In Arizona, the trial of Faleh Almaleki for the “honor killing” of his 20 year old daughter in November 2009 has been scheduled to being on November 29, 2010.
Arizona Republic states: “A Glendale man accused of slaying his daughter in an ‘honor killing’ is scheduled to stand trial later this year. Faleh Almaleki, an Iraqi immigrant, is suspected of running down his daughter, 20-year-old Noor Almaleki, for being ‘too Westernized.’ He was reportedly furious with Noor for leaving her Iraqi husband, a cousin in an arranged marriage, and returning to the United States. Police say Almaleki, 49, used his Jeep Cherokee to run over his daughter and another woman in a Peoria parking lot Oct. 20, 2009. Noor died of her injuries. The other victim, Noor’s boyfriend’s mother, survived.”
Also see R.E.A.L. public awareness campaign on extremist basis for “honor killings” against Muslim women and girls.
Update: On April 15, 2011 – CNN reported that Noor Almaleki’s murderer was sentenced to 34 years in prison:
CNN reports: “An Arizona judge sentenced an Iraqi immigrant on Friday to more than 34 years in prison, about two months after his conviction for running over his 20-year-old daughter because he claimed she’d become ‘too Westernized.’ A Maricopa County, Arizona, jury in February convicted Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 50, of one count of second-degree murder in the death of Noor Faleh Almaleki. He was also found guilty of aggravated assault for causing serious injuries to Amal Edan Khalaf, the mother of Noor’s fiance, as well as two counts of leaving the scene. On Friday, Judge Roland Steinle sentenced Almaleki to a total of 34½ years in the Arizona Department of Corrections for his crimes. That includes 16 years — less than the maximum possible sentence of 22 years — on the murder charge, which will be served concurrently with a 15-year aggravated assault sentence. In addition, Almaleki will get consecutive 3½-year terms for leaving the scene.”
R.E.A.L. Outreach to Public at CNN Washington DC on Extremist “Honor Killings”
See also previous R.E.A.L. reports on Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing” in Arizona in November 2009:
Arizona: Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing” — New Report with Additional Interview, Facts
Arizona – Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing”: Father charged with murder may need mental exam
Arizona – Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing”: Father Charged With Murder
Arizona Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing”: Father Pleads “Not Guilty” in Murdering Daughter
Arizona – Noor Almaleki Case: Hearing for Father Accused in Honor Killing Canceled for Third Time
Arizona – Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing”: Arraignment Delayed Again, Friends Start to Speak
Arizona: Terrorism Against Women — Noor Almaleki Just Wanted To Be Normal
Arizona — Noor Almaleki “Honor Killing”: Hassan Almaleki Arraignment Delayed, On Suicide Watch
Arizona — Noor Almaleki Honor Killing: Father To Be Arraigned, Face New Charges
Arizona: Woman in Suspected “Honor Killing” Dies — 20 Year Old Noor Almaleki
Arizona — Noor Almaleki Case: Arizona Jails Father in ‘Honor Killing’ Try
Arizona: Noor Almaleki’s Lifestyle may have put woman in hospital
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Religious Pluralism Versus Religious Extremism
R.E.A.L. supports the freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of worship for all, as guaranteed by the nations of the world in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 18. Article 18 states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” We view Article 18 as a fundamental necessity to ensuring religious pluralism. We support such freedoms for all. We also recognize that exclusivity in views on religion will exist, whether such exclusivity is based a personal belief in the validity of only one religion, or it is based on the belief in the equal validity of multiple religions. Our support for religious freedom and pluralism is not a challenge to any religion, but a promotion of religious freedom.
R.E.A.L.’s support for our universal human rights and pluralism, with an emphasis on Article 18 of the UDHR, calls for such promotion of religious pluralism, but recognizes the reality of those who seek to defy our universal human rights with religious arguments. We reject religious extremist views that promote hate and intolerance. We reject religious extremist ideological arguments that seek to prevent the universal human rights of all people, based on such arguments. We reject religious extremist views that seek to even prevent religious freedom, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience for other human beings, a painful reality that we see too often in the United States and around the world.
Our definition of such views as religious extremism is not about denying the personal exclusivity of any religious path to our fellow human beings, or the exercise or promotion of their religion as part of their freedoms.
R.E.A.L. promotes religious pluralism, but in doing so, also challenges those ideologies, groups, and activists who seek to promote a religious extremist view that seeks to consciously deny others basic human rights, including the freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience necessary for religious pluralism.
In defense of such religious pluralism, we challenge extreme groups that seek to use arguments that they call “Christian,” “Islamic,” or another religious identification to deny others freedom of religion, worship, and conscience, to call for hate, to call for violence, to oppress women and minorities, to seek the destruction of our universal human rights of equality and liberty. We reject anti-human rights views as “Christian extremism” or “extremism,” but we do not attack or reject Christianity or Islam as a religion. Many of our supporters are devout members of religious faiths and we respect those faiths. Our human rights goals are the consistent defense of our universal human rights. We recognize that religious extremist views are difficult and complex discussions. But we also know from history that “white supremacist” views were once something Americans were unwilling to define, discuss, or challenge. We believe that to be honest in our commitment to pluralism, it is necessary to recognize the existence of religious extremist views that not only seek to undermine pluralism, but also seek to undermine religious freedom and freedom of conscience itself.
Our goal is to protect such religious freedoms for all faiths, based on pluralist tolerance for our differences, and based on an uncompromising defense of our Universal Human Rights.
