American Intolerance Is Getting Worse.

Photo courtesy of ThinkProgress

Social issues are coming and going like the ocean's tide these days.  In comes contraception, out goes contraception.  In comes violence and racism, out goes violence and racism.  What's next?  My money's on the gay marriage debate - I'm sure that isn't over.

But for now, we're still in the tide of racism.  Trayvon Martin's death at the hands of George Zimmerman is widely publicized because of three big issues: 1) How important race seems to be in the eyes of biased police, 2) Florida's "Stand Your Ground" Law, and 3) The fact that Zimmerman was allowed to walk away that night, murder weapon in hand.

What about the death of Shaima Alawadi of San Diego, California?  A mother of five, Alawadi fled Iraq and Saddam Hussein's brutality back in 1993.  See that?  She fled Hussein only to be murdered by an ignorant American with a tire iron.

It's shameful that there are people in this country that assume all Muslims are terrorists.  This is downright wrong.  In terms of numbers, Islamic Extremists represent only a small handful of the religion, just like Christian Extremists represent only a small portion of Christianity.  

On March 21st, 2012, Alawadi's eldest daughter came home to find her mother "drowning in her own blood."  Lying near her broken body was a note that read, "Go back to your own country, you terrorist."  Alawadi died three days later in the hospital.

No human being deserves to have their home broken into.  No human being - no living creature - deserves to be mercilessly beaten with a tire iron, especially a mother.  Religion and nationality are irrelevant.  Alawadi was no terrorist.  Whoever murdered her, however, is by very definition the terrorist.  Merriam Webster defines terrorism as "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion," with terrorist being the adjective/noun.

And no, this was not some simple attack.  Whoever did this had been watching the family and planning for days.  According to the eldest daughter, the family had received a similar note to the one found near Alawadi's body in early March.  Not suspecting the danger (why should they have?), the family dismissed it as a prank by the neighborhood kids and did not call the police.

What kind of image does this give America when not even a month had passed since Trayvon's murder?  First a black child and now an Iraqi mother.  This is not acceptable.  We need to rise above this petty ignorance.  We need to join the rest of the civilized world in the twenty-first century.  Zimmerman needs to be brought to justice.  

The killer of Alawadi needs to be brought to justice.  

My heart goes out to Shaima's family.  This is a complete and utter tragedy.  I am so sorry for your loss.  <3

  Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times.


UPDATE (5/8/12)

At the request of an anonymous reader (see comments below), I have gone back to this case in order to share with you all what's now going on.

The truth is, I don't know.  No one knows.  What appeared to be a hate crime against a Muslim-American could now be a hate crime against a woman.  Maybe.  Here's one of the most recent articles I could find on the matter that was written by Nina Burleigh over at TIME.  I urge you to check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments below.  If you have a better article (or a more recent one), please share.