April 5, 2012

MPAC announced today it is deeply disturbed by the death of Shaima Alawadi, a Southern California Iraqi American woman, who died after being severely beaten as part of an alleged hate crime.

SEE: Iraqi Woman Dies After Beating; Threatening Note Found Nearby (LA Times)

”Our deepest condolences are with the family of Shaima Alawadi,” said Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC President. “Her senseless death and the brutal nature of the crime are astonishing. We trust law enforcement will investigate this issue, and we pray Alawadi’s family will be able to find some comfort during this difficult time.”

MPAC has asked the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to closely monitor the developments of the case, and we are in communications with the San Diego Police Department. If the death is confirmed as a hate crime, law enforcement officials must prosecute this incident to the fullest extent of the law. 

Alawadi was attacked at her El Cajon, CA, home on Friday morning, while her  husband was taking their children to school. The victim’s 17-year-old daughter found her mother laying in a pool of blood with a note next to her severely beaten body suggesting a potential hate crime. Alawadi died a day later on late Saturday afternoon.

Family members said a similar note was also found earlier last week in their home. The alleged note read in part, “Go back to your own country ... You’re a terrorist.” The victim lived in the United States for almost 20 years.

SEE: Articles about Shaima Alawadi's tragic death

"We don't know if it was a hate crime," Al-Marayati said. "We are here to grieve with the family of Shaima. We are here for her today. We are here to show our love and respect for her family. We don't know what the facts of the case are."

“Posts of the Week: The Murder of an Iraqi American” (NPR KPCC 89.3 - Los Angeles)

“Unsolved Killing Is the Talk of Iraqis' English Class” (Los Angeles Times)

“The Language of ‘Terrorism’ ” (Salon)

“Mourners Remember Slain Iraqi-American Woman in California” (MSNBC)

“Iraqi Woman Mourned as Husband Seeks Help in Finding Killer” (Los Angeles Times)

“Widower of Iraqi-American Woman Bludgeoned Near San Diego Demands to Know Killer’s Motive” (Washington Post)

“Memorial Held For Iraqi Woman Found Fatally Beaten in Her Home” (San Diego 6 News - CW)

“Iraqi Community Perplexed, Wary after Slaying of Iraqi-born Mother” (Christian Science Monitor)

“Mourners gather for Iraqi-American woman Shaima Alawadi beaten to death in California home inpossible hate crime” (National Post)

“Mourners remember slain Iraqi-American woman in California” (WAMC)

“Shaima's Husband Demands to Know Killer's Motive” (Gulf News)

“Mourners Gather at Lakeside Mosque for Memorial of Iraqi Woman Fatally Beaten” (Patch.com)

“El Cajon Killing Revives Fears of Islamophobia” (New America Media)