Shaima Alawadi, SoCal Iraqi Muslim, Dies After Possible Hate-Crime Beating

By Dennis Romero Mon., Mar. 26 2012 at 8:05 AM

The death of a Southern California woman from Iraq over the weekend set off a national furor, mostly via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Shaima Alawadi, a 32-year-old Muslim woman, was beaten in her El Cajon home east of San Diego last week and died in a hospital Saturday, according to authorities and reports.

Her family said the second of two threatening notes was left after the attack:

One of the notes reportedly said, " ... Go back to your own country."

El Cajon police say the mother of five was badly beaten in the home at 564 Skyview St. (across from a Middle School): She was discovered late Wednesday morning by her 17-year-old daughter.

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According a statement from the department:

... A threatening note was discovered very close to where the victim was found. The victim's family stated they had found a similar note earlier this month, however did not report it to authorities.
Although we are exploring all aspects of this investigation, evidence thus far leads us to believe this is an isolated incident.

Cops told the San Diego Union-Tribune that, along with a homicide investigation, they have a possible hate crime on their hands.

Alawadi died Saturday after she was taken off of life support.

Shaima via Facebook

Twitter erupted with much chatter about Alawadi's death, including posts under hastags #RIPShaima and #JusticeForShaima.

A Facebook page, One Million Hijabs for Shaima Alawadi, had racked up nearly 3,000 "likes" over the weekend.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

El Cajon, hate crime, Iraq, Muslim, San Diego, Shaima

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Abdul Keddou

This was clearly NOT an 'Islamophobic hate crime' but most likely an ISLAMIC 'HONOR KILLING'...one of the more BARBARIC aspects of Fundamentalist Islam:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

"A California hate crime murder that sparked an international uproar may have been a killing within the family, as police turn their investigation to her husband and teen daughter.The Iraqi family was troubled by relationship issues before Shaima Alawadi, 32, a mother of five was beaten to death in her California home, according to newly released documents that contain little evidence the killing was a hate crime.Alawadi, 32, planned to divorce her husband and move to Texas, according to search warrant records obtained by U-T San Diego.And the victim's 17-year-old daughter was apparently distraught over the prospect of an arranged marriage to her cousin."

Guest

Check out an OP-ED by a Muslim American on the incidenthttp://global-city.org/2012/03...

This tragedy looks like a hate crime at face value, but things seem odd. It is odd for someone who commits a hate crime to come into the victim's home and brutally beat her repeatedly with a tire iron. Who would walk around with a tire iron? Who would go into someone's home to commit hate crimes--too much risk of being caught?

It seems to me that someone who is full of anger/rage commits such act, perhaps someone she knew well enough. There is a possibility of honor killing? The person who committed this crime exerted a lot of rage on the victim.

KindnessNow

We do not know yet who is responsible for this sad and brutal killing. I have to wonder though if all the hate speech towards Islam, that is abundant on websites, facebook pages and talk shows, isn't in effect, trolling for assassins and emboldening to some nut who thinks they are saving America from Islam.

Cindi

Of course it is. That's why hate speech goes beyond "free speech".