her again and harassed her at work until she quit again. Without a job, she had to give up her apartment and return home. But, in June she fled after being beaten and went to the home of family friend Amal Khalef and her husband - fellow Iraqis with four children. When her father, Faleh, found out where she was, he began harassing the Khalef family. Furthering Faleh's rage, Noor began a romance with Amal's son Marwan. On October 20, 2009, Noor visited the welfare office accompanied by Amal. Faleh entered after them, watched for a short time and then left. The two women left and began walking across a parking lot to a Mexican restaurant. Suddenly, Faleh, who had been waiting for them, gunned his Jeep Grand Cherokee and headed towards them. The women ran, but were knocked flying. Faleh then swerved the Jeep to run over his daughter as she lay on the pavement and sped away. Amal suffered a fractured pelvis and other broken bones. Noor was taken to the hospital in a coma, where she died on November 2, 2009. Faleh fled to Mexico, and then took a plane to London - where he was arrested and returned to the states. Explaining why he killed his daughter Faleh said, "For an Iraqi, honor is the most valuable thing." He told police that in his culture, a daughter didn't leave home until she was married and that they should not be to "Americanized." A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and leaving the scene of an injury accident. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison. Aasiya Hassan Pakistani immigrant Muzzammil "Mo" Hassan founded Bridges TV in Buffalo, New York, in 2004 with the intention of portraying Muslims in a more positive light to the American people. In a press release, Hassan said that coverage of Muslims focused on the negative "But the stories that are missing are the countless stories of Muslim tolerance, progress, diversity, service and excellence that Bridges TV hopes to tell." But, Hassan had a dark side. Police had been called to his home in response to domestic violence incidents. Fearing for her life, his wife, Aasiya, filed for a divorce citing "violence and inhuman treatment," and she had an order of protection taken out against him. Angry and humiliated, on February 6, 2009, Hassan went to the TV station, where his wife also worked, parked his SUV out of sight, then hid and waited for Aasiya to arrive. When she walked through the door he stabbed her more than 40 times with a huntiing knife and then beheaded her. Their two children, ages 4 and 6, were strapped in car seats outside while the murder took place. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Gelareh Bagherzadeh and Coty Beavers Ali Mahmood Awad Irsan was born in Jordan in 1957 and immigrated to the United States in 1979. In 1980 he married 18-year-old Robin Dahl of Iowa and the couple moved to the Houston, Texas, area a few years later. They had four children before Irsan divorced her in 1994. Then Irsan traveled to Jordan to enter into an arranged marriage with 15 or 16-year-old Shmou Ali Alrawabdeh. Irsan, with his new wife, returned to the US in 1995. Irsan had eight more children with her. In 1999 Irsan killed Amjad Hussein Alidam, the husband of his oldest daughter and an Iraqi immigrant. The police believed his claim of self-defense and no charges were brought. In 2010, Irsan's daughter Nesreen met Coty Beavers at the University of Texas where they were both students. She also met Gelareh Bagherzadeh, an Iranian who was studying, like them, molecular genetics. Gelareh lived with her parents in Houston. Galareh had converted to Christianity and was a critic of Islam and the governmemt of Iran. Nasreen, with Galareh's encouragement, began dating Coty and secretly converted to Christainity as well. In June 2011 Irsan learned of the relationship and he and his wife held her at his home against her will. Nasreen escaped through a window and went to stay with Beavers at his residence (she was 23 at the time). Irsan eventually found where she was living and began harassing her, Beavers and Bagherzadeh. On January 15, 2012, Galareh Bagherzadeh was shot to death while driving a car and talking on a phone outside her parent's home. The 30-year-old was hit in the head by a bullet that came through the passenger side window. Three other bullets struck the car. Shortly afterwards, police stopped a speeding car that contained Irsan, his wife, and his son Nasim. At the time, the police did not connect the incidents. In July, 2012, Coty and Nesreen were quietly married in a civil ceremony. On November 12, 2012, Coty Beavers was murdered at his apartment. Irsan had entered the apartment through an unlocked door and shot the 28-year-old. Irsan's wife Alwarabdeh was also present. Nesreen had just left for work and escaped. At the trial, Alwarabdeh said that "If a girl ran away from home, it would bring disgrace to the family." Nesreen's conversion and marriage to a Christian shamed the family and they planned to kill her as well as Coty to restore their honor. Alwarabdeh entered into a plea deal that allowed her to plead guilty to kidnappping instead of murder in exchange for her testimony against Irsan. Irsan was convicted of first-degree murder on July 26, 2018, he was given the death sentence.
