As an American, the concept of honor killings seems very far away to me. However, it’s coming into the forefront as Fox News is reporting that the shootings of two Texas teenagers by their father in 2008 falls under that category. Despite Fox’s readiness to condemn Muslims out of hand, though, I think it’s worthwhile to look at the bigger picture, which the possibility of “honor killings” is just one part of.
From Fox News:
On New Year’s Day 2008, two Texas teenagers Amina and Sarah Said were shot dead, their bloodied bodies left in a taxi cab. The alleged shooter: their father Yaser Said.
In fact, Sarah appears to identify her Dad as the murderer in a 9-11 call – her dying words.
For more than two years the Fox News Reporting team has been following this story and the search for Yaser Said, who vanished the night of the murders.
Yeah, Said seems like a real gem. He married the girls’ mother Patricia when she was just fifteen, and their marriage was allegedly fraught with horribly violent abuse.
As if that isn’t creepy enough, he had an obsession with his video camera … and began secretly taping his daughters’ every moves as their status as American teenagers—and what that entails—became clear. He taped them walking the dog, on their computers, and getting into and out of the car. The sexual overtones are pretty hard to miss, such as zooming in on specific features and obsessing–vocally–over how pretty the girls are.
As is perhaps the most disturbing part of video footage obtained by Fox News. Basically, Said and a friend pretty much stalked his daughter Sarah while she was at work, noting that she was smiling too much and opening up conversations with customers. It’s obvious from comments caught on Said’s own video that Sarah is in big trouble.
Amina Said, who was with the two men, stood up for sister, explaining that being friendly and engaging in conversations with customers was part of Sarah’s job. Finally, Amina clearly becomes frustrated and makes a statement that’s absolutely chilling in light of what ended up happening to herself and her sister:
“Can we go, guys? I’m kind of tired. We can spy on Sarah another day.”
In any case like this, the obvious question is, “Why?” Much has been made over the fact that Yaser Said, originally from Egypt although he’s lived in the U.S. for nearly thirty years, is a Muslim.
If Yaser Said killed his daughters, what was his motive? His American wife Tissy claims he did so because their girls were dating boys that weren’t Muslim.
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